The Travelling Road Show Yo-yo

Ups and downs on the road

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Two days ago we drove past Ventura, heading south at a rate of knots. Since then, we’ve made it 99% of the way to the Mexican border, gone wild in San Diego, rolled back up through Hollywood, and now find ourselves back in Dane Reynolds’ home town. To say we’ve done Highway 101 to death would be an understatement. Of note today were the many flags at half mast, in respect to September 11, and the ridiculous amounts of traffic on the notorious LA 5 freeway.

The boys doing their best "dog in a car" impersonations. Pic Shield

Last night was fun. Billabong’s epic new team flick Still Filthy premiered at the Hard Rock, and everyone was psyched to let loose for the first time in a couple of weeks. Down the road at the Bondi Bar Ry Craike’s new movie was showing, and there was a Rip Curl party somewhere in the mix too. Oh, and don’t forget ASR, the world’s biggest surf industry trade show. Imagine the Gold Coast when the Quikkie Pro is on, and that’s what you have in Southern California right now. Highlights of the evening? Wade Goodall getting a huge ovation at the end of his section, Stu Kennedy absolutely tearing the d-floor, then his shirt, apart, before being asked to leave, and Jordy Smith coupling with a fairly damn ugly member of the opposite sex. Good to see superstars are still normal humans like the rest of us after a few beers. The Bloodwagon also hosted its first female guest for the trip, with one young man doing his best to prove wrong Talon’s assumption that he was gay.

Girl 1: "Who is that guy? He Rips!" Girl 2: "Oh Talon told me he was some raging homo from Australia." Pic Shield

So why are we an hour and a half north of LA, again? We’re chasing swell, as ever. Coupla days ago we spotted a blip on the radar that looked like a west swell might be hitting the central Californian coast. After spending a few days in this part of the world and seeing the potential, we decided we’d best attack it. Flights were changed, we extended our motorhome rental, and presto, we’re back up the coast and hopefully in business. We’re parked in a beach carpark and waiting for waves first thing in the morning.

Anything to put off returning the vans really. Whether we get our deposit back or not will be an interesting one. Shieldsy, in a moment of lunacy, bought a BB gun from Walmart that fires reasonably hefty ball bearings. Grubs being grubs, we now have a cracked wing mirror, and two bullet holes in one windscreen.  The external step on the Bloodwagon is buckled and no longer works, our generator has given up the ghost, meaning we have no power, and the rear bumper of the Cripmobile has a smear of black Mercedes paint along it, which looks better than the smear of white RV paint that was left behind in exchange. But we love our homes on wheels, don’t worry about that.  Coupla days left and we’re amped.