Latest Update: July 22, 2001 by Ben Marcus

20:16 PT SUNDAY JULY 22, 2001 THE TV ROOM, THE CONDO, WHISTLER

ODOMETER

TRIP METER

MONEY:
Brekkie pie this morning: CAN$5.00

I'm watching Basic Instinct. Michael Douglas and Jeanne Tripplehorn are having wild monkey sex. I just got off the phone with johnmarkel@hotmail.com, who I called about the Turnagain Arm Tidal Bore. He said the bore has been inconsistent this year, and that it's not as good on the minus tides. He also said it can be ridden twice a day, and that the low tide in the morning might be better. It'll mean that we'll have to crack it at 4:00, but these guys are core. I'm going to e-mail him the latest Kamchatka update and he's going to e-mail me the name and phone number of a guy who kayaked the entire coast of Kamchatka, and also the name of a Russian geologist who has explored and mapped the entire peninsula, which is the size of California.

So, that's a little discouraging and encouraging. We'll just have to see what happens. I spend most of the day writing the latest Kamchatka update. I called airlines and looked up stuff online and all in all it took some time.

Here it is. All of it:

KAMCHATKA UPDATE

Ken Achenbach
604-938-9982
ken@coolidentity.com

Tom Brady
Tbrady@Oneill.com

Jeff Flindt

Mark Healey

Bob Hurley

Brock Little

Keith Malloy

Andrew McLester

Perry Miller

Anthony Ruffo

Mike Schillmoeller

July 21, 2001

Gentlemen

We have less than a month before that Magadan Flight leaves from Anchorage to Kamchatka. There are some details to be taken care of.

Here's the latest.

WHO'S GOING, OR NOT

1. Brock Little is very interested, but if Hollywood calls with a juicy stunt-work offer, he'll have to take it, and won't be going.

2. Anthony Ruffo is keen as a pissant, and he is working on his sponsors. He's going. ñI'm going to mack a Russian chick, just to say I did it.î

3. Perry Miller was also keen as a pissant to go, until he remembered his band has a gig in Carmel on August 21. If he bails out on this trip-of-a-lifetime for one night of music, I'm going to have him assassinated.

4. Perry Miller has a friend, ??? ????, who is a pilot for Alaskan Air who might want to go (see below).

5. I've invited photographer Jeff Flindt to go, but haven't heard from him.

6. Keith Malloy is keen as a pissant, too. He's going.

7. Mark Healey is a kamikaze kid from Hawaii who is also interested in going.

8. Ken Achenbach is a snowboard photographer who is always up for an adventure, and might be able to use his Frequent Flyer miles to get free tickets on Alaskan.

9. I'm going, if it happens. I want to catch a steelhead.

INSPIRATIONAL IMAGES OF KAMCHATKA AND THE TIDAL BORE

If you want to get jazzed on this trip, go to this link:

http://www.diveworld.com/russia/
kam/coast.htm.

Look at the second photo down. That was what got me fired back up on Kamchatka. I don't know where that stretch of coast is. It may even be on the Sea of Okhotsk, on the west side of the peninsula, but I don't care. That is what Kamchatka is all about: absolutely virgin wilderness, with rivers full of salmon and steelhead, and surf potential.

If you want to read all about and see the Turnagain Arm Tidal Bore, check out this link: http://boreridersclub.tripod.com/
Turnagain.html

I see a left shoulder.

I see Ruffo and Keith Malloy going looney, for a mile or more.

I see a bit of history being made.

I see everyone we know watching it on CNN.

AIRFARES FROM CALIFORNIA TO ANCHORAGE

First thing to worry about is airfares and flights to Anchorage. I'm hoping everyone will arrive there on Wednesday, August 16, which will give us two full days for the assault on the Turnagain Arm Tidal Bore before we leave from Anchorage at 6:00 in the morning on Sunday, August 19.

I called Alaska Airlines this morning and got the following information.

