Word from Scott Reeder and it looks like Phileas is having a blast. Scott has sent over some video clips, all of which will go in to the next video. For now I've got some screen grabs.

Before going on, it's worth looking at the events that took place before the session. Like good hosts, Scott and his wife Pam took Phileas out on the town. For the obvious reasons, but also down to wanting some "British" grub, Phileas was keen to visit Phileas Fogg's to eat out. They certainly seem to be trying to get in to the spirit of things with chips and gravy or curry sauce (although they do call them "fries" so they ain't that British).

One authentic addition though was a drunken Geordie. They say that Magpies are attracted to shiny things and before anyone could say "why-aye", said Geordie had grabbed a Sharpie and added to Phileas's growing array of tats! Thankfully, he actually made quite a sweet addition and I wonder if what seemed on the ground as threatening and aggressive may actually have been that lovable Geordie exuberance.

Looking at the shot above, I'm actually starting to wonder if the guy was from Newcastle afterall, what with being under 20 stone (280 lbs) and having his shirt on. Perhaps he's a Mackem.

Anyway, Phileas powered on through and groggily hit the surf with Scott and friends. Here's what Scott has to say:

We finally got Phileas in the water, G. Kendog talked us into heading up to North County, something we rarely do, and we actually found a couple waves.

As we arrived, Andrew Smith was already leaving! A busy teacher, writer, family man (and one of the first dedicated mat riders down here), Andrew never seems to have more than 15 minutes to surf. I just hope he enjoyed his 15 minutes. Next time, A.

Elder statesman Peter St. Pierre had first honors. Although the lineup was a bit clogged with surfboarders, he snagged a bunch of fun little runners, including an improbable connector. Forty-plus years of experience at this spot has its perks. Pinliner is the man, and Phileas is a “special gal,” in his words.

Mark Miller was up next. He and Phileas hit it off right away. The frame grabs describe their relationship better than I ever could.

I managed a few right before dusk. To goose a little extra horsepower, I gradually aired her down well below a 180 bend. That made for a couple wild situations.

Thanks for including us, G. Great mat!

Great project!