Taming the Wild East

Flying in to the city of San Salvador, as you descend you see in a nutshell the small, Latin American country of El Salvador with the dense city surrounded by rugged , volcanic landscaped hills, farmland and yes…some very inviting coastline . Similar in size to Massachusetts, El Salvador has nearly 200 miles of south facing pacific coastline complete with lots of right hand point breaks. The coastal city of La Libertad, a relatively short distance from the airport, make it easy for some surfers to not look any farther for their fix…but then this was a Wrightsville Beach Longboard Association surf trip and we were headed east…the Wild East of El Salvador with sights on not only surfing, but also hopefully making a little difference in the lives of the people of our temporary home away from home. And “home” it was…complete with home cooking, the family dog and the motherly care of our hostess.
Our group was gathered up at the airport by Lisette the proprietor of Azul Surf Club, Manuel our surf guide and the magician behind the wheel of our surfmobile for the week, and Marvin , a local surfer, fisherman and semi-pro soccer player who also happened to be Lisette’s significant other.
Throughout our stay our hosts would share information about the things we passed by, local traditions, and history of El Salvador, including the Civil war. The 20 years of what proved to be a very visible war for many Americans caused more than a few strange looks and worrisome comments from friends and family as I talked about the upcoming trip. And sure, the war scarred the land and impacted the culture you see today in El Salvador, but this was a place I always felt safe, where the people seemed happy despite the low wages and sparse living conditions, and the group seemed to agree that El Salvador had a really good vibe. Even many years in its past, the civil war seems to have an ongoing impact on tourism but you can see and sense that this is changing too. From a surfers perspective at least, if you have some negative or dangerous image of this country, you should reconsider and add this to your potential surf trip list. One example was a pretty significant sewer installation project going on during our stay in the nearby town of El Cuco. Within the surfboard laden van passing us by 4 or more times a day to surf, we watched as the collection lines and manholes were installed in what for the US would be record time…and this from guys gladly working for 7 dollars a day, the El Salvadorian minimum wage.
Our group of nine (including our adopted WBLA member from Minnesota) hit the road from the airport on a little less travelled surf route with our new found friends and guides headed to El Cuco about 2 hours east. Upon arrival, we were welcomed to the oasis that is the Azul Surf Club …literally and figuratively and were greeted with the first of many delicious treats, watermelon juice in huge glasses.
In fact the food on the entire trip was spectacular and plentiful…by the second day we had to ask them to cut out the lunch. The normal meal plan included in the surf package consisted of a surfer’s breakfast, then a real breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lissette’s mother, a Cuban who now runs an El Salvadorian restaurant in the states wanted to make sure that when the surf club was started that the guests were fed “latin style” and were expected to gain weight on the trip. I can affirm that they succeeded. Even something simple like pancakes were some of the best anywhere. Interestingly among the many local superstitions are ones related to people with bad “flour” karma which resulted in one of our gracious caretakers, Carlita to be banned by her peers from making pancakes for us. One memorable meal of traditional Salvadorian dishes took place not far from the high tide mark at Los Flores, a beautiful rocky point with a powerful right hand wave and scene of many surf sessions.
Despite the food and excellent care of our hosts, this was after all a surf trip and we came for waves. Los Flores is a great right point break and while it is sandy bottomed, the extreme outside take off point more or less required you to make the drop or end up pounded into the big rocks nearby. The short boarding part of the delegation had a blast at this break which was working well as the swell increased and the other beach breaks were losing their form. Longboarders caught clean faces and long rides to the beach. Other spots we explored included Punta Mango another right point best accessible by boat, with a rock bottom that was a little more serious of a wave; El Toro, a wide beach break with fun rides on the first few days of the trip located more to the west; and even the El Cuco beach break out front of the surf club provided a few fun evening sessions. With various other breaks nearby that work in different swells or directions…there is always surf somewhere. The water was warm and inviting and we were glad to shed the wetsuits that were still being worn back home.
Often we were alone as a group, but even on the most crowded days at a given session, there wasn’t really a “crowd” and within range of a quick boat ride or down a dusty dirt road there was probably a good wave with no one surfing it at all. At one of the other nearby accommodations we heard that Donavan Frankenreiter was arriving the day most of us were leaving. Sessions were usually followed up by a dip in the pool, more food than I had earned from surfing probably and a little R & R in one of the many hammocks of which there seemed to be more of than chairs.
Both on the trip in from the airport and on a daytrip to San Miguel, the nearest major city that serves as commercial hub in the eastern part of El Salvador, we passed amazing views of grand Volcanoes soaring above the rest of the landscape. The last eruption was in 1912 but it’s a safe bet that still counts as an active volcano in geologic terms. There were lots of hills and rocky outcrops lush with palms, mango and cashew trees and fields of sugar cane. Despite being near the end of the dry season, things still looked pretty tropical and one can imagine just how lush and green a few days of rain would make.
In the little town just west, and maybe a 15 or 20 minute walk on the beach west sits El Cuco which doubles as a fishing village and commercial hub of the nearby residents, but also turns into a local hot spot on the weekends. Just as we might head to the beach with our families on a Saturday or Sunday, so did the many El Salvadorian people arriving by the truck and busload that flocked to the palapas …simple palm frond shelters from the sun… that stretched for a mile along the nearby beach to eat, drink and enjoy the dueling mariachi bands.
While we arrive with the purpose of surfing squarely in our sights, we were spoiled with the great treatment from people like Manuel working to keep us in good waves and good spirits, or Nelson cooking us some amazing meals, or Carlita taking care of just about everything else for us (except pancakes) and at the heart of it all is our hostess Lisette. Motherly in her instincts to care for us and her other visitors, she at just 29 is a savvy business woman, dreamer, planner, and catalyst for a lot of good things going on in this area. Lisette is highly respected by the locals and even as an “outsider” herself being born and raised in Los Angeles, she is firmly ingrained in El Cuco and would seem to be part of many extended families that she has helped. These include staff who works for her at the Azul Surf club, and the many children attending the 4 local schools that she helps support with meals, uniforms and supplies. We were lucky to meet some great school kids who flocked around her for hugs and to show off their homework. There are others she has helped to get dental or medical assistance to as well and all of these examples are part of her “Soul Project”. Essentially, the surf club’s visitors are helping to fund the many charitable efforts she has introduced to allow the community to develop and improve on its own. She is very much of the “teach them to fish” mind set and not just providing handouts to those in need. She also described how one Texas dentist came for 10 days for a combined surf trip, and outreach dental clinic treating many of the locals. He worked on teeth, and got a great place to stay and surf in exchange. (Worth noting if you are a surfer that can provide such dental or medical services…). It’s this kind of Soul Project combined with great surf that brought us to this place as a the WBLA club and I suspect more trips may follow to this home away from home.
Our Surfari to El Salvador and its “wild east” is worth a trip back not only for the waves, but for the gifts of being with great people and being treated so well by our hosts. You can find out more about El Salvador’s Wild East, its waves, Azul Surf Club and the good work of Lisette at www.azulsurfclub.com . Tell her the WBLA and Local Sessions sent you!

