It’s been a year since I decided to strap on the wetsuit and give surfing a try again. I surfed a little and boogie boarded when I was younger while living in Hawaii in my middle school years. But since moving to the mainland when I was in High School, the Ocean wasn’t as accessible or warm as I was use too. I tried for many years in my 20’s to get on a surf board, but school, clubbing, work, cold water, and never feeling in shape to surf held me back.
But over the last year since getting back into surfing, my life has changed drastically. For one, I have made life long friendships with a bunch of great guys that are as good hearted and honorable as any I have ever met. It’s pretty hilarious how I met them, especially how I met “The Duck” (I cut him off at The Hook), Nick a.k.a “Panama Red” (5am dawnies at The Lane and the Hook), “The Peruvian” (Craigslist), and Manav (talked about our views on psychology in the line up for an hour) and the rest of the bunch. We all share the love and care for the Ocean, the devotion to the spiritual side of surfing, we are all from different parts of the world, hold different experiences and all in touch with what’s real.
Over the last year I have surfed so many great waves. This winter was sooo good. I remember catching this great wave at The Hook. On this wave, I learned how to pump my board up and down, catching so much speed. I also learned how to do a true cut back on that wave (though not pretty) and finally had the courage to look back and catch the wash, letting it blast me forward.
I’ve also seen people at their worse, claiming the earths gifts for their own and terrorizing others for something that has no such entitlements. I have seen people at their best. The glow of watching white bearded Glenn catching the sickest wave of the winter, yelling for joy as he went down the line from “four windows” all the way into “privates”. I have seen the life changing glow that people have on their face after they catch the “Bohdi” wave, the wave that Bohdi from “Point Break” chased all his life.
I have seen the power of the Ocean, and felt how small I really am. I have seen the joy of time stopping while riding down the perfect face. I’ve experienced “Living in the Moment” while riding a glassy diva all the way down the line. I have also seen a few seconds transform into an hour while making the perfect drop at “Sewers”. Oh how sweet that drop was.
I have seen old men discover the fountain of youth every time they paddle out. I hope that in my old’en days I will be surfing on one of those great long, single finned mermaids that will carry me down the line for another dose of “stoke”. And yes, I have experienced so much “stoke” this year. Surfing has made my life so much fuller. It has also brought me closer to my wife. Our “Sundays”, no matter how great the forecast says the surf will be or how epic that cam looks, has taught me that the sexiest and longest waves are not only found in the water.
I thank God that he has brought me back to surfing and gave me the determination to find something that I will never be great at, but experience greatness every time I paddle out. From sleeping in the back of my car during weekends of epic swell or feeling my gut in my throat as I watched a rouge wave coming straight for my head at Ocean Beach, this year has been epic. From catching Rincon firing on my only day in Santa Barbara to surfing Trestles with Mr. Slater, my year as a 30 something grom has been nothing short of kook greatness.
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