ben(to florida)

Last weekend I travelled to Orlando for the Surf Expo Trade Show. This is the show that we go to and check out next years summer clothing, windsurf gear, SUP and surf stuff. While it is fun (and a lot of work) to see the new gear, I was a little disappointed in this years show. I was looking forward to seeing some new SUP boards and gear, and there really wasn't much. Maybe that is a good thing, but I was hoping to see some more. I did get to see a lot of friends and I had a nice time hanging out with Jane from Boardsports School in SF, so that was all good. Now I have to get serious and start writing next years orders for the store. Oh boy!

I left the show Sunday and spent some time at Calema Windsurfing and then over to Cocoa Beach to hang out for a while, before heading to Melbourne to visit my old college roommate Tom Price and his family. His kids are growing up fast, and his oldest daughter was already off to college. Man.... it just seems like yesterday that she was a little baby running around Hatteras butt naked, playing on the beach . Tom took Monday off and we drove down towards Sebastian Inlet looking for some waves. The tide was all wrong and the there was nothing going on, so we ended back up near his house and surfed there. Tom got a bunch of short rides on his new retro fish, and even I got a couple on his 9' long board. We went back to his house for a dip in the pool. After a quick swim we headed up the road to Da Kine Diego's Insane Burritos . Very funky place with flip flops nailed to the wall and surf stickers every where. That damn burrito must have weighed 5 lbs, but it was tasty!

After lunch, Tom I stopped at the Longboard House in Melbourne. The shop has the most incredible selection of surfboards I have ever seen. They have this balsa board with mother of pearl inlays that is way cool. It is tagged at $20,000, but still way cool. If you could afford it, would you surf it? There were a ton of other beautiful boards, and I told Tom I had to leave before I did something stupid like buy one.......and I own my own surf shop! We hung out a little longer and then I headed back top Orlando for the flight home.

As always, it is fun to go places and spend time with friends, but it is also good to get home to Annapolis, Sarah, the Chesapeake Bay, and East of Maui.

Tuesday morning 7:30 am, 45 minute SUP session in Annapolis harbor, not exactly Florida, but still pretty darn good!

Aloha