Around The World In 80 Waves

The cruise control on my car stopped working a couple of days ago. I wasn’t going to worry about it because it is a luxury rather than a necessity, but out of curiosity ran the issue past Google and am told it is very likely to be the brake light switch under the brake pedal. A quick check confirms that indeed I do not have any brake lights! Oops.

I drive to Bob Baker Volkswagen in the next town called Carlsbad and am quickly chatting with the General Manager of the operation who spotted my surfboard and wanted to know if the surf was any good. Bill Kornik, pictured here showing off his gorgeous new tenor ukulele, has surfed since he was a child and despite running the operation still takes his surfboard to work every day.

When I let Bill know I’m from the UK he tells me he is going there later in the year with his family to hopefully get some waves in Cornwall, but also because he loves playing ukulele and is going to attend a convention of the George Formby Society in Blackpool. When I produce my own uke and tell Bill about my ukulele world record the two of us are getting on famously and Bill is kind enough to take me to lunch while his team take care of my car. I also suspect that a quiet word has been had in somebody’s ear because his team give my car a good going over (as well as a clean) without charge, identifying a few other niggly things that I am best sorting before things get a tad more rustic. All of which I’m very grateful for.

We have lunch in a wonderful surf themed restaurant called the Beach Break Cafe which has an exhibit by the California Surf Museum at the back. There are loads of classic boards by legendary shaper such as Hobie, Velzy Jacobs and Dick Brewer hanging from the roof and the two of us are having a great chat about surf tours and breaks all over the world.

All the issues with the car are addressed by the time we get back and I head south to get a surf in before dark, but I will be catching up with Bill again because he has invited me to a ukulele jam session on Wednesday just down the road from where I will be staying in San Diego. He even gives me his mobile number in case I have any more issues with the car so that he can help out