Sunday, July 23, 2006

I'll take the props

I watched the waves from the beach for a while before going in today, and judging by those who took off on them they were waist to chest. I had my doubts about whether I could handle them, and contemplated not going in. Of course, the unresolved conflict and drama from the last two posts was still with me, and in fact is still thickening, and I had to make a valiant effort not to mix it up with and let it color my judgment about the actual surfing.

I had to talk to myself and tell myself the waves are often not as big and bad as they look; and in fact that was the case today. It wasn't difficult to get out. Once out, the waves would loom ominously and then poop out as they got nearer, faking out even the good surfers. I began by going out too far, as I always do when I think the waves are a little beyond my comfort level, and so I kept missing them. I had to keep telling myself to move in.

I was surfing near M., a woman near my age who is pretty good, and watching her to see where I should be.

I got four waves. On the first I took off I little bit early and I knew there was going to be a drop once I was on the wave, so I didn't even try to stand up until that happened. Do you know what I mean? I keep trying to explain it to people and missing. I don't mean the initial drop when you catch the wave. Or at least I think I don't. I catch the wave and am riding it but I can feel that I am not all the way down, that soon the board is going to drop down the equivalent of one rung on a flight of stairs. I know that if I try to stand up before that happens I will fall when the board drops.

On this wave I think I somehow got my feet on before the board dropped down, then when it did I pretty much wrestled myself into standing position. Of course by then the wave was almost over. But I did stand.

On the second wave I got up after I'd paddled some extra strokes to make sure I'd gotten it, so I had a little longer ride once I got up; but the only thing was, another guy had taken off on the same wave (whose wave was it? I don't think we saw each other, or maybe he saw me and made the calculation that I wouldn't make the wave) and our boards were riding parallel. So we both had to kind of fall off our boards to avoid injury.
No harm was done.

The third and fourth waves I got moving so fast I just could not get up. The last one was especially fast. M. saw this one and I was kind of embarrassed, but she was waiting for me as I got out and smiling. "You got that big wave! I didn't think you'd make it! You're doing so much better!" Actually I didn't think it was that big of a wave, but if it looked that big I was proud to take credit for it. And if she thought I stood up on it, well, maybe I did. When things happen so fast, it's difficult to know what happened when it's over unless someone else tells you. I was only too happy to take the props, as the kids would say.

4 Comments:

At Thursday, July 27, 2006 2:12:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ok, fourth paragraph. That drop your talking about, I know what you mean. You can't really surf UNLESS you stand at that point. It seems scarry because your board gets pulled up the face of the wave and your nose looks like its a long way off the water, but when you get on your feet with your weight on the back of your board chances are you'll make the drop. Try and ride even a three foot wave (at rockaway) laying on your board and you'll likely get turned over.
Watch some videos of people getting pulled up into the wave, stand up and then drop down or turn.

 
At Monday, November 10, 2014 4:49:00 PM, Blogger oakleyses said...

longchamp handbags, louis vuitton outlet, michael kors outlet, true religion jeans, oakley sunglasses, longchamp outlet, ray ban sunglasses, louis vuitton handbags, tiffany and co, burberry outlet, polo ralph lauren outlet, tory burch outlet, true religion jeans, prada handbags, nike shoes, christian louboutin shoes, kate spade outlet, coach factory outlet, louis vuitton outlet stores, louboutin, michael kors outlet, michael kors outlet, nike free, louis vuitton, oakley sunglasses cheap, prada outlet, michael kors outlet, kate spade handbags, coach purses, coach outlet store online, oakley sunglasses, coach outlet, chanel handbags, michael kors outlet, tiffany and co, jordan shoes, polo ralph lauren outlet, louboutin, longchamp handbags, air max, burberry outlet, louboutin outlet, air max, gucci outlet, ray ban sunglasses, michael kors outlet, louis vuitton outlet

 
At Monday, November 10, 2014 5:00:00 PM, Blogger oakleyses said...

birkin bag, north face jackets, instyler, canada goose uk, chi flat iron, canada goose, abercrombie and fitch, bottega veneta, nike roshe run, ugg boots, marc jacobs, ugg australia, insanity workout, mcm handbags, ferragamo shoes, nike huarache, canada goose, canada goose, new balance shoes, rolex watches, north face outlet, lululemon outlet, babyliss pro, mac cosmetics, p90x, ugg pas cher, soccer jerseys, wedding dresses, moncler, beats by dre, hollister, canada goose jackets, ghd, ugg boots, vans shoes, reebok outlet, mont blanc, valentino shoes, jimmy choo outlet, herve leger, soccer shoes, giuseppe zanotti, nfl jerseys, asics running shoes, ugg, moncler outlet, moncler, moncler, celine handbags, uggs outlet, canada goose outlet, longchamp

 
At Monday, November 10, 2014 5:14:00 PM, Blogger oakleyses said...

parajumpers, pandora charms, moncler, vans, ugg, karen millen, ray ban, louboutin, hollister clothing store, pandora charms, thomas sabo, hollister, converse, montre homme, swarovski crystal, air max, coach outlet store online, wedding dresses, ralph lauren, canada goose, swarovski, lancel, converse shoes, oakley, juicy couture outlet, toms shoes, louis vuitton, baseball bats, juicy couture outlet, gucci, pandora jewelry, iphone 6 cases, hollister, timberland boots, supra shoes, links of london, ugg, moncler, air max, rolex watches, canada goose, moncler

 

Post a Comment

<< Home