FIELD NOTES: POINTBREAK ENDURANCE WITH TEST PILOT ALEX GRAY

By Alex Gray

“I created the Alex Gray Experience a few years ago to share my passion and stoke by enhancing a surfer's knowledge, ability, and fun on a surfboard. My target surfer is an intermediate level who's likely surfed for many years but has plateaued. One of the greatest places on earth to run one of my experiences is Punta Conejo Resort in Salina Cruz, I call it the Disneyland of surfing.

Photos: Isaac Zoller

One of many incredible aspects of the destination as a coach is the repetition of long waves. Our days consist of sun up to sun down surfing with typically 3 sessions. It's a surfer's trip. Simply put, we surf our brains out. As a 10-year-old kid learning to surf, I never had a coach. In fact, I've never had a surf coach ever. But I had a VCR with Searching for Tom Curren, and Taylor Steele's Momentum. Every night I would press "play'' and "pause" over and over trying to understand how my favorite surfer's did it. I broke both of those videos, haha. I mention this because video review is so important in bettering your ability.

Most surfers joining my trips have never seen themselves surfing. I like to tailor a well rounded learning experience with audible coaching in the water, and also by bringing a pro filmer for visual technique aid. After surfing all day, the video reviews are always full of humor, a bit of shock, and then an urgency for the next day's session to work on the few things I'll point out about their body mechanics. I don't know about you, but I still hate my style. No, I haven't figured out how to surf like Tom Curren. But, I think style is an overlooked thing of the past. I wish I moved my arms less, so I now get the opportunity to help others tailor their style if they like. You'd think the best moments on the trip are hearing clients say "that was the best wave of my life". But, I enjoy most being a part of a surfer's overall education and understanding of a lineup to consistently catch them more waves. Some aspects that come to mind is the understanding of how to work a crowd, or use the current to their advantage, or maybe undo confusion of where the best waves are along a minute long sand point break. Because surfing is just more fun the more waves you catch.

Towards the end of the trip, it's extremely satisfying watching people link waves while drawing new lines and gaining speed that wasn't there on day one. Heck, someone may have even got the first barrel of their life. It's been a blast personally flipping the selfish script as a pro surfer, to wanting to share decades of an obsession in a sport that still brings the most happiness in my life.

Mainland Mexico is HOT, with lots of paddling followed by walking back up the sand after a long wave. Rash-avoidance is a top priority. I was super excited to try FLORENCE’s products. I chose the Windshield Rashie and CORDURA boardshort. I was randomly bit by a brown recluse spider on my rib cage before the trip, so I hoped the thin added outer layer of the Windshield rashie would provide less rubbing on a pretty gnarly wound. I was a bit worried it would be too warm for the air and water temp. But, I gotta say, I really loved that rashguard. One of my biggest pet peeves of rashguards is how slippery they can be under your chest while paddling. The thin added layer of the Windshield really fits to your body. And I never got one armpit rash over 12 days while surfing three times a day. As for the boardshorts, I'll be honest I love yellow and orange and hadn't seen those colors in years. So i chose them for their color hahaha. I'm a pretty skinny surfer, so waistbands on boardshorts can be tough to get a good tight fit. The drawstring closing mechanism of the boardshort is perfect. They actually cinch to your waist, with no weird loose aspect along to the top of the waistband. The pocket is situated great to have a pinch of wax, or face sunscreen stick in it while surfing. The length is great, right above your knee line for no catching on the pop-up. I also enjoyed how quick they dried.

Maybe gross, but I liked these boardshorts so much, I only wore them the whole trip in the water. I do recommend getting a lycra pair under your boardshorts if heading down to the sand points. There can be tons of walking back up the point if it's pumping. And a pair of lycra shorts are your bullet proof answer to no inner thigh chafing, which can be a trip ender. Hopefully, I covered some ground in this blog. Thanks FLORENCE for the gear. If you're interested in an Alex Gray Experience surf trip please head to Alexgraysurf.com

Cheers and happy surfing!”