SAN FRANCISCO TO ANCHORAGE ON ALASKAN

Flight 105, leaving San Francisco at 12:37 PM on Wednesday, August 16 and arriving Anchorage 16:33 on Wednesday, August 16

ANCHORAGE TO SAN FRANCISCO ON ALASKAN

Flight 102, leaving Anchorage at 10:34 on Monday, September 3 and arriving San Francisco 22:22 on Monday, September 3.

Total cost for San Francisco to Anchorage roundtrip is $480.95

ORANGE COUNTY TO ANCHORAGE ON ALASKAN

Flight 591 leaves Orange County at 8:39 AM on Wednesday, August 16 and stops in Seattle at 12:26. Connecting flight is Alaskan Flight 107 which leaves Seattle at 13:11 and arrives Anchorage at 15:48 on Wednesday, August 16.

ANCHORAGE TO ORANGE COUNTY ON ALASKAN

Flight 96 leaves Anchorage at 14:36 on Monday, September 3 and arrives in Seattle at 18:55 PM on September 3. Flight 424 leaves Seattle at 19:40 on September 3 and arrives at Orange County at 22:19 on September 3.

Total coast for Orange County to Anchorage roundtrip is $514.31

Continental: 800-525-0280

Northwest: 800-225-2525

Hawaiian Air: 800-367-5320

HONOLULU TO ANCHORAGE OF CONTINENTAL/ALASKAN

Flight 5946 leaves Honolulu at 20:45 on Tuesday, August 14 and arrives in Seattle at 5:14 AM on Wednesday August 16. Alaskan Airline Flight 95 leaves Seattle at 7:55 AM on Wednesday August 16 and arrives in Anchorage at 10:30 AM on Wednesday the 16th.

ANCHORAGE TO HONOLULU ON CONTINENTAL/ALASKAN

Alaskan Flight 132 leaves Anchorage 1:50 AM on Monday, September 3 and arrives Seattle at 6:05 on Monday, September 3. Continental Flight 5925 leaves Seattle at 8:20 AM on September 3 and arrives Honolulu at 10:59 AM on September 3.

Total cost for roundtrip on Continental/Alaskan is $1002.16

HONOLULU TO ANCHORAGE ON NORTHWEST/ALASKAN

Northwest Flight 946 leaves Honolulu at 21:00 on Tuesday, August 15 and arrives Seattle at 5:14 AM on Wednesday August 16. Alaskan Flight 4081 leaves Seattle at 6:10 AM on Wednesday, August 16 and arrives Anchorage at 8:45 AM on Wednesday, August 16.

ANCHORAGE TO HONOLULU ON NORTHWEST/ALASKAN

Alaskan Flight 4132 leaves Anchorage at 1:50 AM on Monday September 3 and arrives Seattle at 6:05 AM on Monday, September 3. Northwest Flight 925 leaves Seattle at 8:20 AM on Monday. September 3 and arrives Honolulu at 10:59 AM on Monday, September 3.

Total cost for roundtrip airfare on Northwest/Alaskan is $1020.12. If two people are traveling (Brock and Healey), there will be a lower fare for the second person of $629.12. Need a 14-day advance purchase. Price based on availability.

GETTING DEALS ON AIRFARES, MAYBE

Perry Miller may be able to get some free Alaska Airlines roundtrip tickets on standby from his friend who is a pilot for Alaskan.

The more the merrier, I say, because every $500 saved is an hour of flying time earned on an Mi-8 helicopter.

Also, Perry Miller's pilot friend might want to go on the trip. Again, the more the merrier. Those Mi-8's can take as many as 20 people. I figure 10 people and all our gear will be the same as 20. And it's going to be lonely where we're going. We may even need people to sit bear guard, believe it or not. I'm more worried about animals than people on our trip. Where we're going, there's a lot more of the former than the latter.

And it's always good to have another pilot around, just in case. Apparently this guy can fix anything with wings or propeller.

