Surf's Down !

In anticipation of today's "N'or Easter' Surf Contest" in Cow Bay, I originally thought the title of this post would be, "Surf's UP !".

At 9:30 a.m. this morning, I tootled over to "Flag Pond" where the event was to take place, worrying that I might not be able to find a spot in the parking lot as I'd heard there might be 100 entries. Would I have to park on the shoulder of the road ? and if so, how far I might have to walk ?

But when I got there, the lone man in the parking lot who was loading his surf board into his car, informed me that the surf was not up to snuff and that everyone had headed over to Lawrencetown.

And so that is where Wendy and I headed.

The day was overcast, but at 7 C (44F) it was milder than it has been in a very, very long time.

After this dismal, bitter, long winter, we Nova Scotians have very low standards when deciding what "mild" is.

Upon arrival we parked in the almost-empty lot, then followed the boardwalk to scope out where everyone was.

Most of them were near the base of that distant hill, where the best surf can usually be found.

There we found a few intrepid surfers heading out in search of rideable waves.

Even though they wear "dry" suits that include coverings on their hands, I don't know how they can endure the winds on their just-dunked-in-ice-water faces !

The surfers wore different coloured T-shirts so that the judges up on the hill could tell who was who. Sadly, the surf was disappointing and the hoped-for surfer numbers just didn't materialize. The waves were "choppy" and short, which did not allow for very long rides, making it difficult for the surfers to show what they could do.