I woke up this morning to what I thought was someone breaking into my house. Turns out it was my roommate returning home from his drive to work to get his board. As he ran out the door I heard him yell “double overhead at Igor’s.” A few minutes later I was on Surfline, but the forecast claimed only 3 – 4-feet. THEY WERE WRONG! At 6:30 am it was indeed 10 – 12 feet in Carlsbad with no signs of backing off. Although unexpected, this gift is totally appreciated. Perhaps a big thank-you for yesterday’s Earth Day celebration?

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For the second year in a row, San Clemente’s own Greg Long has won the 2009 Billabong XXL thanks to his colassal 51-foot ride at Dungeons. Along with bragging rights for having the biggest cajones, Greg took home the big check worth $50,000. Not bad for someone who didn’t have a single major sponsor behind him until last year’s win. (Gracias Billabong!) Greg is a good friend of the Swell family, and couldn’t be a more well deserving soul. Hey Wheaties: we’ve got your next superstar right here. For a full rundown of the awards ceremony, log on to Surfline.