That’s what surfing teaches me, and it’s another reason I love it. For an analytical person like me, a sport that requires that you don’t overthink is so instructive.
It’s simple, you either act with confidence, or you get taken down by the ocean. The bigger the wave size, the truer this becomes.
This was the story of my favorite wave today (a steep left that I am dedicating one of my favorite surfing buddies and dear friend Katie Ryan). Sheena and I surfed all day at Sandy Beach in Rincon, a 30-minute drive to the south of where we are staying. The waves here were a little smaller, around 4-6 feet. However, a lot of the waves would really “wall-up” and get really steep. As a left foot forward surfer, the takeoffs on really steep waves that break to the left are a little more challenging for me.
I was sitting in the lineup and just such a wave came to me. I paddled for it, was in perfect position right at the peak, and went to stand up on my board. As soon as I did so, the wave walled right up and got super steep. In a matter of split seconds, I had 3 things happen to my brain:
*this is actually a shot of me taking off on a wave that wasn't that steep back in April... but the moment of action is the same
1, brain thought “steep left, maximum steepness right as I’m taking off, this is bad, I can’t make it”
2, voice in my head said, “shut up brain, yes I can”
3, blankness… no thought only body reacting and completing its task.
All in a matter of split seconds. So, I made it. I did it, I made the drop, and had a great wave—got some good turns and rode pretty much all the way to shore from the outside. Had I taken the time to think, I would have had a bad fall instead.
Both Sheena and I had some pretty good waves there at Sandy Beach today, but there were definitely some times when the steep waves kicked my butt. At times I felt as though my ability to read waves was faulty today, and I took off on some bad waves or in a bad spot on the wave. I got tousled a lot from falling, but just a couple bruises resulted… nothing too bad.
But all that does is make me appreciate the difficulty level of our sport and the power of the ocean. It makes the good waves that much better.
I really really loved the vibe out there today. First of all, the weather was incredible. In the 80s, as it pretty much always is in PR, but a perfectly clear, sunny day. Breezy, but not so much wind that our waves got ruined. Secondly, Rincon is a very beautiful town. The shoreline is winding, with huge dark green luscious palms, some rocks here and there, and quaint seaside houses painted in easter-egg colors with that Latin flare. Third of all, I really enjoyed the other surfers in the line-up. I didn’t really talk to that many, but they all had a positive vibe and everyone was smiling and non-competitive. Everyone worked very well together and no one really got in anyone’s way or pissed anyone else off. If you don’t surf, I’ll tell you that sometimes in a line-up of surfers, things can get heated if the surfers start to compete for who gets the best waves. Not the case here today.
Between sessions, we also had a killer lunch at the Lazy Parrot in Rincon (left), a beautiful poolside bar and grill up on one of the many cliffs in town. They were playing some good 70s and 80s rock and again, the people had a wonderful positive vibe, from the bartender to the other patrons. We all had sort of an easy, intermittent conversation going on, it was relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable.
Also took a quick nap after lunch under the palms on nearby Domes beach.
After our evening session, we headed home through the various rural towns back to Aguadilla, enjoying a scenic trip at dusk (think: chickens running amok, hole-in-the-wall pubs and restaurants, old ranch style houses with dusty yards along the roadways that eventually fade into tropical forest), a wonderful close to what had been a beautiful day all day in western PR.
This beautiful day has been distinctly devoid of clouds… and tonight is the same. I made sure to take several minutes to pay homage to the perfect star-studded night sky out in our apartment’s yard. The apartment sits on several lush acres owned by our hosts Kathy and Terry Hall, up on a cliff that overlooks Jobos beach. At night, I can hear the waves at Jobos crashing into the big Rock that sticks out into the ocean there. The same sound Sheena blames for making her pass out super early each night hahaha
Confidence is EVERYTHING in just about every area of life! Doubt and fear are limiters. I'd rather pay the price for pushing the limits than to back down and not try and progress.
ReplyDeleteHave a blast!
well put Mark, and I agree. thanks!!
ReplyDeleteSweet!!
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