Squirrel Meets Surf
Or,"How I learned to love the wave and what it did to me when I got there."
Squeezing into a Tyr swim suit and wet suit after a half mile sweaty trek in 90 degree weather in a 2 by 4 foot stall covered in mildew does not promote a sense of glamour in ones activities. In fact, it has quite the opposite effect of causing general annoyance and a feeling of unsexiness that seems more and more foreign to me in my creation of self. It wasn't until I was firmly zipped up in the ill fitting Body Glove, that I was able to conjure back my sexy self image. I didn't want to meet a new acquaintance as frumpy (or lumpy?) old lady.
Most of my visual experience yesterday was fuzzy as I had removed the lenses granting me clear vision. It was no matter anyway, as the other senses became more acute in the water. I was left to explore on my own for the first hour or two and that gave me a chance to feel out the strength and nature of being fully submerged in the salty waters. The first strides into the ocean were charged with a bit of trepidation and exuberant joy. Like a child approaching a new playmate, I said hello and "hugged" the first wave to kiss my breast. If you could call it dancing, I would. But I can't. There is no single word on my lips to describe the playful frolicking and exploration of body in water I performed with my new friend. She would push, then pull, lift me and try to drown me. I played tag with her white waters, tread through her frigid silky self and drank through my nose. She would slap the back of my head, and I would dive under her next onslaught. All the while I laughed with her, the smile would not leave my face unless a nose full of salt water caused me to shake my head with nostrils, eyes and mouth flared open to expunge the briny cocktail.
After a while of trying to body surf on the white waters, I felt the urge to try using a board. Since the guys had the two surf boards, I headed to shore and grabbed the skim board. Having done a little research into the how-to's of surfing, I knew to lift the board over oncoming white water. The skim board was not a very good floater, so I carried it out to the deeper water, excitedly anticipating the sharing of the toy with my knew friend. My first attempts at catching the white water failed miserably. My timing was off. So I stood and watched a woman in her 50's and grandchild(?) bodying surfing with square (boogie)boards that were thicker than mine. I mimicked the timing and spatial relations and soon found myself catching the teeny waves and getting 3 or 4 feet before my board would sink down. Eventually I started to question what I was doing wrong, my board should not be sinking. I gingerly approached the seasoned woman;
"Hello, could I please ask you a question?" I was greeted warmly by this couple of chics smiling as big as I was.
"This is my first time trying to surf and my friends have the other boards, so I thought I would try this out. I can go a few feet, but then the board drops out from underneath me. Is there some way to avoid that?"
Her eyes twinkled. "Your first time? We were impressed by the way you were actually using that board to surf! It's generally used up by the sands to skim the water, like riding a skate board." They laughed, the elder protectively grabbing my arm as swell pushed into us.
I blushed."Oh? Well, no wonder it sinks!"
We chatted a bit more and then I wandered back to try the "impossible" again. Which of course wasn't nearly as exciting now that I knew I wasn't playing with my toys correctly. After a few more tries, I lugged the seemingly heavy board back to our camp. The desire for one of the surf boards was gnawing at me, thankfully M. had returned with the 7 foot short board. I grabbed that and headed back out.
I tried to feel out the board, where was I most balanced, etc. The first few waves rolled me as I forced my self to not think to much. I couldn't get my balance within the breaks or between them for that matter. At one point I had a brush with fear after being rolled underneath the board into a teal dream of bubbles and pale sunlight. Up!! UP!!! Gasping for air as I lunged forth from the water, I shook the pain from my sinuses and spit out the salt. This initiation of balance and finding the surface of the water lasted for what seemed 15 mins. I decided it was long board time. It's recommended that beginners, such as my self, start out on the long oblong boards. These are longer (duh), a bit thicker and have more rounded ends. Good for learning the balancing act. (hrmm longer and thicker, *cough*) I approached Jake and we switched boards. I now had a bigger toy, 9ft long and bright blue.
This board was heavier, and caught more water. I failed to make it very far out, for every 6 paces I was shoved back 3 or 4. So I tried for 10 paces between breaks. I realized my balance much quicker with this board, but found it harder to maneuver. Turning around in time for a wave was near impossible, so I finally just had to face the beach, careful to keep on eye on what was coming at my backside. (Never turn your back on the ocean!) As a swell would approach I would start paddling. Eventually I caught a good sized one and managed to surf for more than a few feet!
And here my friend is where the language I possess fails me. For a brief moment I was free from the sense of gravity, soaring over the water with a sense of free fall. The laughter bubbled forth in my exuberance of sharing the dance with wave. "Wooohoooo!" escaped my lips as I cheered at the board gliding with the wave. It was an ecstasy quite different from mind altering chemicals and orgasmic explosions that torpedoed my flesh and mind. I can't even imagine what I will experience when I am able to stand and ride swells minutes at a time. My body and mind are burning even now at the thought.
Jake found me at the southern end where the currents had coaxed me. He had gone to drop off the short board in order to help me out. I think I had the biggest grin on my face."Did you see me!?! Oh Wow!" I know, it sounds cliche. But what the hell else do you say?
We started working our way back up to the northern end of the breaks. We were hit by a large wave that knocked hard against my head. The long board pulled at me while the wave dragged me under. I re-surfaced a bit stunned. We carried on a little ways, but my head and body needed a break. The long board caught a lot of water being wider and longer than the short board, and thus took more of my strength and energy to get about. After the smashing fun of that big wave, I couldn't muster the clarity and will to direct the blue behemoth. It was to much work and took the fun out of the challenge of catching the waves.
Our break consisted of sandwiches and a cigarette under the bright hot sun. For the recorded I had remembered the sunblock this time, but only applied it to my face. Anything between my waist and chin not safely hidden by the black Tyr swimsuit is now a nice rosy bronze.
I next took the short board out. Having discovered a way to mostly balance myself had given me new hope for the white pointy board. I was eager and willing to try again. I managed 3 or 4 more good catches before the temperature of the water started to affect my hands that were now starting to hurt from the icy waters. I grudgingly made my way to shore, starting to feel a bit beaten. I got into the shallow, angle deep waters and set down the 7ft board to remove the tie strap. After detachment I picked up the board and promptly dropped it. My hands were to cold and my arms fatigued enough to not "listen" to what my brain was telling them to do. This saddened me, my desire for more wave riding was great, but the practical voice in my head knew that my muscles were done for the day, and that many dangers await in the ocean if you cannot even react properly to your brain signals.
The rest of the afternoon was spent soaking up the sun and getting video footage of the guys playing in the water. As the sun crept down and to the right, my body started to awaken in the warmth and the soreness started to worm it's way into my shoulders and back. For the most part it wasn't bad, I was just beat. I yearned to go back in one last time, but the thought of the cold bath awaiting me, kept me lounging on the large driftwood like a napping lizard. Around 6 or so, we packed up and headed back to the truck, each step bringing me closer to the moment where I could let go and doze with rhythmic body memories of being carried through, over and under the waves.
There's a fluid movement in me today, interspersed with sore shoulders and ribcage. I managed to work out the soreness of the lower back and legs with some yoga this afternoon. A tightness in the neck, shoulders and upper back however, keeps me from relaxing completely. I still feel a bit giddy if I allow my self to slip into yesterday's experiences. A smile hides behind my eyes, curling the corners of my mouth up and into my cheek bones. I want to go again. But there are things that need fixin first. And I am really lookin forward to the day when I step in to 70 degree waters...
posted by iSirkus @ 9:28 PM
Comments: 2