Also, today I met a snowboard photographer named Ken Achenbach who will find out on Monday whether or not he is going to be awarded 1.2 million frequent flyer miles-on Alaskan. This guy is an adventurer and when I showed him the Kamchatka beach photo and the tidal bore photo he said, ñI'm in.î

He might be able to use his Frequent Flyer miles to get us some tickets. Each roundtrip will cost him 35,000 miles. All the restricted, 20,000 mile seats are gone, damnit.

Achenbach also has pro camera equipment, a Nikon T 90 and EOS 1 with his biggest lens a 200 mm. Never hurts to have more than one photographer on a shoot. When Jeff is in the water, Ken is shooting from land.

I wonder if Jeff shoots Nikon or Canon, and will he mind another photographer on the trip?

Achenbach is on the list.

So, there area few things in the air (so to speak) regarding Alaska Airlines, but the sooner we know how we're going to get the tickets, the sooner we can book them. I'm hoping everyone can get up there on Thursday, which will leave us Friday and Saturday to do the bore.

THE TIDAL BORE

I can pick up everyone at the airport and shuttle them to Girdwood, Alaska, where we will probably get a hotel and wait for the world-famous Turnagain Arm Tidal Bore to show up.

I'm going to call some friends of Scott Liska, the guy who runs Alaskan Surf Adventures. He knows guys who ride the bore all the time, and I'm going to call to get some idea of how big the bore will be on those days, and also see if we can hire a chase boat.

I'm hoping we can get an inflatable or a PWC that will allow us to pick guys up who fall, or chase the wave as it backs off and reforms. We're going for distance more than size on this thing.

The most extreme tide is on Monday the 20th:

High tide of 33.2 at 8:41 AM.

Low tide of -4.9 at 3:49 PM.

High tide of 31.8 at 9:24 PM.

Since the flight to Kamchatka leaves on Sunday the 19th, we should try to get the bore on Friday or Saturday.

The tidal range is almost as extreme on Saturday:

High tide of 31.3 at 7:03 AM

Low tide of -3.7 at 15:06

High tide of 31.1 at 20:46.

I've sent e-mails to CNN and local news stations to see if they are interested in filming it. CNN likes the weird surfing stuff.

Could be fun. Not sure when the bore comes through between peak low and peak high, but I'll be there a few days before and will try to figure it out.

MAGADAN AIRLINES

Still haven't heard from Mr. Melnik from Magadan Airlines about getting a price break on our tickets. We probably won't, but you never know.

I'm trying to get Evan to front me the full price of the tickets (6 X $1312.80) so I can pay them right away, then have everyone on the trip give me the cash when we meet in Alaska. Evan was resisting that, but it's the best way.

I'll let you know what happens. If you want to call Magadan and reserve your ticket (or all the tickets, be a hero) with a credit card, the number is: 907-248-2994.

The woman who answers the phone is named, of course, Natasha. Check out her voice. Rrrooowwww.

I also need to talk to Magadan about baggage and surfboards. I'd hate to get to the airport and find out they don't take surfboards.

VISAS

We need to get the Visa thing going. I have some of the applications left over from last year, but they're pretty faded.

There is a Russian consulate in San Francisco. It's a cheery place with blacked-out windows and video cameras and happy, smiling people. Not.

You can also download a copy of the Visa application by going to this address:

http://www.russianvisasonline.com/
applonline.html

Here is what the Tour International website
(www.tourinternational.com/visa/russia.html) said was required for a Visa application:

In order to obtain Russian visa the following documents are required:

1. A completed visa application form (one per person). The form can be xerox-copied. Fax copies of forms (on thin fax paper) are not accepted.

2. A xerox-copy of vital pages of a passport or any other travel document with personal data of the bearer. ("GREEN CARDS" i.e. "RESIDENT ALIEN CARDS" are not valid for entry into Russia). Diplomatic passport holders should submit the original passport.

