SUMMERRRR!

It's on---the summer roller derby we call the surfing beach.

While it's good to see so many faces not seen since the end of last summer, it takes a while to get used to being confined in a small crowded area once again.

Today the waves not as good as predicted, but nonetheless the hype had brought people out who were determined to surf no matter what.

There were at least three times I caught waves with my name on them, only to find somebody else sitting right in my path unable or unwilling to get out of my way. When that happens even if I've caught the wave perfectly I don't even try to stand up. That is because I think (whether it is true or not) I am better able to control and steer the board while on my knees or my belly. I rode these waves in prone in order to avoid hitting somebody, and they were good waves and so fun they would have been fun to actually, really surf. Which got me thinking: if I did pop up in this situation couldn't I steer the board well enough to avoid a collision? At this point I think I could, but I'm not sure enough to risk hitting somebody. The only way to know is, well, to do it. I've gotten much better at making the board go where I want, i.e. turning, but in a critical situation I am not sure I could do it well enough. I believe I could, but haven't tried. Maybe next time?