White mist explosions tumbled into the dark blue abyss below. Brilliantly bright sunrays kissed the surface of the water as the light faded into the horizon. Waves continuously crashed around me like the sand flowing through an hour glass. I broke my daze and gently swam to the shore to regroup with my friends. We had been surfing all day and had worked up an enormous appetite.
(http://www.dapo.ca/2009/03/21/california-sunset/)
I was sixteen years old on my first roadtrip without adult supervision. My partners in crime were my two best friends, Jesse and Callan. We were staying at Callan's cousin Sara's house in West Hollywood, California with her roomate, a playboy bunny named Angel. Earlier in the day we had cruised on our longboards to Venice beach to meet our friend David, a Cali native and pro surfer. David gave us personal lessons and allowed us to use his boards for the day, and we were going to repay him with dinner later that night. He told us about a popular taco shack north of us on the boardwalk. We all got on longboards and adventured along the coastline as the sun sank into the ocean.
Upon our arrival at the Taco Shack, we discovered a bigger then expected line for what David described as "quick grub". After further investigation we realized a monthly taco contest was starting in thirty minutes and anyone could enter. As many tacos as you could eat in five minutes for five dollars, and the winner recieved a flashy shirt and a fifty dollar Visa gift card. Excited by our possibility of winning thanks to our extremely large appetites we all signed up. However, Callan suggested we give ourselves one extra advantage.
(http://www.sillyamerica.com/blog/2009/08/pepes-soft-taco-eating-contest/)
We had twenty-five minutes to get back in time for the start of the contest. Plenty of time for a group of experienced smokers to roll a joint and enjoy our desired side effect, the munchies. We made our way to David's favorite dispensary on Venice Beach, Dr. Kush. (http://kushdr.com/) We purchased the most expensive strand, Blackberry Kush, since we were spoiling ourselves on vacation with money we had saved working. (http://www.strainreviews.net/indica-strains/blackberry-kush-strain-review-dangreen/) After we power-blazed a quick "sesh", we headed back to the shack with smiles on our face and victory in our red eyes.
We made it back with five minutes to spare. By now my stomach was roaring for food like a hungry lion. All the contestants were seated at a table on the boardwalk, with friendly judges circled around. My friends were just anxious, as well as excited, as I was. Plain tacos with only meat and sauce were brought out in front of us. Mountains of fresh, hot, juicy tacos steamed in front of our slitted eyes and taunted our stomachs. 3! 2! 1! GO! I grabbed a taco and with three enormous bites and a sip of water it vanished. I felt like a factory conveyor belt as my hands and mouth moved in a uniform sequence throwing tacos down my throat. I was too occupied with my own success to spare a quick glance at my now deemed opponents. I was a taco-eating-machine and there was no end in sight.
(http://www.life123.com/food/mexican-food/tacos/how-to-make-tacos.shtml)
The contest abruptly ended with a screeching whistle. Only one word could describe our mood, satisfied. As the judges counted the totals for each contestant, my friends and I reconciled about how delicious the food was. These tacos were the best tasting food I had ever experienced and I had a enjoyable time eating them. I knew this was a memory I would always treasure and add to the collection I had gathered on my adventure in California. "And the winner of the July contest is... Bo Shirley!", yelled the contest official. I was stunned and confused at first. I knew I had eaten a LOT of tacos, but I did not expect to be the winner. My friends were "highly" entertained by the whole situation and besides the official prizes, I earned the nicknames Taco Champ and Fat Ass. To this day I still hear nicknames shouted at me with a smile, allowing me to remember the exciting time I had dining at the taco shack in California.
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