Author: Nicolas Rottier

This history is dedicated to the memory of Marion B. Haines, and Charles L. Haines Jr.   Back in the water together again.  August 2011.

Introduction

We live in scary times.  And the ending of this story, be it happy or sad, is yet to be written.   Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this would be our story until just the last couple of years.  But first a little background.   A snapshot of my times.   From the anti Vietnam era, 60’s fragmentation of society time in high school, to the life of a surfing family going to San Onofre religiously to ride waves.   Forgive me if I jump around in time. I’m a big fan of Kurt Vonnegut’s  Slaughterhouse 5.  We are all loose in time, and to cope with the bad times, we try and concentrate on the good times.

I was born, Charles L Haines III, in Sept. 1952 in Texas of all places, as my dad was doing his time with the military as part of the Korean War effort.  He was splinting broken thumbs on soldiers who had forgotten to fully close the bolt on a rifle before firing it.   The military had paid for part of his medical school education, so doing some time in Texas was the payback.   Anyway, of Texas I remember nothing other than the stories about freezing cold or off the charts hot.   Mom’s delivery of me was in the most Spartan of hospitals imaginable.  So two months after Lil Tex arrives, my dad’s enlistment ends, or the war ends, and we head back to Altadena, one of the first suburbs of Los Angeles, to live on Grand Oaks.   My dad had been raised in Altadena, the son of a pair of doctors.   His mom, Steve Haines, being one of the first females to graduate as a full-fledged doctor, and Charles L. Haines Sr., set up a practice of family medicine and general surgery.

Charles L Haines Jr., aka Roy, or dad, had attended Elliot Jr. High, and Pasadena Junior College, played football, and had made it into Stanford University, and gone on to Stanford Medical School.   Pretty amazing guy, big, and smart, and a noble heart.   They say you never become an adult man until your father passes.   Very true in my case.

At Stanford he meets my mom, aka Marion McCreary Bush, aka Marion, who is right off the boat from being born and raised in Hawaii.  Japan has just bombed Pearl Harbor and life for her was changing

[twocol_one]

Dear Mom and Dad

You really missed it. The contest was so organized,  smooth  and pleasurable be that I’m still in shock.  Never could have done it without Tay’s help. The judging system that she started was very fair and incredibly quick. There were no dissenters, every one that I asked felt that everyone placed as they should have, forgive my broken English. I imagine that Tay and Jo will give you an accounting, so I’ll be grief (good brief!!) Compared to last year the weather was very similar. Started at ten and went to 12:45 during which time we covered 2 Heats (2H) 12 and under, 3-15, Women’s Div. 6 of em, and finals for each division.  Handed out shirts to those who had competed and broke an hour for lunch. Resumed at 2:00 and did 3H 16-18, 19-21, lH 22-26, 1H 27 and up, and an overall mens final involving 2 from each heat ages 19 -26. Tay and I took the overall and division honors which 1 have some minor guilt twinges about but 1 am relieved to win it after losing to Scott W. the first year. Toward the end the condition were degeneration and the mens overall was a very impromptu, almost canceled for lack of judges, loose and enjoyable Jam session. Handed out prizes shortly after (about 5:30) to the few remaining people and had the draw for the Morey Boogie (but you had to be there to claim it) The crowd loved it as we drew about 10 slips before finally giving it away to Ray Williams. Late that night before the contest Jamie and 2 friends wandered in and camped out in the loft so they got to see the contest the next day. Jamie was looking rather haggard and doubled over but still pretty good so soon out of the Hospital. Glad that all happened before you went to Switz. Will work hard M T W and fill all my orders and then take 3 days off perhaps 4 and look for wavea outside of Orange Co. Though I’d gladly trade places with you for a few days. AAAWHOOOHAAA

 

love Tex

 

Sam is very well behaved and healthy, she’d send her love but I have to watch the weight of this letter.

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Explanations:

Tay is my oldest sister, and she came from a gymnastics background, so she proposed the simple 10 point scale for each wave. And Jo is my older sister.

Jaime was my cousin from out Redlands way. I think he had a run in with a bad mosquito that gave him spinal meningitis or something heavy like that. He passed away a few years back.

Ray Williams is the core of the Victoria Beach scene from the 60’s and going on strong still. Was skimming way before I arrived at Vic. Surfed all over Mexico, knows everybody from the earliest days of Laguna, still a competitor in the annual Vic V-ball tourney on Labor Day weekend.  One of the luckiest SOB’s I know.

My Mom and Dad were taking a trip of a lifetime swing thru the alps, hiking from one hut to another each day.

Sam was their Bassett hound, and the nicest canine love machine ever. Of course food is always most important to these friends of man.

This letter is postmarked August 22, 1979.  Air Mail Par Avion Aerogramme and mailed to Scheidegg, Switzerland.

Contest equipment: 4 beach chairs.