I
n September 2003, Hurricane
for with a hefty paddle back out through the
In the late afternoon, Emery and friends
shore break. Offshore winds groomed the
headed to a favorite surf break for a sunset
moisture off of Africa and later dealt the
swell into nice, clean lines, or “corduroy on
session, accompanied by only a few
island of Bermuda a heavy blow, brought
the horizon,” as surfers like to call it. As the
shorebirds, plenty of baitfish and seals. The
Nantucket surfers some of the best waves
morning progressed, the island’s surf breaks
incoming tide gave the swell a nice boost,
of the year. As it gradually tracked into the
came alive with fellow surfers, spectating
and an underwater sandbar brought perfect
Gulf Stream, several hundred miles east of
family members, and other beachgoers.
shape to the breaking waves. The roar of the
Fabian, which began as a band of
the United States, Fabian developed into a
surf filled the air. As daylight waned, calming
major hurricane, with winds topping 125
“It’s hard to describe the energy of a storm,
winds transformed the surface of the sea to a
miles per hour as it passed Bermuda. The
that wave energy that’s been traveling for
silky reflection of the colorful sky. For surfers
peak of Fabian’s swell arrived to Nantucket at
hundreds of miles across the sea,” reflects
and all those able to witness it, it was the stuff
sunrise on a clear September morning, after
Emery. “But it’s incredibly powerful…
of dreams. Then again, it was September on
the summer’s crowds had thinned. “Days like
rejuvenating. It totally recharges the
Nantucket. “No doubt, hurricane season is our
this are just too good to miss,” says Emery,
batteries.” Offshore winds sent plumes of
best shot at getting world-class waves on
who purposefully lightens his workload
ocean spray off the backs of cresting waves
Nantucket,” says Emery. He stirs up memories
come September, as many island surfers do.
that day, spawning countless short-lived
of a few more recent storms – Igor, Bill and
“When a good swell is running, there’s just
rainbows in the sunlit spray. The ocean
Ophelia – which produced great surf without
nothing else like it.” Fabian’s swell delivered
was alive and well.
causing any major destruction on land. “On a really good day in September, it’s as good
Each wave ridden toward the beach was paid
as it gets...”
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breaking waves that stood well overhead.
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