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Life's a waste of time and surfing's as good a way to waste it as anything. Miki Dora

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
We think of wealth and fame in terms of dollars, lavish material things and how widely your name is known or what magazine covers you picture is on. It’s easy to be captivated by all of that or at the least just curious about the fairy tale lifestyles of Kelly Slater, Lady GaGa (that one is for the Mrs.), Michael Jordan, Bill Gates or the Jonas Brothers (and that one was for my littlest surfer girl). This desire for a little piece of that world is how we sell things…being “cool” by association is a marketing miracle. It is why you can find more kids wearing Hurly, Billabong and Quicksilver in landlocked Midwest states than you probably can find here in the coastal east. And who can blame them...the surfing lifestyle can be as addictive as the act of riding a wave. Not quite, but close.
The true surfer, dedicated to the surfing spirit and lifestyle may live a life more adventurous, but I certainly don’t mind the tradeoffs I have made in life to give my family a little security. No, I don’t make every good day of surf (I still can’t believe I missed last Tuesday), but I can measure my trek to the beach in minutes not hours, I have a little quiver, I have my health and yes, I surf whenever I can which is enough to fuel my stoke. I am not captivated by movie stars nearly as much as I am of those expat soul surfers that roam the globe or make due with a camper under a palapa and take their spot in the lineup next to the locals. I can imagine that life…not 100% sure I want it for myself, but I can understand the draw of the waves…and the lifestyle.
My surfing lifestyle is about the little adventures, all the people, places I now know or will, and experiences I have in and out of the water. It’s about seeing the sea life in their home, sharing waves with family and friends, it’s about that cup of coffee with a friend in the parking lot while our boards and board shorts are still dripping, or pulling my dress shirt on at the beach access as I ready myself for the office after a dawn patrol session. Everything seems to evolve and connect to surfing for me now…or more appropriately the surfing lifestyle. And sure, I do have some surf brand clothes, I have surf racks (that I use) on my car, and in fact I can proudly report that an 11’2” board will fit inside the minivan…oops…I mean the Surfari Wagon. Maybe the most rewarding part of the surfing life is all the powerfully good work that surfers and surfing related organizations do for our neighbors in need, the environment and for children who could use a little hope in life. Show me a group that is more giving. Yes, surfing is giving me the life of the rich and famous…a rich surfing life and my son thinks I writing for Local Sessions makes me famous. Send comments, suggestions, complaints, and requests for how to pimp your minivan to writteninwax@gmail.com …see you in the water.

