The Wave of My Life
NOTE: I am not a surfing bigot... To me, the wave is the thing; I care not how you ride it.
You like to body surf? Good for you! Boogieboard? Go for it! Shortboard, longboard, fish, stand-up paddle board, you name it. If it gets you off on a wave, I think it's a very, very good thing.
This particular story is about my wild ride, one day long ago, on a bodyboard. Come with me now as I reminisce...
Remembering The Wave of My Life
Photo courtesy of Julie Macey and http://unsplash.com
It is one fine summer day at Terramar.
There is a rare south swell coming through. The sets are massive and thick. Easily head and a half high, for the most part. I screw up my courage and start to paddle out.
The contour of the coastline in front of the power plant helps a lot on a day like this when the surf is big. Instead of great marching walls, the waves are separated nicely into peaks and valleys. I grab my chance to slip, left and right, in between them, and I mostly avoid getting dumped on. But the current is strong, and it takes a while to get past the breakers.
Finally I make it outside.
I am about five houses south of the power plant and a long ways from shore. The lineup is way overcrowded. I wonder to myself,
"Where in the world are all these guys from? It's just not right! After all, I'm loyal, I'm out here every day rain or shine; why should I have to share this place with all these strangers today?"
Surfers take off on one choice wave after another. I hang to the north end of the lineup, struggling to avoid getting run over. The waves look like pictures I’ve seen of hollow Hawaiian bowls, thick and well contoured with great near-vertical drops transitioning cleanly to beautiful hollow shoulders.
After waiting a long time, I begin to wonder if I’ll even get one of the leftovers.
Then I see it.
Here comes the wave I've waited for. It's an outlier, north of the pack. Am I positioned well? I turn and start to paddle, hoping for the best.
Looking back over my shoulder, I see the wave closing in on me fast. The rest of the crew are out of position, and either go around or over the top. My moment has arrived.
I am suddenly lifted up and thrust forward. I stop kicking and concentrate on maintaining control as I make the drop. My position could not be much better; I drop cleanly to the shoulder and crank in a bottom turn to the left, rising back up as the wave's shoulder catches and lifts me.
A couple of surfers, paddling back out, shout words of encouragement as they cross in front of me and watch me ride in the sweet spot. I veer right to avoid them, and as they slide up and over the oncoming lip I cut back to the left and regain my preferred location on the shoulder.
As Seen From The Sweet Spot
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Bishop and http://unsplash.com
I can feel the power of the wave driving me on.
There is a magnificent balance between the force of gravity drawing me downward, ever faster, and the thrust of the wave lifting me upward and forward. Without sectioning, the wave connects on a beautiful, long diagonal. I am in the driver’s seat, piloting my vessel towards shore.
Finally, after a long time, the wave closes out and I bail over the top right in front of the smokestack.
Hallelujah!
I will never forget this wonderful ride! God is good!
More Surfing Posts
It's Here! Come Ride My Beautiful Magic Carpet
Riding On Dad's Shoulders
The First Wave
Eternity: A Mind-Numbingly Powerful Perspective
Making The Drop (A Poem of Sorts)
The Ocean; God's Finest Invention?
All Creatures, Great and Small
Paddling Out -- The Story
Colorful Art from a Personal Perspective; Introducing "Paddling Out"
The Humorous Truth; Willpower and Cold Water
Why Do Jerks Seem To Get the Best Waves?
Red Tide at Night
All Creatures, Great And Small
I've never tried surfing due to be scared stiff of water but love to watch. It looks so graceful :)
Oh, Karen! If only I could extract that fear and replace it with the utter joy of riding a wave! My dear, you would absolutely love it!
Yes, it is fun to watch; but being there in the moment is transcendent. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!!! :)
The thought of being under water scares me , I've always had a fear of water
Hugs!!!
I do understand fear...
In my personal life experience, the hope of heaven is an antidote for everything, and I want so much through my writing to share that hope with my readers. ;) :)
I do like reading about your waves as it's the closest I will get too one :)
LOL!
Well, welcome on board the waves with me! More wave stories to come! ;)
Looking forward to the ride :)
I wondered where you were...hadn't seen a post in a few....mind you, a day on the internet is like a week or so. I loved this story. I have body surfed but a few times and absolutely loved it. I giggled like a little girl. There is something indescribable about being carried by such power, to be gently placed back on the shore. (He rules the raging sea, when its waves rise, He stills them - Psalm 89:9)
The sweat spot picture gave me major butterflies!!!
Ah, that's the trouble with trying to both be a writer and have a life! ;)
Traveling for the long Thanksgiving weekend... and waiting on "the muse" a bit. More to come for sure, God willing...
Since taking up surfing, I've always found the passages about the LORD stilling the waves to be a little off-putting... ;) But, there's a time for everything under the sun, right?
Glad to hear that you've experienced riding a wave... Nothing quite like actually standing on top of one, though; I hope you get a chance to try it! :) :) :) Thanks so much for stopping by to comment. :) :) :)
That's so true about the waves and "Thus saith the LORD" I did a quick overview of some - trying to keep within context...and most of them are metaphors for trouble or the enemy or both. But, He still made the earth and it's fulness to be enjoyed....so enjoy your ride!
And the Apostle Peter saith:
And @countrygirl saith:
(Sorry, @countrygirl, I just couldn't resist the comparison... ) ;)
I don't surf--don't even swim. I like to be near the water, not in it or on it, but near it. Still your description of being carried up and along on this powerful wave made me think of times in my life a comforter came alongside and lifted me up and out of some dark and dangerous situations--and afterwards, once you've calmed down, the exhilaration and joy is the same. Good work, my friend!
Ah, John, I can only wish you might also experience the pure joy of surfing! It is truly a feeling without peer, IMHO. If you're ever in Southern California, consider this a standing invitation to join me... ;)
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and to comment; I am very gratified to hear that you identified at some level with what I wrote!
Oh no, I always do regardless of whether it's outside my experience. That's what good writing does--it extends our experience. Besides, I connected with surfing on a spiritual level and that's how I meant the allusion to be taken. Good work!
OK, friends, I've decided to reprise a famous comment from one of my favorite posts, Do You Have the Chops To Be A Relevant Part of My Steemit Audience? -- WHICH, if you haven't yet read it, click the link and read it now! ;) Then read my comment, below:
To everyone who voted up my article:
That's an excellent first step... but only a first step...
Take a moment and compare the number of up votes to the number of my followers... Can you spot the discrepancy?
Hint: A quick "back of the envelope" calculation, and the inevitable conclusion tells the story; with more votes than followers, not everyone who voted me up has followed me!
Hmmm; that begs the question; Did some of you who up-voted my post disqualify yourselves???? If so, I'd love to hear why... Please let us all know in the comments...
HOWEVER, just in case it was a brief oversight; supposing for a moment that you simply had a brain fart; perhaps you got called away and distracted? Maybe the phone rang?
THE GOOD NEWS is that there is a remedy - You still have the opportunity to follow me... So, why not go ahead? CLICK that follow button; you know you want to... ;)
Yes, I actually voted for my own comment above; one of my favorites!