Adventures in Surfing

So, what has the surfing been like? In short, it has been fun, frustrating, peaceful, exciting, crappy, exhilarating, exhausting, relaxing, and of course, humbling. But by and large, if I had to choose just one word, I’d say amazing!

We both have to admit, we thought that after a month of surfing in Australia, we’d both be much better surfers than we actually are. We’ve realized that this sport truly is unique; actually, it’s really more of a lifestyle – it’s not something you cram in for an hour a day – but it’s a skill you hone over years and years by spending hours and hours in the water. And it’s definitely harder than it looks. :)

It’s not like any other sport that I have done before. Take running or cycling, for example. If you put the time and training in, you get better little by little. In contrast, both Scott and I have found that the surfing learning curve is not at all incremental. Rather, one day, you make some small adjustment – like where exactly you sit on the board and you notice a big improvement. But then there’s the question of replicating that on the next wave which undoubtedly will be different from the last. It’s also the most tiring sport that we do. I’d like to think that I’m in decent physical shape but after an hour and a half – tops – in the surf, I am exhausted.

You might think that it’s sort of like skiing or snowboarding, but try snowboarding on a mountain that’s continually moving….You can surf the exact same break one day and have an awesome experience, and the next day you go back and the wind has changed a bit or the swell is a bit bigger or coming from a different direction, and all of the sudden, you’re a beginner again.

Then, of course, there is the oh-cripes-my-life-is-passing-before-my-eyes experience that I always have when a wave comes barreling down on me. And yes, I will use the term ‘barreling’ even if it is only a few feet high :), because that is what it feels like to me!

So, given all that, you might wonder why I’d even bother trying to learn to surf at my (old) age.... :)

And the answer to that is that despite all of the challenges, there is something totally exhilarating when you do catch a good wave. I don’t get even a remotely similar feeling from any other sport (except maybe during poofest); I don’t quite know how to describe it but it is heaven!