'tis the season

Lots of great events on the horizon! As the water gets a little colder, surfers seem to find ways to accentuate their surf lives with some warmer, dryer charitible surf related events like a benefit for the IndoJax sponsored Ocean Cure tuesday the 27th (tonight) at Mellow Mushroom, the WBLA Surf Swaptopia on Nov. 14th (because your stuff wants to get back in the ocean!), the grand ol' Hope From Helen is back on December 4th, and don't forget the WBLA Oyster Roast on Dec. 5th!

And if you care about any of these great organizations, remember, if your company does United Way drives, you can designate your giving to any 501 (c) 3 non-profit! I know I will!

So maybe you won't recognize your surf bud in the lineup with all that neoprene and the numbness of your face precludes being able to talk anyway...but these great events keep a warm surfing spirit of community alive until spring!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ev1-1PI2fU

The link above has a great video to go with this Local Sessions article that was published...

Indo Jax Reaches Out

A small group is gathered on dry sand with a pier visible in either direction on Wrightsville Beach. The scene has become familiar, a group surf lesson complete with energetic instructors in the surfer version of a uniform, a small hoard of excited kids ready to move from the “dry” part of the lesson into the actual “let’s go get wet and surf” part, and of course the anxious parents lingering off to the side with cameras.

The surf is small, even for a beginner’s lesson, but the crowds of the day are mostly gone and there is plenty of room to teach and learn. The soft top boards of various sizes and bright colors are doled out and the surf instructors are paired up with a student. These kids were young, maybe one teen, but on average more like 8 to 10 year old mix of boys and girls. Soon the lesson got to the good part and its classic beginner surfing at its best; a few good nose dives, some that make it to one knee before the wipe out, feet slipping of the rails, and a few scary moments…you’ve been there and done that yourself, right? And then it comes, within a few minutes of the first board hitting the water, it happens….the little kid with the dark hair and tan is UP! and riding a wave. Something is a little different now and not as familiar as everyone erupts in cheers and hoots from the shore and in the water, and then it happens over and over as each kid finds their balance and catches a ride, those first magical rides of a surfer on a wave. There were lots of smiles on stoked kids and parents alike. It’s impossible to forget the pride on one father face as he hugged is son. After all, that kid rocked his lesson, but this certainly went much deeper.

What is different here from an otherwise very normal surf lesson is that each of the kids learning to surf that day is visually impaired and some have other medical conditions as well. These things can hardly be called disabilities after watching their success. Maybe it took a little special help for a few of them, but each of these children came to shore that day…a surfer.

Jack Viorel and his partners Kevin Murphy and Chris Lacoe of Indo Jax Surf School have incorporated outreach surf camps as part of who they are as a company. These free outreach surf events are focused on medically fragile children, but they are also active in other programs like Life Rolls on, and the Wounded Warrior project. During this 2009 season from March through September, Indo Jax will be hosting or participating in at least a dozen events; camps with a focus on kids with Autism, Diabetes, HIV, visual impairments, and also surf camps for Special Olympics and the Boys and Girls Club are among the events. Viorel added that the success of their charity surf camps is a direct result of the instructors. “We have instructors that are dedicated to the success of our students… our instructors are extremely skilled in the water and great at working with medically fragile and at risk kids. These camps would not be possible without their dedication and caring for others.”

