Surf's Up

I have a love affair with the water (pools, waterfalls, rivers, oceans, lakes, etc.), so even when it’s 50-something degrees outside, I still want to put my feet in.  If only I had had a wet suit.  And a surfboard. 

Several years ago, my dad taught me how to surf.  I wasn’t a natural, but I did manage to catch a few waves after ingesting a gallon or so of salt water.  I forget how old I was when I learned, though, maybe middle school.  So, here’s to hoping surfing is like riding a bike.  I already know from experience that it’s like getting back in the saddle after you’ve fallen off a horse.

On the right side of the screen, there’s an “Aim’s Bucket List” tab.  To continue this surfing theme, one of the items on my bucket list is to surf a wave in the Pacific.  I’m hoping that I get to cross that item off soon; Brad and I are currently planning a cross-country road trip (via car) to either Cali or Oregon.  It’ll be our first vacation in the seven years that we’ve been together. 

I’m sure Brad will be a great travel partner, but please keep your fingers crossed that he’s not a baby and actually surfs with me.  I don’t know what the odds are, though.  Let’s be realistic here.  He prefers scenic trains to rollercoasters and freaks out when he can’t see his feet.  I just need him to catch one wave.  Then, I know he’ll be hooked.

I was reading a magazine last night, and this guy said that surfing is like meditating.  From what I remember, I agree.  Your mind, your body, and this inanimate object are working in harmony with Mother Nature.  There’s something euphoric about it.

American pro surfer Kelly Slater agrees.  He once said, "Not to sound too deep or weird, but I think that the times when you really appreciate surfing are the times you're really sort of becoming one with nature. Surfing's as raw of a sport as it gets."

Surfing's about synergy with nature and not about a shaggy-haired early-20s-something who says words like "righteous." The stereotype doesn't do the sport justice. 

Alright, so it's official.  I've got the itch.  Riding waves vicariously through the surfers I could see from the Schooner Inn balcony just doesn't cut it.