Pictures here are from my friend Laura and her Go Pro..=).. she has kind of unofficially become our clubs photographer. .seems like almost ALL my pictures are taken by her. THIS one is her board going over a wave.. COOL right?
FINALLY!!! I got to surf again... It feels like eternity between my surf sessions lately. Makes for an unhappy Surfing Grandma at times. Even though one day outshone the other.. I would not trade either day I had this past week.
Wed.. was all about DOHO! SO many great things about that. First off I had 7 rides. Even though my pop up sucked A LOT that day.. Excuse me.. I mean my Crawl up...=(..
BUT Fun none the less. My very first ride of the day I felt like I was on a magic carpet. EVERYTHING about that ride was near perfection for me. BUT OF COURSE NO CAMERA AROUND DURING THAT TIME!! I popped up rather nicely..then I walked my board. YES I walked it! Then I did this amazing left turn, I had such control, it was great.. and....The ride felt like it went on forever.. it was pure perfection. It is now Friday, and I am still on the stoke from that one wave! WHY CAN'T I DO THAT MORE OFTEN????
WHAT a way to start the day! My other six waves were not the best. I was really trying to work on popping up and crouching down, Not just jump up to my feet all excited like.. THAT is what I usually do. However 2 of them I was off as soon as my feet got to the board. ONE the water rushed from behind went over my board and pushed me off the board. Another... it was so bumpy that when I got to my feet, The board just bounced me off.. One I rode in crouched but, not the way I wanted too. There was a lot of power behind me and I was just trying to stay on my board. .THAT was a fast ride, like a roller coaster.. I just tried to stay on. I don't think I could have even tried to stand...but I was not on my knees.. I was on my feet. and my hands never left the deck of the board. I used them for balance.. The other two. .basically crawled up and by the time I got to my feet. The ride was over. SO that was my first SURF day..
The waves were 2 to 4, and started to get bigger as time went on.. so that was my clue to go in, I paddled for one wave and as I was on the lip looking down, It looked like a long way down.. I backed off so fast.. I thought I was gonna go over! Whew.. DID not!
I also learned that day.. to try and go right when you are goofy foot is so awkward, it is like being right handed and trying to write with your left.. Is that just me? Or is that normal.
This picture is me out there and yes I went right.. the best I could.. I did catch that wave! Apparantly this is videod..but I have not seen it yet.
NOW the drive to and from was so much fun and relaxing as well. My friend recently bought a Westfalia, and I met her in LB, along with another friend. She drove PCH all the way to Doheny. IT was a very nice, scenic, enjoyable drive to and from. Not to mention the company was not too shabby either. AND we met some other girls from our club there. I am much more confident in the water when a pack of us are out there.
SO DOHO... still my favorite wave! I have so much fun there.. NOW if we can just work on getting the water quality cleaner.. I did swallow some and I have to admit.. I am not feeling so good today. I hope I didn't catch anything. If I do die from this.. please have a paddle out in my memory at Doho!
OK so second day.. Thursday.. Blackies..by myself. SO since I was alone, I have a bit less confidence. It shows from my paddle out to my surfing. I say it was about 2' pretty consistent..looked somewhat decent from shore when I arrived..But after I got in.. I was not feeling it so much. Seemed as I paddled out the waves were just one big wall after another. I did get a few. maybe 3. It was crowded and the waves were wierd to me by the jetty, So I walked closer to the pier..and it was just one big jumbly mess there. SO, then I ended up in the middle a bit, But it was the most crowded there. The vibe of the peeps in the water was off too at that spot. BUT nothing like Doheny, waves were betterh and the vibe was great. Any way I am at Blackies, and I went out past the break a few times. BUT decided to stay inside and work on my pop up. THE really awesome thing about yesterday was.. right out past the pier the Dolphins were putting on an amazing performance, jumping out the water doing ariels.. that was fun to watch sitting on your board outside. THAT made going out worth it all the more.
Both days the weather was sunny and nice. A bit breezy, but not too bad. BUT the water was flipping freezing!!!! COME ON IT IS JUNE NOW!
But still I would not trade the last two days for anything.. I got a fix.. hope it lasts a bit!
Glad to see ya got your stoke...yeah, just one ride can get you back into the groove and feeling like you can conquer the world! :-) It gets addicting, hence the term "surf bum".
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love this post! Amazing! I can totally relate to your story. There have been times when the feeling is right on and then there are days where I can leave the beach early and not feel bad about it. I still think that there is a lot to learn from the off days. So glad that you get to surf so many different breaks! How exciting! It gives you an appreciation for the really really good days! In our last surf sesh we surfed two days straight locally, but I can honestly tell you that the first surf day was the best. The second day was off because the wind was blowing a lot harder and the waves were just out of control. Usually you can pick a break and paddle out for a while, but on days where it is a washing machine it turns into a battle of the wills! It is so hard to paddle out with a 10' longboard when the "ocean is a rockin"! That is why I am glad to have my surf mat! It is a nice break from getting beat down by the waves. Like they say if you cannot beat (the waves) them then you might as well (surf mat) join them! LOL! It is the feeling of becoming one with the ocean that I appreciate. You arrive and quickly survey the beach to see where the best break is and figure if it is even attainable and then you enter the water! Which way is the current going? Are the breakers survivable? Once you make it out and get into the groove it is the moment when you almost lose your mind and think, "Did I just ride that awesome wave?" You bet and I am certainly going to try my best to do it again! Love surfing for all that it is even on the not so good days. I am always learning as she has much to offer. It is that moment in time where I simply must choose to stop, feel with my heart, and listen to the beat of the ocean!
ReplyDeleteAs a goofy foot myself, I can say that initially it takes a lot of work to get the rights wired. Now, though, I like going right. And there are a lot more opportunities to go right around here than to go left. I'm always wasting time trying to force a left when I should just give in and go back-side.
ReplyDeleteContinue the stoke-fest!
Thanks Guys!! and GK.. those were very encouraging words. You have no idea how much I appreciate them..So there is hope for me yet. Yes seems like lefts are few and far between..everyone is always going right where I surf..ODDLY my first turn was a right..BUT I dont know how I did it.. it just kind of happened. SO I guess we live in the land of Right waves. Ha!
ReplyDelete