What are we doing here?

4:30-6:30

The law of unintended consequences states that if you blow off something you were supposed to do to go surf (especially if it involved money or a commitment to friends) the surf will suck. How many examples could I give: P.’s book party, S.’s show, etc.

No doubt I was the only person in New York City blowing off the premiere of the new Lars van Trier movie at the Film Festival for one-foot surf. It might not have been so bad if it wasn’t high tide, but it was.

It was one of the few days I’ve actually considered not going in after getting all the way there. But as I was getting onto the beach another guy was making a similar calculation.

I followed him and noticed he passed up the jetty for the Box. So I go in the Box. But it was only marginally better. Nevertheless the light and water were beautiful and it was the closest to “just enjoying being in the water” that I’ve been for a long time. I was momentarily glad I hadn’t gone to the movie.

The Chinese guy I’ve seen before smiled at me and I said “What are we doing here?” and he said “Communing with nature and getting cold.” And that was about it.

Props for just going out

It wasn’t really that big today! It was only waist high, four feet on the sets, and I’ve been going out on waist high waves since my very first day in July 2003! It just seemed huge because the summer has been so small and I’ve gotten so used to one-foot waves.

What a joy...

to be able to get up and go out in front of your house and surf! That’s what I did today. I’m so glad we rented this beach house. The waves were only one foot, but the wind was crapping it up and making it choppy and sectiony. I was out with only one person, an old guy who was much worse than me. I got a ride on my first wave. Later I was up long enough to notice that while my front leg was bent, my back leg was not. I think I need to work on that. After a while it got even more windy and crappy. I got out and saw C. on the boardwalk and really talked to him for the first time. Thinking back on it, it was the kind of rambling conversation where I probably sounded like an idiot, but I enjoyed it at the time.

Is this how it's supposed to feel?

My first day out, after the first ride. One foot waves again. Of course I’m not going to be catching a ride on every wave, but I did get up and did get a couple rides, at least short ones. I also fell off and got an inordinate amount of water up my nose---because I wasn’t expecting to fall? There was one wave where I got up and immediately felt as if I was standing still on land, even though I was moving. I mean, I had to kind of check and see! I guess that for just that second, I was so perfectly balanced that riding required no effort at all. Is that how it’s supposed to feel? All the time? I’ve never felt that before.

We skip over the first two years; here's my first ride

Monday, September 19th, 2005

2:30-5:30

I stood up. I rode a wave! Yes I did! It was the first wave I got today and it was the best wave of my life. After that it didn’t really matter what I did but I got one more wave that I rode.

I don’t know how I did it. Don’t ask.

The waves were one foot. It was a perfect hot sunny day, and the water was gorgeous, warm and clear. I was out in shorts and a bikini top and there was almost nobody out. I was Queen of the Jetty for the day.

That guy Ron was out with his dogs. I haven’t seen him since Fourth of July when he gave me three dollars to buy beer and then disappeared. It was great that he was there and even though he didn’t see my two rides he saw me get up a couple times and he was greatly encouraging. He was giving me tips (nothing I didn’t know already) in the water and then we talked for a few minutes when I finally had to get out because I was cold.

I kind of lost track of time and when I got out it was 5:30, an hour more than I usually stay in. It didn’t seem that long.

Later I took my dog Doogs for a walk on the beach that turned into a run. She ran like she used to when she was ten years younger. Ears flapping in the wind, she ran all the way to Arverne (25 blocks). I didn’t think I’d see her run like that again, not in her fifteenth summer. It was like something happened to both of us today to release us from the laws of gravity.