The East Coast is getting a lot more coverage than usual nowadays with the aftermath of super-storm Sandy filling our news coverage over the last two weeks. Among the hardest hit were parts of New Jersey, where winds and massive seas tore apart the beachside communities, even sinking entire piers and boardwalks. Xcel rider Mike Gleason is from Long Branch, in northeast New Jersey, and this web-umentary was filmed just before Sandy’s wrath. Luckily it looks like Mike’s hometown, which we get a great taste of in this clip, weathered the storm better than some, according to recent news clips.

Xcel’s previous webisode featured fellow right-coaster Jeremy Johnston, whose hometown in Florida was spared the destruction left in Sandy’s path. Instead, the sunshine state enjoyed warm weather and some of the best waves ever seen on their shores. Thus is the yin and yang of being a East Coast surfer during hurricane season.