1. Three (3) recent professional identical passport size pictures of an applicant. Diplomatic passport holders should submit only one picture. Pictures can be black-and-white or color, preferably on mat paper. Please don't put just processed photographs on top of one another - can stick together and will be unacceptable! If you want to sign the pictures on the back, please make sure the ink is dry before you put the pictures together.

3. A copy of the confirmation from a travel agency in Russia (Tour International can provide). For visitor's visa a private invitation processed through a local OVIR office in Russia is required. Please note that the Consulate General of Russia does not issue visas to any republics of the former USSR. Please apply to their respective Embassies/Consulates in the USA.

4. HIV Test (AIDS) Certificate for those who are going to get a visa which is valid for more than 3 months.

I believe the processing fee is $40 if it's done with 12 days or more notice. We have plenty of time, but need to get it started.

SENDING THE APPLICATION FORM TO WILDRUSSIA ADVENTURES.

I guess the only thing holding up the Visa process is obtaining the Letter of Introduction from our guides/hosts. We each need to fill out the form below and fax it to them, with a passport photocopy, before they can send us the confirmation.

All three pages of the form are pasted below. Print them, fill them out and fax them ASAP, with a photocopy of your passport pages with photo, name, passport number and other information to:

Wild Russia Adventures
tel./fax #7 (812) 273 6514

Don't worry about sending them money. We're taking care of it.

WILD RUSSIA
Mokhovaya 28, 10, St.Petersburg 191028, Russia

Trip Application/ Questionnaire

Name

Trip: Date:

Address:_

City, State, ZIP:_

Home Phone:_ Work phone:_

Fax: _ Email:_

Occupation:_

Age: Birthdate://

Citizenship:

Height: Weight:_Vegetarian? (see next page)

Passport Number:Place of birth: _

Issue Date: Exp. Date:_

Climbing experience (for climbing expeditions only):
High Altitude(circle) Advanced Intermediate Novice
Ice Climbing (circle) Advanced Intermediate Novice
Rock Climbing (circle) Advanced Intermediate Novice

Riding Experience: (circle) Advanced Intermediate Novice

Rafting Experience ("Bears and volcanoes" only):

(circle) Advanced Intermediate Novice

Wilderness Camping Experience: Lots Some None

Please staple a photocopy of the face page of your passport to this application.

We require a $200.00 USD deposit to hold your place on the trip. You may pay via bank wire transfer. Wire transfer information:

SWIFT ICSPRU2P
INDUSTRY & CONSTRUCTION BANK, ST.PETERSBURG, RUSSIA, ADMIRALTEISKY BRANCH, 24 GALERNAYA STR., 190000 ACCOUNT # 42301840951005003048 ATTN: CHURAKOV GEORGY

CORRESP. ACCOUNTS:
BANK OF NEW YORK # 8900060166

CITYBANK # 36023095

Signature:

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR WILD RUSSIA ADVENTURES

How did you hear about Wild Russia?

Are you a vegetarian? If so, describe in detail what you will and won't eat.

Special interests during the trip?

Previous travel experience?

A bit of background (hobbies, avocations, fixations, high adventures, pets) ƒ

EQUIPMENT

CAMPING
We're going to be camping and it'll probably be cold and it might get wet, so everyone should bring a sleeping bag and cushion roll and a tent with a good waterproof fly on it. I have an extra tent with me that might be useful for someone, although I don't know how good it is.

COOKING
I have a two-burner cook stove that is kind of bulky, but it will work. I'll bring at least 10 cans of propane, if they allow them on the plane, which they might not and maybe they shouldn't.

I've seen some pretty cool, one-burner stoves that might come in handy. If there are eight or 10 of us, we'll need more than one stove. I think we'll be drinking a lot of coffee.

I have one small, blue cook pot, one big spoon, one large frying pan and one blue bowl. Works for me. But that won't work for all of us.

We'll need a few more cooking pots and pans and spoons and knives, most likely.

