This is the 4th day of absolute non-stop surfing.
Logging at least 15 hours of water time over the past four days of being off work (multiple sessions each day), an overdose of vitamin D, and actually getting enough rest and eating right, I feel tired and sore, but strong. Â I can feel a difference in even the muscles in my neck from holding my head up so much while laying flat on my surfboard.
The alarm screamed at 5:30 a.m. today, and I couldn’t move.  Happy to receive an “I’m  not getting out of bed yet” text from my surf coach Mike Siordia, I drifted back off in a deep sleep and woke up more rested at a much later 8:45, ready as ever for a surf trip.  Heading North, I met the legendary longboarder at Topanga State Beach, and we paddled into a heavy crowd and small waves.  Unfortunately, the beauty of the beach and the sparkly blue water wasn’t enough to prevent me from getting frustrated at the crowd, and the frustration hindered my overall performance, which spiraled into me getting more upset.  Even with all the gnarly experiences I’ve had over this El Nino year, I think it took 191 days for me to actually be moody in the lineup.  I kept falling when noseriding, was getting cut off deliberately by countless people, a couple of shortboarders made some comments to Mike about how all of the longboarders needed to go down the beach, and my body was hurting.  Not a good combo for happy surfing.
Sharing waves with Aloha spirit is what I live for — one of my favorite things to do is share waves with local Hermosa logger Kris Hall — we zip down the line together, carving and noseriding back and forth, making even South Bay waves fun enough for two. Â But when the waves are stolen in front of you without any intent of sharing, it’s like someone is snaking away a magical experience of flying on water. Â Sure, there are more waves to be had, but that wave could always be THE one, and you won’t know because it was lost forever. Â I know it’s a bit dramatic; but the day (and also the week) sure added up, and I guess that’s just how I feel. Â The best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun, and today I’m sad to say that I was not even close to being the best surfer.
Mikey had a smile on his face and I had a big frown coming out of the water. Â He told me how well his new Jose Barahona board was riding, and that cheered me up, happy that he had had a good session. Â Anger sure sucks, and people tell me how annoyingly positive I am sometimes, so it was sure interesting having a “different perspective”, especially in the water. Â Tomorrow is another day, and I’m sure it will be a day of smiling. Â No more frowns. Â After all, we live in the most beautiful place in the world. I should’ve asked my coach to smack that frown right off my face.
