Corky's Corner

Corky Carroll on the cow-milk-surfing confluence

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 4 December, 2008 : - - One day not long ago I was out surfing with my pal the “Iguana.”  The waves were very big and we were the only two surfers in the water.  On one large set wave the Iguana got caught too far inside and got picked off.  It was a pretty big wave and it held him down for a while.  When he came up he was in the middle of a big pile of white foam that the wave had left on the top of the water. 

The Iguana has white hair and is also covered with white body hair.  He was laying there in the water trying to catch his breath with all of this white foam in his face and the only thing I could think of to say was “Got Milk?”  This was fitting as I was sitting there on my cow-airbrushed surfboard.  I have been a fan of cow-art for a long time and have been riding cow boards for many years now.

So a few hours ago I was going through my emails and I got one from Greg Cruse, the Director of the Western Surfing Association Prime Surf Series.  He wanted to let me know that they had just worked out a deal with the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) to be their new presenting sponsor for the next two years.  These are the dudes with the ad campaign “GOT MILK?”  I had to laugh.  People paddle up to me and say that all the time when they see me on the cowboard. 

To make matters more, well more something, I also have two giant surf bumps located on my rib cages right below my chest.  They look exactly like breasts except without the nipples. I had them removed about eight years ago but they grew back even bigger than they were before.  So I just live with the fact that I look like the man who needs a bra.  Anyway, when people give me the “Got Milk?” line I normally just squeeze the surf bumps and say “yeah baby.”  Ya know, I always loved boobs until I grew my own.

So I am reading about the connection with the WSA and the milk dudes and low and behold I get another email along the same lines.  This one came from a dude named Daniel Killen.  Not this last summer but the one before he had a painting on display at the Orange County Fair.  It was of three cows that had on surf trunks and were standing by their boards.  The theme of the fair that summer was “Cowabunga.”  I really liked the painting and tracked down the artists name and email. 

I wrote him telling him how much I liked his painting and asking if he would send me a photo of the painting.  He did and I have it in my computers art collection along with a few paintings of cows that I have done myself.  Well it turns out that he was inspired that I liked his surf cows and he did some more and this year he won the art contest at the fair.  He emailed me a photo of his great painting of a cow surfing, actually doing a nice cutback at that.

It’s funny how all of this sort of has historical connections in as far as my own life goes.  First off I used to watch Howdy Dowdy on television and one of my favorite sayings was, and still is, truth be known, “Cowabunga.”  Howdy used to always say “Cowabunga Buffalo Bob,” to Buffalo Bob.  Right about that same time I was learning how to surf in front of my house in Surfside and one of my heroes was Timmy Dorsey, a.k.a. “the Iguana.” 

He was the lifeguard who drove the jeep up and down the beach.  I am sure I said “Cowabunga” to him a zillion times as a kid.  Then I was deeply involved with the United States Surfing Association and the Western Surfing Association at their very beginnings.  I competed on both circuits during the 1960’s and 1970’s. 

As I am digesting all is cow stuff I happen to look out the window and see that the surf is looking really good.  And sitting right there on my deck is my beloved cow board, just waiting for a wax and ride.  So I glibly said to my wife, “Cowabunga Buffalo Betty, I am off for a surf.”

Now I am back in from surfing, yes it was really good too, and have sat down to write this column.  I realize that my wife, the extremely kool Kika, has been sort of quiet and has a bad look on her face.  So I ask her what’s wrong?  She sort of not happily shot back, “So who is this Buffalo Betty?”

www.corkycarroll.com

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Corky Carroll

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