A Noseride

Well it happened.

I surfed yesterday in what mostly were just "OK" conditions. The waves had decent size but were inconsistent and a little choppy, but mostly they would have been characterized as mushy. Generally, I move myself along the length of the board trying to enhance or prolong my rides, so I spend plenty of quick moments in that space from maybe 12 inches back from the nose to the place that he fabric inlay ends which is maybe 30 inches back. I like to tell myself that time spent there was noseriding, but I knew it wasn't really a noseride. Its not that I haven't been trying. I know technically and logistically what is supposed to happen and I spend lots of time trying to make quick turns into the face of the wave and head down the line. I try to be graceful in my cross stepping, but I really have not mastered that at all. Its mostly a skip or hop forward and then some backpedal steps. Considering that most of the rides are short anyway, it seems like a pretty efficient, though unattractive, way of moving around the board. After about an hour in the water I seemed to have found my groove. The first few rides of the day were clumsy failures and I noted to myself that proper stretch and warm up were in order from now on. I also had been somewhat distracted by the large youth group that seemed to be engaged in some sort of organized exercise. It reminded me of those government sponsored morning exercises in Japan or China that I had seen photos of, except these teenagers were decidedly foreign as evidenced by there "speedos". Or at least I hope they were. Off on a run to the pier, I resumed focus, or rather lack of focus on anything again and was getting some fun rides.

I paddled, felt the speed pick up and the familiar sensation of catching the wave, and I popped up as I have a thousand times by now. I went right which is never as natural feeling to my goofy stance, but I am pretty comfortable with that now. I was prepared to move forward to find that "glide" by trimming the board with my weight forward or aft but I felt something odd, very odd indeed. Anticipating the rush of sliding down the face of the wave, I stepped (OK- hopped)forward and felt the sensation of my board being held down behind me. I could feel the weight of the wave securely holding my board level. I looked down and could see a large space beneath the nose and I was standing "out there" on said nose. I didn't hang ten or even cheat five, but holy soul arches! Batman I was in fact noseriding. Too shocked and surprised I didn't think to move forward and try a more impressive move, but I did have the composure to backpedal a little at just the right time.

The youth group was far down the beach, a few small groups of people on the shore were busy playing with children or reading. I looked around and gave myself a well deserved, though maybe not really earned, hoot. Among memorable surf days, this one is currently at the top.