As sun dropped behind the beach houses that day, the warm glow of the evening seemed to call the surfers and instructors back to shore. There was a family reunion of sorts going, not just daughter or son to parents, but rather this whole big new family that had been forged over those few hours. It wasn’t the time or place to crash that party with an interview, but Local Sessions did catch up with Indo Jax founder and owner Jack Viorel for a little more insight.

Local Sessions: Tell us about the first outreach event you did, how did that happen?
Jack Viorel: When we started Indo Jax we wanted to do charity surf camps as a core part of the business. We believe the ocean and surfing can uplift the human spirit and change people's outlook on life. We set out to prove it. Our first outreach surf camp was with CARE, Coastal Aids Resource Effort. A local organization working with children and young adults infected or affected by HIV. It was a powerful event and set everything we've done since in motion.


LS: How did these other outreach programs come to life? Was it planned, or did they seek you out?
JV: At first, since no one knew who we were, we offered charity surf camps to groups we thought could benefit. Our goal is that groups come to us to schedule camps. That is beginning to happen. For instance the Boys and Girls Club, Wounded Warrior Project, and a couple others came to us this year and we scheduled it as a result of their request. We still had to schedule most ourselves.


LS: It would seem that the outreach programs are a reflection of just who you and your company is at the core, and not just part of the business, am I reading that right?
JV: Our motto is "we are nothing if we don't give back” and we really mean it. We made a conscious decision to live or die as a company by giving back. Many people, including friends, have criticized our business sense and told us we can't do it this way. We simply decided to do it this way regardless. Some of these camps have been so personally moving that at this point it doesn't really matter to us if the business is successful; we know we have done what's right in the larger scheme of things.


LS: What has been the response to your outreach programs? and the other organization "Ocean Cure"?
JV: The response to these camps has been overwhelming. I think we all agree at Indo Jax that the result is exactly what we thought. People with limitations, be it socio-economic, physical, or mental, are uplifted when they try something out of their comfort zone and have success. In addition the ocean really does have healing properties. We have lots of people with serious limitations that are now pursuing surfing as a hobby or a way to keep their spirits positive. Often it's the parents that are pumped, because we broke down their limiting beliefs about their own children. I really think these camps change the lives of the participants and their families. Ocean Cure is the nonprofit wing of Indo Jax. These surf camps are expensive to run and so we have begun taking donations through Ocean Cure.


LS: I know my opinion of this, but do you think you all have changed lives?
JV: I know it has changed lives, those of our students and all of ours, no doubt.

LS: Any outreach event that stands out? or individual students?
JV: Charles and Lamont, two brothers from CARE. They took our first charity camp and learned to surf in no time at all. They got hooked and so we arranged to get them surfboards and now we surf with them whenever we get the chance to get them down to the beach. We have become friends and they have volunteered for some of our other outreach programs. They are a great example of the barriers broken by these surf camps and the uplifting capabilities of the ocean and learning to surf can have on a person.

LS: So, is this going to be a long term thing? Do you think you can sustain this program going forward?
JV: The charity is here to stay with or without the donations. It is who we are as a company. We bit off a lot this year, but are determined to accomplish what we set out to do. We set a goal of at least 10 charity events for this year and at the moment have 12 planned for this season. So far, all have been successful and none have failed. We can sustain the program the way it is now but we would like to make the program better. We have been asked to start long term projects with some organizations and we will definitely need financial support to get those programs off the ground.

LS: Can you give me the basics of Indojax and what you all do /provide as a company?
JV: Indo Jax is a surf and kiteboard school. We do surf camps and private surf lessons as well as private and small group kiteboard classes. Our instructors are top notch, many are certified teachers and very skilled at what they do.

A big thanks to Indo Jax for letting us peek into their world. If you want to know more about any of this, check out their website at http://indojaxsurfschool.com/ .

Indojax outreach

Yesterday evening I cruised over to the Blockade Runner to check out a
special surfcamp outrech program put on by Indojax Surf Camp. It was very
low key and like any surf lesson you see the expected pearling, shaky pop
ups and kooky stances. This group was no different really; energetic kids,
excited but worried parents, and stoke invoking instructors... In fact a
few a few of those kids did much better tha my first surfing attempts. But
there was something different about this surf class. These kids were all
visually impaired and some had other impairments too. Indojax rocks in my
book. During this season they are doing a out a dozen outreach programs at
no cost. These guys give their time, equipment and stoke freely to these
outreach events. I am still tryoing to decide who had the biggest
smiles....the kids, their parents, the indojax guys....or me.
... Message sent via Blackberry...
Laurence C. Bergman
Information Technology Director
City of Wilmington
PO Box 1810
Wilmington, NC 28402-1810
Phone: 910-343-3909
Fax: 910-341-4624
Email: larry.bergman@wilmingtonnc.gov.

