New York surfers live for these moments.
Hermine was a sea witch. She cast a spell and woke up the Atlantic. For few days the ocean was back to spikes. Labor Day in Rockaway Beach was the day, dark and stormy. It reminded me of a Nor’Easter on December 9, 2014 only with warmer water and summer fashion. Mountains breaking past the jetty, white water avalanches and thick tubes spitting fire. Only some surfers could ride them. Broken boards and leash snaps. Endless peaks on horizon, sea spray and salt air. The beach was closed but everyone was watching. Park rangers, NYPD and lifeguards were on patrol. If you were a surfer or photographer that day, you had to learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.
Hermine made Labor Day 2016 a NYC surf holiday.
