When Hot-dogging is not a Metaphor

The Bay Area is home to special events, but none more unique than the World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica (note--all photos from the Chronicle were taken by Richard Grant):

This year’s competition was foggy and cold, with messy chop that made wave-riding more challenging, several competitors said. Several surfers swam their dogs far out into the surf to find better waves, their pooches confidently perched on their boards as they sped through waves that reached 4 or 5 feet tall.

I liked Iza's story because I'm partial to bulldogs:

Iza, the French bulldog, competed in the Pacifica championship for the fourth time, said her owner, David Fasoli.

Iza is an unlikely surfer, Fasoli said. He adopted the Frenchie during the COVID-19 pandemic. With little to do, he frequently took her to the beach.

She loved running in and out of the waves, and later, while boating, he watched as a friend’s daughter took the pup tubing.

Fasoli, who works at Costco, decided to see how she’d take to surfing.

Carson

He bought a surfboard and gradually taught Iza to get comfortable riding it in his pool, then returned to the beach, bringing Iza out into the surf, holding the board until a wave caught it.

Soon, Iza was riding small waves into shore.

“To see this 1-year old French bulldog piece it all together, take a little wave in, run to shore, turn around and come back and want to continue to learn … it was a magical moment,” he said. “I was super proud.”

Charlie

On Saturday, Iza won the medium division and competed for a shot at the top prize.

Some animal lovers may regard surfing as cruel, but most of the dogs seem to be eager to go out to catch the next wave. More than that, they derive happiness from making the people they love most in the world happy, another trait they share with human beings.

Namaste, Brother

(NBC Bay Area)

The businesses are restless. Among the increasing number of restaurants, gyms, and salons that are defying San Mateo County health orders is the Pacifica Beach Yoga studio: [bold added]

The county alleged in the lawsuit that owner Tommy Antoon has flagrantly refused to abide by various health orders for months, and has offered indoor, “mask-free” yoga classes, sometimes up to three times a day. All indoor gyms, fitness centers and yoga studios must close in areas covered by the state’s current stay-at-home orders, imposed after COVID-19 cases threatened to swamp state hospitals.

The complaint filed in San Mateo County Superior Court also said Antoon failed to require staff and customers to wear face coverings and observe other safety protocols, and has refused requests by county staff to voluntarily follow public health orders.

According to the lawsuit, on Jan. 5, Antoon told a county staffer “I’ll never close” and profanely rejected citations he’d been issued, saying he would never pay them...

So far, at least nine businesses have been fined as repeat offenders of stay-at-home orders since the County started keeping track of violations in November. They include a bar, a beauty salon, a gas station and several gyms, among others. The Pacifica yoga studio was among them.

Fines against Pacifica Beach Yoga totaled $3,750, including a $250 citation in November for advertising “mask-free” hot yoga, and another $500 fine in December for operating indoors.

You know you've lost when the owner (note: a Trump supporter) of a yoga studio swears at you.

[Update - 1/25/21: Newsom reopens California, with most counties going to ‘purple’ tier.

Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted mandatory stay-home orders across California Monday as the surge of coronavirus cases that followed the holiday season begins receding.

The move will shift counties back into the color-coded reopening system and reopening will no longer be tied strictly to the number of available beds in intensive care units.

Now, with most counties statewide poised to reenter the purple tier, some activities like outdoor dining and personal-service businesses like nail salons will be allowed to resume. Individual counties can still impose stricter requirements, despite the relaxed mandate from the state.

Some believe that the petition to recall Gov. Newsom is tied to this sudden lifting of the State-wide mandate. I don't believe this cynical interpretation. The models said it was not safe, so we locked down for almost a year. Now the same models say it's safe(r). Believe the science!

Warning Sign

For years coyotes have been a real problem in the coastside city of Pacifica.

The warning sign (right) posted on Mori Point is fake, however.

Says the sign, some behaviors “are cause for alarm.”

The list includes behaviors of the cartoon character Wile E. Coyote, including such worrisome activities as “Coyote dropping an anvil from a hot air balloon” and “Coyote in possession of a catapult.”

Another warning sign: if you see a bird with a "long tail and expressive crest" running toward you at high speed, get out of the way.

A coyote is likely to be chasing him; worse, explosions could soon follow.

The Edge of the World

(SF Chronicle 2010 photo)

One block from Camelot Fish and Chips is a street that made the national news three years ago.

Winter storms had eroded the foundations of buildings on Esplanade Avenue, and apartments were in danger of toppling down the cliffs into the Pacific Ocean. The buildings were evacuated and destroyed, and efforts have been continuing to defend other structures on Esplanade.

Sunset at Esplanade Beach, Pacifica

It may seem futile to battle nature, but New Orleans is being rebuilt after Katrina, and dikes have kept the North Sea from flooding Holland for over a thousand years. As baby boomers who are approaching retirement under Social Security, we don't need a thousand years, just 20 more perhaps to continue munching peaceably on fish and chips at the edge of the world.

Camelot Fish and Chips, Pacifica

Despite living on the Peninsula for over 30 years, we had never ventured into Camelot Fish and Chips. Because an errand gave us an opportunity to kill a few hours in Pacifica, we stopped at the 44-year-old-establishment.

The walls were covered with emblems of England. We sat beneath the album cover of A Hard Day's Night and surveyed the rules of cricket. A figurine of Henry VIII stared haughtily from the opposite wall.

The fish and chips were excellent. Other members of our party favorited (hey, that's a verb now) the crab cakes and shrimp. The seafood and potatoes were deep fried to a crisp, moist perfection; the cook said the potatoes took the longest to cook and were the hardest to get right.

Half-way through the meal we were full. We didn't leave any leftovers, but our actions had nothing to do with the clean-your-plate admonishment from our parents. We really must get to the coast more often. © 2013 Stephen Yuen