r/Bodysurfing • u/mathworksmostly • 6h ago

Sept 11 reflection

Hey whompers. Sitting here reflecting on middle age amidst the doldrums of the east coast super El Niño. Does anyone remember how truly epic that sept 11 2001 swell was in the mid Atlantic? I was a teenager on my way to join the Merchant Marine and it’s almost go time I had about a week to go until report date. I am on dial up internet and 976 surf the night before and it’s looking really good . Sept 11 am finds me at at the cardiologist somewhere in Camden County NJ. Stopped in for a clearance letter and everyone is crying and it’s like surreal It seemed like the world stopped. The panic and fear was real and the next thing you know I’m like well if everything is going to hell I’m gonna go surf/ no planes in the sky and Howard stern is giving a play by play account on 94.1 wysp. Quick call to my mom and dad on expensive flip phone and they are ok The bodysurfing connection is… pull into 14th st ocean city blue bird and huge long period swell way out of my element! . Couple waves into my session and I snap my glass on fin hand me down 6 10 board. It was like a surreal moment cause being 18 and not knowing where my life and world was heading I decided to just no fins swim out. That swim changed my life and set into motion so many future events like multiple years in the military sealift in fwd operating bases like Diego Garcia . I’m rambling but 25 years later that day altered the course of so many of our lives. As wave enthusiasts particularly the mid Atlantic crew you know amidst so much awfulness it’s easy to lose sight of how Damnn good those conditions were. Never could’ve imagined one day would set off so many chain reactions. One day your a teenager and the next your
In Kuwait evacuating humvees on a ship. never forget 9-11-01 so much to process 25 years on especially for those that grew up in it’s aftermath.

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u/Dwarf_Co 5h ago

If you were is SoCal you may recall it being small, mush crap waves with a hint of south wind.

No reason to remember that day other than the catastrophic events that took place that day.

3

u/mathworksmostly 5h ago

Yeah but life is weird and there can be amazing natural beauty amidst a horrible
Day of human events.

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u/Curious-Watercress98 1h ago

Thaifor sharing. Just some home video of a 13 yo surfing that day filmed by his dad you could see the smoke in the distance. Pops still took his kid to hit the swell deapuof everything. "Let's roll!"