Clown on the Water

Jack blamed his “surf karma” for his inability to catch a wave a couple weeks ago.

“So, last week I was out at Dog Beach, and I had been flirting with a girl in the car behind me. She parked and got out and I couldn’t find a spot. I

didn’t want to miss talking to her, so I parked in a handicap spot. I got her number, but now I can’t catch a dang wave. It’s surf karma: do something wrong, the ocean knows. I always try to do something nice for the beach — pick up trash or clean up a mess, give back a little.”

Jack moved here in 2006 and takes advantage of easy coastal access. Originally from Virginia, he grew up taking frequent trips to the Atlantic.

“It’s not like I thought it was going to be [surfing in San Diego.] I thought, Hey, I’m in good shape. I will be able to hop on a board and just take off surfing. It looked so easy. My first day, June 9, 2006, I almost cracked a rib, got the wind knocked out of me, and stepped on a huge piece of glass. That was two years ago. There was something so challenging about it, and I was already hooked, so I just kept trying. I finally have gotten to a point where I’m not a danger to anyone else in the water.”

Jack has seen some strange things in the water, but one sight, on a day out in Cardiff last July, tops them all: “It was a pretty dead day, especially for midsummer, so I was just sitting on my board. All of a sudden I see a guy dressed like a clown paddling out. The whole outfit: wig, face paint, jumper, rubber nose. He was alone and kept to himself. He went out, caught a few waves, came back in, and took off. I was totally hypnotized by him. I didn’t have the guts to talk to him, but if he is reading this, man, you made my day!”