OK I know almost everyone reading this is probably a surfer... So I know you understand and relate!
When I first left the house in the morning, I was having 2nd thoughts,thinking I am crazy leaving on a 38 degree morning travel 37+ miles, to go and get in the cold pacific ocean, AND..not sure if there will even be surf.. There must be something wrong with me?!
yeah..um can you say "Addiction?"
I had a few first again.. and even if I did not, Wednesday still would have been one of those favorite surf days. I have been having more favorite surf days than not..SO I lost count at which is my favorite to date..MAYBE the day I stood up for the first time.. or maybe my first(and so far only) overhead wave.. or when I first went left, or right...but I say this day was right up there.
Of course when it is my day off the forecast and ocean decide to go flat..(always happens to me either that, or we just got over some rain, or its windy.. (the wrong kind)..but low and behold.. WE FOUND LIFE IN HB!
My friends daughter was in surf competition by the HB Pier, for her High School surf team so, since she was there, she gave a surf report, said it was small, but not flat just south of the competition, which was South Side of the pier.... OH AND a shout out to her Daughter Irene.. GOOD JOB!!!! She took home 1ST PLACE LONGBOARD DIVISION!!! Also the only one to take 1st place in her whole team!
SO what made this small surf day so special?
ONE) there was surf 2-3'(ankle to knee, with some very occasional and rare waist high)but nothing bigger, and fun. Could have had a little more push to the waves. BUT I HAD A BLAST..
TWO) Of course the company I keep, the girls I surf with are the best. They all rock and are so encouraging. Today there were 4 of us and our honorary Wahine Kai guy, Eric. Plus the other people in the line up were so chill and cool. Till some young groms came and crashed into my friend Jen. They were kind of annoying youngens too...anyway lets not ruin the great vibe here...
Three) I caught so many rides I lost count.
As for my "FIRSTS"... We surfed Huntington Beach..First time I ever paddle out past the break there and actually surfed. I kinda surfed there one other time when I was beginning..but it was a hard day and the ocean was not very nice, and I never made it out past the break. I also hear it is so localized and was not sure about that, So I was a bit scared to go today.
Another first. I borrowed my friend Laura's 7'9" and actually surfed on it. It is the smallest board I have ever been on. BUT I rode waves on it. NOT very gracefully, It was odd to me. Such a difference going from a 9-0 to a 7-9.. that 2 feet and 1 inch is a big change. I had no idea where the heck to put my body on it. Then I felt I was too far up on the nose. Paddling was different. It was SO light. But when I started figuring it out..(after one yucky wipe out, I tumbled like I was in a Maytag dryer for a minute or two)..I was shocked I could ride it. BUT Tallulah is my security blanket/board. And I felt like when I was on the 7'9" I was in a canoe in the ocean, and the 9'0'was like being on the fishing boat the Nautilus.. haha..but I am happy I did it. "NOW I am looking forward to my 8'0 Val!!!"
Anyway.. boards were passed around that day. I just tried the one. Laura tried mine and another. I thought it was hilarious to watch Eric on my big pink board.
I also had another and to date my best, right! So I guess I know what I am doing. As a matter of fact. I had a wave crash in front of me, as I was paddling back out to the line up, Instead of going through it, I spun my board around and didn't even paddle as I caught a ride, haha! I yelled I am cheating as I rode some white wash in. My friend Laura, said she does not want to ever see me in white wash again..HER words were something like this.. "You are above and beyond that, you can catch waves..If I catch you going after white wash again.. I am cutting your leash!".. aww I so feel the love.. and I genuinely mean that in a nice way..The girls I surf with really do rock, and have mine and we have each others back. I know I have come a long way, but their words of encouragement help me to see that much clearer.
I feel like the lil caterpillar is leaving the cacoon and becoming a butterfly.. SO question..when am I NOT a KOOK any longer?
Well I am at work for another 8 days..So I am hoping to get back in the water a week from this Saturday.. or if I get the cajones again..and surf cooperates. I may sneak in a dawn patrol before work on Sunday...
See ya in the water!
haha yay for your friend laura pushing you to higher limits!! that is great!! woe to the grom who crashed into your friend, Jen!! damn those groms.. always so frothing. i say, yell at the boy groms, and be nice to the girl groms. yea, its sexist, but boys will always be boys!!
ReplyDeleteand i will be a math nazi and say that a 9'0" is only 1 foot 3 inches short of a 7'9"
hahahahaha.. KK you are so right! OMG I didn't even realize...I suck at math! BUT I want to point out..that foot and 3 inch difference was still challenging for me =)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment! Thanks for being a math nazi!
If you want a 7'9 you still have time to change your mind... I'm getting the blank tomorrow... Let me know ;)
ReplyDeleteI love to read your blogs, because word for word I feel like I am right out there too! I completely lost it when you called out you were cheating and chasing after the white wash! It reminds of day I was like I am not catching any waves so let me cheat with some white wash! Then I realized I was only cheating myself. So I said enough is enough and paddled myself out to the area I needed to be in order to catch a wave. I think at times what is so frustrating is watching awesome waves roll in out of your reach. Just think you have paddled out and then you need to be in the right spot and sometimes it seems like that spot is just out of reach. So now you paddle out to that spot and then it seems to move again. Now I think what is going on here, but maybe the best place to be is right where you are. Be patient, just wait, and don't move. If there is a strong current then you are fighting just to stay in the line up. While this battle is going on in your head there goes another wave. I laugh now, but I have played this scene out in the water many times. The other occurence on the really good days is that the waves are too big and you see it coming in and say no way I am not riding that one in it will kill me! LOL. I now understand why people travel all over the world to exotic locales to find endless, perfect, rolling waves. Can you imagine? No chop! No slop! I still love that I can be in the water with the right tool whether it is body boarding, mat surfing,stand up paddle boarding, surfing, or saiing and just be out there in the ocean! It is a marvelous place to behold and I am thankful to be out there to enjoy it in addition to reading about other mom's adventures in the ocean! Thanks for another stoked story from the OC! ;0)
ReplyDeleteSo very stoked for you! Sounds like you had an amazing day and so much fun! So happy for you and all your firsts. It does take a lot of persistence but it feels amazing when everything comes together. I, of course, would have pulled the covers back over my head once I realized it was 38 degrees outside :-)
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