Of wax and distant waves

Of Wax and Distant Waves
There is a partially used bar of wax in my car. The cooler weather has kept it from ending up as pool of muck in my drink holder although with the current state of my surf heap, it wouldn’t matter much if it did melt. I find myself sticking the tacky white chunk to my nose and breathing in deep. Hours later I will still be able to feel the wax on my fingers and smell the familiar tropical scent that can put me on a top of a board on a pretty left no matter where I happen to be at that moment.
Speaking of which, for the second time in just a few short weeks I find myself on the road and far away from good surf. A good friend said not to worry, that if the waves were good they would comfort me by saying that it was flat. Thanks, really, I mean it… unfortunately they can’t email me with this little white lie because it turns out to be chest high and clean and they are all too busy collecting memories for their “you should have been here yesterday” stories. From 250 miles inland I watched the reports and updates all day, all week, the surf was shaping up nicely and of course there I was , the closest body of water- a muddy brown lake.
The next trip away was to honor the passing of my grandfather. Interestingly, he didn’t swim. He told me about an incident that had put fear into him as a young boy. I think it was probably the only thing he was afraid of actually. When I was much younger he would join us at the beach and he would walk up and down the ocean’s edge and had an uncanny ability to spot sharks teeth. It was pointed by another good friend that ancient Germanic tribes attributed the ocean as the place our souls come from and return to, so this meshed well with my thoughts of my strong German decent Grandfather. He was good with his hands… fixing things, doing woodwork, tending gardens; Utilitarian and creative all at once. I am just now seeing similar elements in myself with a new appreciation. Maybe I can reign in some of his spirit as I shape a new board. Anyway, if you are having a particularly good day of big, shapely swell…. You are welcome, because I must be out of town.
As simple as wax is, it’s much too under appreciated. Knowing how frustrating it is to need it and not have it, I recall scraping some off my board with a shell to let a fellow surfer get that little bit of grip to get through the day. And who hasn’t tossed a little nub of wax to another in need, all in the name of good surf karma. The variations on technique for applying wax are interesting too. I just have to learn to do that sunburst spiral thing before its time to put on the summer wax. There are a ridiculous number of surf wax brands once you do a little research. There is a surf wax collection online that just boggled my mind. I was taught to use lots of wax and put it all over and I still do this. Putting new wax on a clean board is something I really enjoy, and actually stripping it off is pretty satisfying to me. I run my hand up and down the smooth deck looking for cracks and bumps and remember that this is how that board originally looked. This summer a family friend met us at the beach and brought an old beater thruster from the 80’s…it was all original...including the wax. It was so old and dirty I wondered if it was some secret pine tar recipe. Surf wax is also a convenient excuse to walk into a surf shop. I have bought wax in every shop I know of in the area as the drawer in my utility room demonstrates. Sex Wax, the old standard is still probably my preference as long as it’s the white pineapple variety, but I use others too including one with little color coded flecks so you can tell if it’s warm or cold water wax- pure genius. Drop by your favorite shop, grab some wax for your stick, and maybe an extra bar for your desk at work or school or and you will never be too far from those distant waves.
See you in the water.
Drop me a line at writteninwax@gmail.com with comments, complaints, cool surfing pics, salsa recipes or for no reason at all.

A few of the recent Written In Wax articles

The new Local Sessions is out, so get to your favorite surfshop in town and grab a copy. If you can't wait to check out the latest Written In Wax column I copied it, and some of the recent issues pieces too.

