Late afternoon, Don calls and says the swells are getting bigger. I blow-off my plans, throw my Churchills in the alfa and zip down to the shore. I do some quick deep-breathing exercises and take a running leap into oncoming waves. The first ride nearly yanks my shorts off ..I pull the waistband as tight as it’ll go. The next ride throws me over the falls ..I go limp and bounce twice off the sandy bottom. After some more pounding, I head for the shore to get a birds-eye view. The swells are definitely getting bigger. I’m about to go back out when I see someone coming in. At first, I thought it was a guy I was watching out there. Instead, it was a girl I was watching out there. I meet Sara from Westmont College. I’m surprised ..she’s small, almost waif-like ..and carries a wicked pair of Vipers. She’s no Val .. and from what I saw ..knows no fear. We chat briefly ..and head back in the water. I zip down the face a wave and decide to ride it without bailing ..and get trashed in the collapse. I emerge in churning white water ..look around and see her pop-up ..breathless but exhilarated. We swim back as fast as we can to catch the next one ..too late. She ducks under while I go up and over the top ..feeling the vacuum of the curl almost suck me backwards by my feet. Dumb thing to do because the next wave is right on it’s heels. I know I’m going over the falls but I catch it anyway .. getting a fast-pitched ride into white-water oblivion. I lose my orientation ..scrap my shoulder against a vertical wall of sand ..go wtf ..and figure it’ll be just a few seconds before my sonar detects true bottom. Back on shore, Sara says she’s gotta’ go ..I stay, repeating her email address over-and-over, and ride until sunset .. wondering if this is the beginning of a cycle or the last amp of the day.
4 comments:
Good luck with that!
You are fortunate. You live a wonderful life. Freedoms, exciting and creative hobbies, material/and enough monetary success to allow quality choices, constant youthful energies surrounding you, intellectual stimulation, exciting and invigorating physical experience, at one with nature... seemingly, no obvious encumberances. And did I say >>> freedoms? Count your Blessings... for you have many. Small worries.
I was referring to the beginning of a cycle of waves ..lol. No luck in the world is going to help me score with 20 year old college girls. I better stick with the surf.
I hope I wasn't sounding boastful ..
Lol, you're supposed to be still sleeping :D I was on my way to delete the comment, because I thought it might be misunderstood. There were more thoughts in my head than what you inferred. That communication thing :S
No, you did/do not sound boastful at all. I read your blog for many reasons. Sometimes reading another blog is like living through someone else's dream (sad as that may seem). I like the non-chalant way you pick up and go in a minutes notice, and the comfortable way you relate to your surroundings (and your own creature comfort things)... how you "live" with excitement, exhileration... and peace... all at the same time.
Thanks Shimmerrings ~ tho I’m really not as nonchalant as I make it sound .. it’s summertime here and I become a fanatical follower of conditions at the coast. Instead of pick up and go ..it’s more like panic and run ..lol
For instance, when I heard a freak storm was coming a couple weeks ago ..I made a mad dash to Big Sur to weather it out and so I would be back without missing a beat. So, you might say I’m really at the mercy of my surroundings ..lol
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