Sharing The Stoke. In Surf And Food. Like Pink's!

They say that sharing the stoke -- introducing surfing to somebody new to it -- is a great thing, and I'm here to tell you that it's true. Recently our nephew Bart graduated from college and decided to move west to pursue career options in California (never a bad idea!). Although he grew up near the ocean in Maine, he was always more into sports like hockey, skiing and lacrosse (plus there isn't really a huge surf culture in Maine, although you can, of course, surf off its coast). Anyway, we spend a lot of time at the beach and I, of course, continue my kooky surf odyssey any chance I get, so when Bart expressed an interest in surfing I put him together with my former instructor, and soon he was bitten by the bug. This is not uncommon. Now he has the essentials -- a board, a wetsuit, a buddy a short drive south of her who surfs extremely well, and an Uncle who's willing to paddle out any chance he can get.  It's a joy watching a person take a shine to something you love, and I'm sure that soon (if not already) Bart will be surfing way, way better than his lame uncle.

Speaking of joy, a quick side note: I recently had the honor of volunteering for a wonderful organization that shares the stoke with special needs children. It's called A Walk On Water, and what these intrepid surfers do is paddle out with kids who most likely would never get a chance to get on a board. They get the kids up and surfing like pros. I spent the day on the beach at Malibu during the most recent event, assisting wherever needed, and I have to say seeing the smiles on those kids' faces was unforgettable (another side note: got to meet surf dog Haole, a surfing retriever, seriously, the coolest dog you will ever see!) Anyway, can't wait to volunteer for this amazing group again.

Meanwhile, you can't talk about surfing without talking about food. Well, maybe you can, but I can't, and with Bart still learning the ins and outs of Los Angeles, there's also much to teach in terms of what to eat after a surf (or just whenever). In fact he's already working on a super-long list of must-tries. Near the top of the list, of course, is Pink's, the original on La Brea, where's it has stood since 1939! After our most recent paddle-out, we headed to Pink's and here was a nice light (haha...just kidding) lunch.

The chili-cheese dogs are a must-try in my book, but I also went for another classic combo from my New York days, just mustard and kraut, while Bart sampled a Lord of the Rings dog because it has some of Pink's excellent onion rings on top. So Pink's is crossed off the list. What will be next?!

Here's some useful info, not just about Pink's but also A Walk On Water and Haole:

http://www.pinkshollywood.com
http://awalkonwater.org
https://www.instagram.com/haoleboysurfs/