Monday, September 21, 2009

Vignettes from the last small wave days of summer


Today's the first day of autumn, or last day of summer, I forget which. Either way, I've closed all the windows in my apartment, because it's getting chilly at night. I'm very aware of the close of the season, and am treasuring the last warm sunny days. Which, typical of summer, have had the tiniest waves; but have been great fun. After all, when the waves are so small, the surfers are crap, and I get to be the best one out.

They blur together. The early morning session where I saw a guy who had dumped me in a most ungentlemanly way (who is normally an excellent surfer) and surfed way, way better than him, getting wave after wave, til he skunked off in defeat. A very congenial session with delightful one-foot waves and north wind, where everybody spoke to everybody and shared party waves. Today's session was largely silent but friendly, and gorgeous. There were only two of us; I had picked my spot and he picked his; and halfway through he moved over to mine because I'd judged the waves better and was getting rides where he was not. Also very satisfying because usually I'm assuming everyone else knows more than I do about surfing, that they're right and I'm wrong, and that is no longer always true. I had a great time today, getting most of my drops perfect.

And yesterday...guess what, I ran into Barney again for the first time in over a year! Wow, the last time I can easily find when I wrote about him is exactly three years ago, on Sept. 18, 2006! I was unabashedly delighted to see him. He is still exactly the same, a big overgrown nerd even older than me, with a silly grin and a silly hat. I thought he'd given up surfing but he's still delighting in trying to learn at fifty-something. I didn't care that everyone else was giving him stinkeye, we greeted each other like old friends and as if a year or so hadn't passed. He's not much better at surfing and maybe never will be; but he did stand up and get rides. It just takes him centuries to get up, like it used to take me, but he clearly doesn't mind. (I was very conscious and proud of snapping up today and practiced doing it earlier than usual, even too early in some cases.) He's still got the same crappy board (people make fun of it behind his back) and just seems happy as pie to have it. It's very comforting that in a world of change and strife Barney is still the same. He seems not to have aged at all and hasn't lost either his kookiness or his enthusiasm.

Oh, one small thing. Apparently I almost died today. I wiped out, did an underwater somersault and lost my board. An eyewitness said the board shot straight up into the air and came straight back down about an inch from my head. He was having visions of blood and emergency rooms, and then I rose up smiling. I didn't know I was an inch away from death until he told me, and then I'd rather have not known. Just a reminder that death is always a possibility in the midst of life, especially when you least expect it.

7 Comments:

At Tuesday, September 22, 2009 7:33:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey G:

I love hearing how you finally snap up quickly and make your drops. I've read your blog off and on, so I know you really struggled, as I'm doing now. I'm really freaked out by making even pretty small drops, and I think it's because I always pearl because I just can't get to my feet quickly enough. Was there a moment when you finally discovered how to snap up quickly, or do think it's just a matter of practicing over and over again?

 
At Tuesday, September 22, 2009 4:49:00 PM, Blogger Grandma said...

I just think it's practicing over and over again until it sinks in. It took years.

Oh, and I better get back to the gym soon, because arm strength is so important.

 
At Tuesday, September 22, 2009 7:37:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Glad to see you have improved your surfing skills and you have more confidence in yourself. Now, why not pay it forward and offer some tips to Barney to help him achieve the progress you have made?

 
At Tuesday, September 22, 2009 9:25:00 PM, Blogger Grandma said...

That's exactly what I did, by giving him pointers on how to stand up sooner.

 
At Wednesday, September 23, 2009 7:00:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's good to hear. So much of the surf community is filled with people trying to act cool and disrespecting people who they consider to be "kooks" and not enough people just sharing the stoke. I don't know why surfing attracts this underworld of hostility, and I wish it would change.

 
At Monday, November 10, 2014 5:35:00 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 5:45:00 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