Everyone bring their own plates and eating utensils. I have a large collection of coffee mugs.

FOOD
I have no idea what kind of food the Kamchatka grocery stores will offer, although I'm looking forward to some caviar omelets for breakfast.

I'm going to bring lots of oatmeal and canned pineapple and walnut/cashew/coconut gorp for my favorite breakfast.

I'll bring a lot of it because as my momma used to sing to me:

ñOatmeal for breakfast, without a doubt. Good going in. Better coming out.î

I'm also going to bring my Brooke Johnson-approved kit for cooking salmon: Lite soy sauce, ginger, garlic and orange juice. We maybe eating salmon a few hours out of the river, over the fire, and there is nothing better than salmon marinated with the above ingredients.

I also bought some utensils for cooking hamburgers and hot dogs and such over an open fire.

CLOTHING
It could get cold, as this is the east side of a large continent and we'll be at about the same latitude as the Aleutians, going into September. Being near the ocean should moderate things a bit, but we should all be prepared.

Bring warm clothes. Big coats, thermals, lots of socks. Extra pairs of pants.

Think warm.

SURFING EQUIPMENT
No idea what kind of surf we'll be finding or how cold the water will be or what kind of critters will be stepping over or around. No idea whatsoever.

Bring good wetsuits. This place can't be any colder than Norway was, or we'll be needing ice-skates. Whatever the best wetsuit your sponsor makes, bring it: Hoods, booties, gloves. Extra suits, if you have them.

FISHING EQUIPMENT
Whether or not there is any surf in Kamchatka, I know it has some of the best salmon, steelhead and trout fishing in the world. I talked to a lady who said she'd never go steelhead fishing in Kamchatka again because it's ñToo easy.î

I'm bringing a 14-foot spey fly-fishing rod, a smaller steelhead fly-rod, my trout rod and a spinning rod. I'll have a fly vest full of gear-fly and bait. I have a pair of wading sandals and a new pair of non-wading boots.

I'm hoping to get some boots and waders and a vest from Patagonia.

If you want to gear up for fishing and don't want to do the fly thing, just buy a good-quality, sturdy rod and reel that can handle a 20-pound steelhead. You might want to get some steelhead hooks and plastic spinner lures and ñbouncing bettyî weights. Go to any good fishing store, tell them you're going to Kamchatka and you're going after monster steelhead and salmon. They'll get jealous, then they'll show you the way.

You might consider getting felt bottoms for your boots, if they are waterproof. Felt works like magic for wading rivers. We don't want any broken ankles.

WEAPONS
I doubt they'll let us bring in guns, but hopefully we can pick up some good, used Kalishnikovs or SKS' for cheap. I'm not kidding. If we're going out in the boonies, guns are going to be required. Kamchatka has the largest bear population in Asia, and I know from reading the Journals of Lewis and Clark that bear that have not been around humans much tend to not be afraid of them. A Japanese photog was bagged out of his sleeping bag a few years ago by a bear and eaten. We don't want that now, do we?

SWAG
We want to show up there like Santa Claus, with baskets full of goodies for all the good boys and girls and Generals and helicopter pilots and customs officials and guides, etc.

Bring it: shirts, shorts, jackets, watches, sunglasses, stickers, key-chains, pins. Stuff from your sponsors, and used stuff you don't need anymore. I'm told Russians like good American equipment: Leathermen, knives, etc. etc.

Sunglasses: Smith Optics is sending me some good polarized sunglasses to give away to helicopter pilots and such. If you have a sunglass sponsor, hit them up. A pair of sunglasses to a customs officer could make a morning go by much faster.

Videos: If you appear in any surf videos, bring them along. We might be giving demonstrations to schoolkids or military officials. Who knows?

DVDs: My computer has a big screen and plays DVD's. I'm bringing a couple dozen titles, but if anyone has any Russia-related titles, bring them:

Hunt for Red October
Reds
That recent Russian sniper movie.
The Russia House
The Beast
Any Russia-themed James Bond movies.