Surf Now, Apocalypse later. That’s what the beachside graffiti read somewhere in California. This issue arrives on the heels of recession, pandemic, and worse…a rather lame winter and spring of waves. Sure, there have been a few magic days, and with the right stick you can just about always catch a little ride but those long cold months with short days require more commitment. The solution? Summer. You don’t have to wait ‘til June 21…it begins when the wetsuits start getting shed, boards get stripped and freshly waxed (you do take that old wax off don’t you?), and you stop feeling so lonely at your favorite surf spot.
Some of the best days of the year have nothing to do with the size of waves, but rather the freedom of paddling out in just board shorts for the first time that season and feeing the still cool water with the assurance that the sun will quickly warm you. The “right coast” way of surf life is about changes and cycles, it’s about the promise of waves brought by autumn storms and winter swells and the assurance that summer will come and let us feel the ocean without neoprene prisons surrounding us. Think about this…have you ever had a surf dream where you are wearing a wetsuit?
And…some of the most memorable days may not even be about the waves you surf at all, but the waves that a little grom will catch for the first time at surf camp, or that an autistic child will find some peace in at the Surfers Healing event, or that wave that gets a competitor a heat winning score in one of the various competitions we have in the back yards all along our Local Sessions coastline.
But…yes, some of your favorite days of summer will be about waves, your waves and those of friends around you. It will be about those days were you can sit on the beach with friends or family and jump up and run in for a few waves and then easily coast in and build a sandcastle with the kids. The days are long and its once again possible to get in a dawn patrol surf before work or school, and then catch another session after dinner. If we love surfing, then this is a little of the “why” we love summer in the South.
Some will curse the tourist that push their umbrellas 4 inches into the sand only to have it blow away and spear your favorite board (yes this is fact not fiction), and others will moan about the surf zones and regulations (which you should obey and educate others about if you plan on keeping these rights), and maybe those human obstacles that are in the surf keep you from a great ride now and again. The contrast is part of what makes changes in the seasons something to look forward to; who knows, maybe in a few months you will be wishing for an empty lineup and 48 degree water.
Write your comments and questions on a twenty dollar bill and send it to Local Sessions...or just email me at writteninwax@gmail.com …see you in the water.


Not So Regular

I am not overly conscious about myself, but I am pretty sure that I don’t have a goofy haircut and my wife is good at keeping me dressed so I am not too goofy looking, or at least not when she is around. So why is it that just because some of us surf or skate with a right foot forward we are destined to be called a “goofy foot”? I can vaguely remember someone telling me I was goofy as I was learning to surf, but that it didn’t really matter. Of course they, a regular foot, had no Disneyland stigma attached to their stance. I have since learned that left handers tend to be goofy and right handers tend to be regular, but it’s not always the case. I am actually right handed and goofy footed which must make me even rarer.

Of course I am in good company and you may have heard of these before…Tom Carroll, Joel Tudor, Gerry Lopez, Rob Machado to name a few. I thought my son was going to join me in this elite status, but I am afraid he is going to stand regular like his momma. I guess everyone can’t be blessed with a right foot forward stance. In fact, of the 70 or so male surfers listed in the Fantasy Surfer statistics, only about 25 percent are Goofy footed, and only one of the 19 Women riders, 5%, is a right foot front stance. This has no real value in knowing or having shared with you, but if other sports aficionados can spit out useless trivia about how many footballs an NFL home team has to provide the referee (24), or who reached 1000 strike outs first (Babe Ruth), then you can stun them with your prowess on the footedness percentages of professional surfers. There is a fair amount of research on handedness, but finding surf related handedness and footedness research is pretty slim pickens. I am guessing that surfers would rather…well…be surfing than researching.

As the story goes, the 1937 Disney cartoon, Hawaiian Holiday (you can find it on YouTube) depicts, among other things, Goofy surfing right foot forward on a blunt tailed, finless, no rocker plank and it has stuck ever since. I suppose I have grown fond of the term. Regular sounds so…regular. A “goofy foot” t-shirt would be kind of cool, but “regular”? Yes, your parents must be so proud that you are regular. Of course plenty of regulars seem to be adamant that their stance is dominant and more prevalent for a reason. I found a great story about the late legendary surfer/shaper Dale Velzy and his great dismay as he learned that is young son was goofy foot. This is a family magazine, so I will have to leave that particular quote out…just use your imagination.
As I have progressed and become more confident of my abilities on a surfboard, the name for how I stand isn’t really that big of a concern…although, now that I think of it, maybe when that person called me goofy when I was surfing that it had nothing to do with my stance…

See you in the water.
Writteninwax@gmail.com is your direct email link to send comments, suggestions, or to enlighten me with more useless trivia.