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| Billy Thiel - Cabo Freak Fest One3 Belly Flop Champion |
Day number one of Cabo Freak Fest
is all about settling in and getting situated. With months of planning, I know
that our transport company (
www.dannyboycabo.com)
will be there to pick up the crew.
We had half the crew come in a day
early. By the smell of alcohol coming off their breath and seeping out of their
pores, I knew who they were.
The first night for the entire crew
as a whole went down at Baja Brewing Co. just across the street from our hotel.
Baja Brewing Co. has the best view of the bay and has the best beer this side
of the border. After going over the schedule and meeting the new faces, I was
off to bed for an early morning start.
Day number two. 5:30am meet. (Sounds
of crickets). After some heavy drinking after the opening speech, I was out.
Luckily, the four bodyboarders that were hungry to ride… rode. Rolando, one of
our drivers, was there on time and veteran Freak Fester Jay Farjado made the
call and said, let’s do this. No photos were taken but from what they said, it
was worth it.
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| Richard, Ellie and Cynthia enjoying the view. |
Next on the agenda were the
afternoon Belly Flop Challenge and some shorebreak action out at Lover’s Beach.
We decided to get some barrels and do the Belly Flop Challenge afterwards.
Chato is my contact here in San Lucas when I need anything to do with the
waters. He called up his buddy and got us a group rate for the boat (Ponga) to
take us out to Lover’s. Getting on and off the ponga sounds easy but add waves,
loss of perception and everyone wanted to get off at the same time, it’s crazy!
We make it to Lover’s Beach. The waves we ride are actually on the other side
of Lover’s Beach. The locals call it Divorce Beach. It’s secluded and a place
for a secret rendezvouses. What we bodyboarders call it is epic shorebreak with
warm water and amazing backdrops.
Walking from Lover’s Beach to
Divorce Beach, for me, is the longest walk during the trip. In my mind I have
several thoughts going through my mind:
-Are the waves going to be big?
-Does my crew know their limits?
-What is the injury protocol?
-Did I charge my camera batteries?
-Do I have space on my memory
cards?
-Who brought the water?
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| Damian and Hugo Collins lining up. |
As we come up and over the sand
bank, I can finally exhale. The waves were a fun 2-3 and barreling. Wasn’t epic
but fun. Plus, it’s a great way for me to gauge who is who in the water.
Cameron Steele and I snuck down the beach about 50 yards and within ten minutes
we scored three solid shots as if we were doing this shit for years. Wait, we
have been. The other water photographers on the trip, Damian Davila and Billy
Thiel, hung out by the wall and shot everyone in the water. Our two hour shorey
session came to a close. We marched back through the massive rock corridor and
got back on the pongas.
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| Cameron Steele making it look easy. Text book: No spray in the face and clean. |
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| The locals doing their thang. |
One last stop… Pelican Rock, the
jump rock. I think most everyone jumped from the rock. Even El Jack. More on El
Jack and his lovely lady later. After Carly’s massive dive from the top of the
rock and the rest of the crew’s plunges, it was time for the Belly Flop
Challenge. Jay was the first to go and couldn’t hold his position long enough
and over rotated. Next, Cameron Steele. From the launch from the rock to ankle
grab to perfect landing, Cam set the bar. Alex and Josh.0, both couldn’t keep
it together. Then Billy Thiel stepped up. The takeoff, the flying time and the
landing were all perfect! I thought to myself, how in the f*ck do I top that? As
I made my way up the rock from the backside, Josh.0 took a second jump and
nailed it. I didn’t see it but it was pretty damn perfect from what I’ve heard.
But still there was no way I or anyone could top Billy’s jump. I got on the
rock and take a moment to figure out a plan of attack. With hand behind my
back, I went for it. Just as I was about to land, I turned my right should in
and took the impact on my neck and upper peck. Right then, I knew and the rest
of the crew knew Billy Thiel is your Cabo Freak Fest 2013 Belly Flop Champion!
The night was attacked by many but
I opted to stay close to home and get in a good night’s sleep.
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| Self portrait with the one of the two pongas. |