Music: My computer will play CD's, but not very well. If anyone has a good, portable music box, please bring it. I've got lots of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky.

Magazines: I'm bringing a couple of those Surfer's Journals with the Russia/Sakhalin article. If you have magazines you appear in, bring those also. We may be pointing at wave photos to explain ourselves and what we are looking for.

MONEY
The more the merrier. Bring it in cash or traveler's checks. Preferably hard American currency. Put everything into new $100 and $50 bills. The outside world loves those $100 bills. The world runs on American $100 bills; that's why the Treasury changed them first.

Using credit cards over there is risky, so bring cash. The more we have, the more helicopter time we'll have. The less problems we'll have.

I don't know what our other expenses will be: food, lodging in Petropavlovsk, bribes, tips, transportation, fishing licenses, weapons, ammunition.

So Just Bring Dough.

THAT'S IT
That's all I can think of for now.

Any questions, send me an e-mail at:

TheBenM@AOL.com

That took me just about all day, so today was kind of a nothing day which began both good and bad. The first thing I did this morning was nearly break my stupid neck falling down the stairs. I had gone up to get coffee and was distracted by a rather spectacular Spanish girl named Anna who had spent the night with her sister and friend. Dano had warned me about her stellar beauty, but I was still taken aback by the raven-haired, flashing-eyed Carmen sitting on the couch. As I approached the stairs I was about to make a crack about my dumb cat scratching the paint on her new BMW, but I never got it out. I mis-stepped at the top, slid on my new socks and nearly broke everything falling down the stairs. I spilled coffee all over myself and recovered once and then twice. It was almost bad. It was entirely embarrassing but I was too glad not to have broken anything to care.

Dano and Colin later said that everyone has fallen down the stairs at least once, and not when they were drunk. I just happened to do it first thing in the morning in front of a beautiful Spanish girl.

What a hammerhead.

Later that morning as I was working, a big, blonde-haired guy in riding togs came through. He was friendly and I eventually figured out that it was Ken Achenbach, a guy I had sent an e-mail to about the Shwartie hot tub. We got to talking about traveling and I figured out that he was one of the guys who went to Brazil with Schwartie.

He runs a snowboard camp here in Whistler and uses a credit card to run it, charging up hundreds of thousands of dollars in charges. He has a credit card that awards points, and this year they are awarding Triple Points. On Monday he will find out if he is going to get Triple Points on his 300,000 bonus points, and there might be another deal that will double that, which will leave him with over a million Frequent Flyer miles on Alaskan.

Well I perked right up at that, and told him about Russia. This guy is game, and he got it right away. He wants to go and I said he'd be more than welcome if we could buy or borrow some of his Frequent Flyer points to help cut down on expenses.

He left excited about the whole deal and he also said he was going to talk to Don Shwartz about going. Again, the more the merrier. Those Mi-8s can hold as many as 20 people, so I figure 10 and gear will work.

After that I worked all day, writing up the Kamchatka Update, going online once in a while and looking up things like ñBuying weapons in Russiaî and ñRussian helicoptersî and ñTurnagain Arm tidal bore.î I actually found a really good site for the Turnagain Arm bore, which had some photos and some information, which I used to hook up with John Markel. I also sent an e-mail to the Bore Riders Club, asking their leave to invade their turf.

This was how that went:

The Bore Riders Club
Girdwood, Alaska July 21, 2001

Gentlemen

I am putting together a surf trip to the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia which will leave from Anchorage, Alaska on Sunday, August 19.

Brock Little, Keith Malloy, Anthony Ruffo and Perry Miller will be the surfers going on a pioneering trip to Kamchatka. I'll be writing the story for Surfing Magazine and swell.com, and maybe some foreign magazines as well.

I saw the Turnagain Bore last year on September 29, and I've been scheming to get some guys up there to ride it ever since.

