🌊One Fine Birthday, Long Ago...🏄
Here's another true "surfing adventure" story.
My story is about one special birthday week, more than sixteen years ago...
Like yesterday's story, this story takes place at the same spot — a reef break known by the locals as "Terramar." But there are a few differences. I'm a few years older, I'm no longer a bodyboarder — I've graduated to stand-up surfing — and I'm considerably further out from shore.
Well overhead, steep, and hollow...
Photo courtesy of Teddy Kelley and http://unsplash.com
I invite you once again
to come with me, in the Wayback Machine, to the late fall of the year 2000.
The Wayback Machine via https://commons.wikimedia.org
Happy Surf Day To Me, A.D. 2000
Yesterday was my birthday. (The dreaded "Big Five-Oh").
Now, I know that God knew it was my birthday, but I didn't expect such a spectacular birthday present... Terramar was fabulous. It was, as they say, "really going off." And hardly anyone was there.
The waves yesterday at Terramar were glassy, uncrowded, and consistent. I kept getting one great left after another. My birthday surf yesterday was my best day overall, maybe ever. Waves were running anywhere from waist to shoulder high, with an occasional head high set.
Hardly anyone was there.
Photo courtesy of Tim Marshall and http://unsplash.com
Today is almost as good!
Today (Thursday) is almost (but not quite) as good overall. Even so, I enjoy a couple of stand-out waves today. I'm surprised and delighted by two lefts that, individually, are even better than any of the waves I had yesterday on my birthday. I will never forget them.
The second of the two lefts is well overhead, steep, hollow, and takes me from the point of the reef almost to the beach. My only regret is that I don't have any of this on video. Still, I won't forget the next best thing...
A couple of girls paddle out...
Photo courtesy of Terrell Woods and http://unsplash.com
These waves are so good, in fact,
that later during my session I am surprised by a couple of girls who paddle out. One says to me:
"We saw you on those two lefts - those were definitely the waves of the day."
Now, that puts a big smile on my face.
Well overhead, steep, and hollow...
Photo courtesy of Tim Marshall and http://unsplash.com
Friend, if you don't surf, you're missing out...
Why not surprise me? Let me see you out at the break some morning when I least expect it.
Thanks for your time and attention.
I'm here on Steemit because of you, my readers. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you!
This post is intended to count towards @dragosroua's Challenge30.
I have very eclectic interests and hope, over time, to write about all of them.
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we are our memories and they like us are fallible. We strive to connect to the past only to discover Heraclitus was right -- you can't step into the same river twice. Having said that I occasionally do the hokey pokey and hate myself for doing so. But this is coming from someone who writes novels about time, the only caveat being, I don't want to just remember, I want to go back and do it all over again. Nice post, my friend :)
Thanks, John...
There are a few things I might be tempted to go back for... It is somewhat frightening to imagine how life might have been different, given a few subtle changes made in retrospect. But I really am not one to want to go back; I think if I could, I would just skip ahead to what I believe will be "the good part," a New Earth and New Heavens in pristine condition and the prospect of an eternity of creativity and exploration... ;)
It's amazing)))
Thanks! I hope you can try surfing sometime! ;)
Enjoyed that...does this mean that you're retired and only do surfing full time? though i don't mind going back to AD 2000 :)
Ah, if only I were retired! :0
I tell people that I'm "semi-retired," meaning that most mornings I wake up feeling like a semi-trailer truck has retired me face down on the pavement.... ;)
Join the club lolsss no am kidding..though early retirement is the aim. it will happen :)
Never loved by a beach. Would want to try surfing someday.
If you ever have the chance, grab it! Surfing is the most wonderful sport I've ever experienced. ;)
I went bodyboarding when I lived in Cape Town, but the sea was sooo cold.
Surfing always intimidated me, as I am not super sporty, looks epic though!
Cold? No worries... Read this:
The Humorous Truth; Willpower and Cold Water
Yes, it is epic... :) And if you really can't adapt to the cold, go find a tropical island to surf at... It will be worth it! :)
Living in the Northern part of Portugal now so its even colder!
If I ever go on holiday to the tropics I will rent a board to try ;)
Good for you! :) :) :)
Very nice! I remember 50 (barely) I was in grad school! Happy birthday!
LOL! Nice picture, gets worse every year! I'm thankful that I can remember 50...
Tell me about it...I'm 71 now! It does get worse every year. Now I look at typing as exercise lol!
Hahahahaha... You're a funny guy, Rich!
Yes, we do have nimble fingers, don't we? :)
Never got the hang of standing up. Got halfway decent on the Boogie Board. But when you grow up in Arizona, the waves are few or the trip is long. :)
Clearly understood... It took me a couple of months to learn to stand up - but I did it the hard way... I only had a short board... 6'8".
If you get your hands on a long board (the longer the better) you'll have much better success learning faster. ;)
When "the big one" comes, they say that Arizona will be the new California... After Cali drops into the ocean! :O
Haha, no holding my breath for that one.