This past Monday was a tough one for surfers: howling winds, choppy waves, unpredictable windswell. But, just as she had the previous 117 days, Morgan Sliff went surfing.
Today marks 121 days straight of surfing for the Hermosa resident. And she plans to be out there for another 244 more, to make for a full year straight.
Like many who find the joy of surfing early in life, she had been obsessed with the water as a kid, only to watch it drift out of the center of her life.
“I was taking life way too seriously, and I hadn’t surfed in a while,” Sliff said. “Immediately after getting in the water, I thought, ‘This is what I have been missing out on.’”
The quest began as Sliff was exiting a tough breakup. She loved the way surfing made her appreciate everyday life. Indeed, she enjoyed it with such renewed vigor that she had a streak going before she realized it.
“After that first day, I was about a month into it before jumping into this year-long goal,” Sliff said. “I decided, I need to do this every day.”
Sliff began documenting her surf adventures on social media, and has found support from around the community. A sign in Brothers Burritos on 11th Street in Hermosa, where she often goes for a post-surf breakfast, keeps count of the days.
“I’m just overwhelmed,” Sliff said. “I feel so supported. When I see the sign in Brothers, it keeps me pushing.”
One of those drawn to her quest is local shaper Jose Barahona. Barahona shaped Sliff a 9’6” that has become her go-to board.
“That single-fin is built for everyday conditions,” Barahona said. “It works from 2 ft. to about head-high.”
A third of the way through, Sliff has already faced her share of difficulties. Once, while en route to surf at Sapphire Street in Redondo Beach, Sliff cut her big toe.
“I looked down and I was standing in a pool of blood,” she said. “I hadn’t surfed yet, so I ran up to the lifeguard and said, ‘Please find some way to let me get in the water.’”
Though his first inclination was to tell Sliff to go get stitches, he sympathized and improvised what Sliff referred to as a “toe condom.” She managed to stave off infection, and the toe healed after a couple weeks.
Sliff is a dutiful observer of local conditions, checking forecasting web sites like Surfline to find the best spots. But sometimes, she has to get creative. While on a trip to Chicago during the streak, she took in a session at Lake Michigan.
Sliff is looking forward to the consistent surf promised by the forecasted El Niño in the coming months. But she said that so far, the real value of the streak has been in making her appreciate every session.
“I definitely try to find something beautiful everyday,” Sliff said. “There’s always going to be a corner somewhere.”
