Photo: @surfsupny
We all know that tube photos at beach breaks are often deceiving. We saw an almond-shaped opening in what looked like a corner, a bit of glass in the face, and a slight mist coming out of the lips, probably thanks to the offshore wind, and we thought, “Ah! , I think it’s like a dream.
That one frame is definitely a dream come true. But what before that moment? Or after that? There aren’t that many.
Rockaway Beach, New York, is one place where this series of events is part of life. These open tubes may one day become real, or they may just be a closeout disguised as an invitation. Even if you don’t live in Queens, this experience makes you a kind of tube hound, with a well over 50 percent chance of throwing yourself over a ledge and ending up in a closeout, but zero percent of the time you’ll regret it.
PITTED PIRATES of the Penninsula captures the spirit of Rockaway Beach’s tube hounds. The first annual event on October 7th was an afternoon expression session dedicated to celebrating shutouts finding corners and beating the boards.
“On the East Coast, especially at Rockaway Beach in Queens, there aren’t that many contests with epic surfing,” Peter Shaw of SurfsUpNY told The Inertia. The idea to deal with this was very simple. It’s about gathering the best of the region to determine the best barrels.
“Fortunately, the wind was blowing offshore at 3 p.m., so many surfers and spectators were able to attend after work (and) school,” Shaw explained. “There were some epic rides and board-breaking mega-wedges, much to the delight of the crowd. We wanted to host a fun event so people can get inspired by watching local pros make their home breaks.”
And just like that, New York surfers got their new comp.