On Thursday and Friday, the 17th and 18th of August, I've seen that the tides for Anchorage are the most extreme of the month, and I imagine those tides apply to Turnagain Arm.

I'm aiming to get Brock and Keith and everyone up to Alaska on the 16th of August, and spend two days trying to ride the bore.

I've contacted the local Anchorage TV news stations to see if they are interested in covering the attempt, and I've also contacted CNN, because they love goofy surfing shit.

I've contacted the Turnagain Arm Bore Riders Club because I don't want to step on any toes or blow any secrets, and I'm hoping we'll have your welcome and cooperation for this expedition. I'd like to include your club in any story I write.

I'm wondering if we'll need a small inflatable chase boat to pick up any guys who fall off, or catch up with the wave if it backs off.

Let me know how you guys feel about this. All my friends are fiending to do this.

I'm on the road and am best contacted by e-mail: TheBenM@AOl.com

Looking forward to it.

Ben Marcus

It wasn't until later I realized that e-mail went to the Bore Riders Club in England, and not Alaska. Oh well.

So that's how it all stands. Ruffo is eager to go. Achenbach is trying to get Shwartie to go. I have to call Perry Miller tomorrow to see if he snagged the tickets from his captain friend.

I sent my Application Form off to Wild Russia, after getting a photocopy of my passport at a photo shop in Whistler.

Now I'm watching The African Queen. I also watched Star Wars III today, and part of Basic Instinct.

There's a lot of stuff to do, but the timing is okay. We've got time. Just need some money to start flowing and people to send their application forms to Russia, and talk to the Visa people.

Oh yeah, I also finished Nasty Payback Project X, but I can't talk about it. I've sent it off to trusted confidantes for proofing, and I'll talk about it soon enough. It's a howler, inspired by something I saw at Berkeley in 1984.

I'm just glad I didn't break my ever-loving neck this morning. That was really dumb.

P.S. I think Carcus28@hotmail.com is all gone, and good riddance to bad rubbish, I say. But I got a belated e-mail today from my previous heckler. At least this guy says who he is.

He's about as full of shit as the other guy, but at least he hs the courage to state his name.

Ben,

Lots of things competing for my time lately but I certainly wouldn't want to give you the false satisfaction of thinking that I didn't respond to your last e-mail because I actually agreed with you. I mean, c'mon, nobody ever agrees with you, right? Anyway, and just for fun, here are my replies to your replies:

Original Subject: RE: Your Journal on Sacklunch
Original Sender: TheBenM@aol.com
Original Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 11:09:58 -0500

Original Message follows...

In a message dated 6/29/2001 4:05:05 PM Mountain Daylight Time, wollan@citlink.net writes:

Have you forgotten that Jeff hacked all the Aggroville e-mail addresses for his spam mailing? >

ARE YOU SURE? IS JEFF COMPUTER SAVVY ENOUGH TO DO THAT? I DOUBT IT. WOULD YOU NOW HOW TO DO THAT?

Maybe "hack" was too technical a word. What he actually did was copy each Aggrovillians' e-mail address from all of those posters who displayed them. Easiest "hack" in the world. Even you could do it.

Maybe Frank tried to gain control of the contest, maybe not.

APPARENTLY HE TRIED TO GO BEHIND JEFF'S BACK TO GET CONTROL. IF IT WERE THE WILD WEST, HE'D HAVE A BULLET IN HIS HEAD.

Apparently??? In my book, Frank's innocent until proven guilty with real facts.

I imagine there are two sides to that story so I won't offer any opinion. Except for poking a little inside fun at Jeff with the wipeout shot on the Aggroville header (uncaptioned, by the way), I've never seen any indication of Frank personally using his website to slam Jeff.

HE USES IT INDIRECTLY BY ALLOWING OTHERS TO SLAM JEFF.

Hey, EVERYBODY gets slammed on Aggroville, or haven't you noticed? .....especially some guy named Ben.

