shorty beach trip

I took Oliver and his cousin Tiffany to visit other cousins who live at the beach. Jake and Ryder have lived at a beach for more than half their young lives. They surf year-round, can ride shortboards, longboards, bodyboards, skateboards, and snowboards. They pretty much spend every day on the beach.

The surf was pretty small and choppy on our sessions, barely even ridable, but still actually fun, and Tiffany tried surfing for her first time and even stood up on a few. No pics of the surf, though trust me, that it was nothing to look at anyways. But, like I said, it was still kinda fun and the few decent waves I got somehow made the hours of driving worth it.

How can a 5-second ride be worth so much? It's hard to grasp. As much as I totally love mountain biking and skiing, I think I'd give up both those sports completely for the chance to surf every day. A 5-second ride compares to a 5-hour mountain bike ride or a 5-minute run down a powder field. Yeah right, how the hell is that possible? It just is. But, length of time riding is not the only indicator of fun in surfing. I mean, even classic waves like Pipeline only last for about 10 seconds. And surfing is like 50% paddling, 49% sitting, and 1% riding. It just doesn't add up to much fun. Except that it does.

Did I mention that I totally suck at surfing too? Yes, I'm a beginner, and I've been a beginner since 1980. In 27 years you'd think I'd either become an intermediate, drown, or give it up. Well, you can see how easily rigid SSers give things up...

Can't wait for the Hatteras trip the week after Teaberry, when the boys will be competing in the Eastern Surfing Championships at the Light.