days to remember

The past few days surfing are going to be memorable. The waves were pretty big for Wrightsville Beach, and better yet they arrived, or were sustained is perhaps more correct, for the Cape Fear Clean Water Classic surf contest. I am glad they had some waves, and I had good intentions of going to watch for a while, but the waves were too good and my time too limited to go watch someone else surf. Saturday I paddled out at dawn with a friend from work. D. has a great attitude about everything and being a better surfer than I helps push me a little. I apparently help in pushing him to get out on the waves more often. Our third "regular" for the Saturday AM surf was out of town. Probably a good thing as it was bigger than he would be up for, at least I am guessing this would have been the case.

Waves always look and seem a lot smaller from the shore, maybe the perspective or distance does it, but arriving Sunday there was no one out on the waves to give anything scale. The ocean peaks and troughs were substantial and the waves thick. I paddled for a few and missed, then paddled for more and got worked over a few times. There was one wave that I will remember for some time. The thick wave rose up, it looked a little taller and steeper so I knew it was going to break in a good place for me. I had already experienced its peers in failing to get a good solid ride, so I had a sense of what I had to do to stick this ride. Mostly, I just really needed to commit and just ride the thing. The longboard, my favorite board, seemed to pause at the apex of the wave as if both I and the board were taking a deep breath, then, the drop. The wave had pitched up and the face was steep but still nicely A-framed. I raced down and left, the little bump and chop of the day's water translated to little slaps of the wave against board as it chattered down toward the bottom. Things were happening pretty fast though I still managed a little bit of a bottom turn and kept left down the line. In review, D. didn't seem to think I had made the wave but as I made that turn, my head appeared above the wave as seen from behind and he seemed impressed that I stuck this ride. I was exhilarated. The bicep burn I had already been feeling was gone, I back out through the impact zone like I was paddling across mill pond. Its been almost 2 days since and this ride is still fresh on my mind. Today, Sunday, I had more of the same, maybe not so big and not as choppy. Also , I didn't score a ride quite like yesterday. D. and I talked about assumptions in life, assumptions in surfing on Saturday and I reflected on this today. I realize I have a lot to learn and experience yet on my board.