I'D LIKE TO SEE ONE OF THE SANTA CRUZ LOUDMOUTH CONTINGENT RUN THAT CONTEST. IT WOULD BE A COMPLETE CLUSTER FUCK. JEFF AND HIS WIFE WORK HARD ON THAT THING AND ALL HE GETS IS A BUNCH OF CRAP, MOSTLY FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

Well what do you know, I actually completely and totally agree with you on this point!

You're unjustifiably trivializing Frank's accomplishments in this area.

WELL I'M IN IDAHO SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON >

So, "screw him" was an appropriate response?

NO.

The operative words here are, "...I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON." Damn, this is almost as much fun as the 'ville.

HE'S JUST A HUMAN BEING DOING THEBEST HE CAN. HE DOESN'T HAVE THAT BIG OF AN EGO, HE'S JUST TRYING TO BE A MAN. HAVE YOU EVER MET HIM?

Yes, I have met him. In person, he comes off as humble but I think locking-in a place in Mavs' history is extremely important to Jeff (an obsession maybe?), although he would probably never be one to admit it. It another decade, after a half dozen newly discovered big wave spots take the spotlight, nobody will give a shit about the history of Mavs anyway. Jeff's website is all done in the third person (like the "Who is Jeff Clark?" section), almost as a deliberate attempt to deflect the ego away from himself. Well, people can see right through that and, after all, Jeff's the one who ultimately must approve all of the content before it goes up. In any case, if I were him, I'd fire the guy who wrote all that shit.

I DONT LIKE CONSPIRACY THEORIES OR CONSPIRACY THEORISTS. THE XXL VOTE WAS FAIR. >

I THOUGHT FLEA SHOULD WIN, TOO. BUT PARSONS WAS 100 MILES OUT TO SEA RIDING WAVES AS BIG AS FLEA FOR THE FIRST TIME AT A PLACE NO ONE HAD EVER SURFED. I THINK IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A TIE I'M WORKING ON AN ONLINE VIDEO AWARDS FOR SWELL RIGHT NOW. WE'RE GOING TO LET THE PEOPLE VOTE THIS TIME AND DECIDE WHICH WAVE WAS MORE WORTHY.

Wow, did you miss the whole point on this one! Yes, the vote WAS fair. Read on... Problem was that the judges only saw what Swell wanted them to see. Frank's shot of Noah's wave would have easily measured higher than Parsons' wave. However, Swell said they couldn't use that shot because the bottom of the trough was obscured by a wave in the foreground. I've got news for you, even if you measured that shot from the top of the foreground wave and completely ignored the part of the wave that was hidden, it still would have measured more than 66 feet! So, the real reason Swell couldn't use that shot is because they knew that it was a serious potential a winner. Frank caught it right at the brief moment when the wave was jacked all the way up - probably a full 10 feet higher than the photo actually used in the judging. If I were a judge and had to make my decision based on the finalist photos that were provided, I would have voted for Parsons wave too. Flea's wave was simply not tall enough and it was a "tallest wave" contest. Also, I am in no way trying to trivialize the Cortes expedition - it was an awesome endeavour. Secretly, maybe I'm even glad Parsons' wave won. Morally, I'm outraged. Enter politics & big bucks. Exit ethics.

JEFF SURFS THE PLACE WELL. FRANK PUTTS AROUND ON A JET SKI. I THINK THERE LIES THE RUB. >

JAY SURFS THE PLACE. FRANK JUST EXPLOITS IT. > >

Now I feel better. >

No you don't. ha, ha >

YES, I DO.

Sounds to me like, from your perspective, one has to actually surf Mavs in order to legitimately make money off the place, otherwise it's just exploitation. Hmmm, maybe you better give back the checks for those Mavs articles you wrote, Ben. Can't have any exploitation, ya know. Anyway, I've enjoyed the banter, it's been fun.....

Ben