Shea Lopez gets spit out of a monster at Pumphouse. Photo: Mike Jones/Azhiaziam.com
Surfing the historic swells battering our shores here in Florida from Superstorm Sandy was a memorable experience we will all keep with us the rest of our lives. For my core group of friends growing up, we somehow, for the most part, all ended up being home and ready to take on whatever Sandy dished out. The best part of the swell for me, after a life spent traveling around the world preparing for this day,was watching Peter Mendia line up with the biggest and best waves time and time again directly in front of the pumphouse his family built. They’re responsible for the incredible dynamics that make this wave break so uniquely.
Sadly, Sandy brought our neighbors to the north a devastating event they pray never occurs again in their lifetime. If climate change continues to spin up more such unprecedented storms around the globe, we will all need to rethink our safety measures and precautions when involving such tremendous forces of nature. With the rebuild of the northeast already underway, keeping in mind the faults committed when engineering our coastal towns previously, will prove very beneficial if in the future a storm the size of Sandy pays the Jersey Shore another visit. Our prayers and hearts go out to all those affected and still dealing with the effects from Superstorm Sandy.
View more photos from Hurricane Sandy and read accounts from Raven Lundy, Evan Geiselman, Peter Mendia, and a gallery of possibly the biggest day ever surfed in Maryland by Nick Denny.
Visit the Red Cross in order to make a donation and help those affected by Hurricane Sandy.
