hey i'm an awesome surfer! april fools.
i have noticed my mood seems to suffer greatly on weekdays- not that it was really ever good with those. i definitely tweaked my neck and shoulders to the point where i'm still feeling it nearly a week later so i'm sitting at my boring desk job physically aching and mentally aching from a lack of inspiration.
it's no secret i think i'm relying on surfing to fill a pretty sizable gap in my life. i'm over 30, alone and at times somewhat baffled as to what direction my life is heading in. i've been trying to overcome some bad, unhealthy habits and distance myself from bad, unhealthy relationships. that's a lot of pressure- no wonder i'm sinking my board!
i got a good email from my teacher encouraging me to go the local shaper route and offering to help me look for a board, the more i think about it the more i like it as i definitely like unique things that fit my aesthetic. i want to get some nice color and design- i can't resist personalization! i am thinking ward coffey is my first choice, i love his work and he seems really nice to work with. i think just packing lots of volume without all the length will do me well. i have noticed, of course, that "big guy" surfboards are a thing. hi, i'm not a guy! should i be surprised? nah. glad they're nice enough to stress again, repeatedly, that these are surfboards for men. how boring.
anyway.. trying to overcome the landlock blues as best i can.. but feeling somewhat stir crazy already.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
other little snippet of thought today
goddamn point breaks rule. gentle drops, long rides, easy paddles..and less sand all over my damn car!
i need to have a summer full of lots of point break bliss and no beach break madness puh-lease. i'm already missing santa cruz.
i need to have a summer full of lots of point break bliss and no beach break madness puh-lease. i'm already missing santa cruz.
YES.
I FINALLY GOT THE POP UP TIP I NEEDED.
BACK FOOT PLANTED FIRST. BACK FOOT FIRST!
i practice dry land pop ups a LOT! my hallway has rag with a pattern down the middle that helps approximate a stringer. i had been struggling to swing my front leg forward past my gut and boobs. i don't have the power to land both feet at the same time but had been trying to swing my front leg through first. this time i tried back foot first per a video's recommendation and boom, front leg is under me! i had been trying and trying to dip my hips with no joy either.
the first time i ever attempted a pop up i thought to myself- no way can i ever do this and here i am swingin and poppin away! this is the ONLY method i've tried so far that has me landing with my feet in (close to) the proper position. i thought it was impossible!
now to program this into my muscle memory!
BACK FOOT PLANTED FIRST. BACK FOOT FIRST!
i practice dry land pop ups a LOT! my hallway has rag with a pattern down the middle that helps approximate a stringer. i had been struggling to swing my front leg forward past my gut and boobs. i don't have the power to land both feet at the same time but had been trying to swing my front leg through first. this time i tried back foot first per a video's recommendation and boom, front leg is under me! i had been trying and trying to dip my hips with no joy either.
the first time i ever attempted a pop up i thought to myself- no way can i ever do this and here i am swingin and poppin away! this is the ONLY method i've tried so far that has me landing with my feet in (close to) the proper position. i thought it was impossible!
now to program this into my muscle memory!
Sunday, March 29, 2015
one more little santa cruz snippet
while i was sitting and watching at the hook, an older mom-type lady came over and asked if i had someone out there. i said no, but i'd been out myself earlier. and she said "you? out THERE?!" and i said "well, a bit to the left, but yeah" and she could not believe i wasn't afraid of sharks? i said "nah, they don't really want to eat humans" and she shook her head and walked away.
jaws did a damn good job, i tell ya! you can't buy that kind of bad reputation.
meanwhile, i've been watching as many dolphin youtubes as i can get my hands on and i think there's a special place in hell for anyone who takes these magnificent creatures, locks them up in a pool and makes them perform tricks for greasy fingered families. i dream of surfing with a pod of dolphins almost as much as i do of performing a perfect roundhouse cutback!
jaws did a damn good job, i tell ya! you can't buy that kind of bad reputation.
meanwhile, i've been watching as many dolphin youtubes as i can get my hands on and i think there's a special place in hell for anyone who takes these magnificent creatures, locks them up in a pool and makes them perform tricks for greasy fingered families. i dream of surfing with a pod of dolphins almost as much as i do of performing a perfect roundhouse cutback!
and thus another weekend passes in this "journey"
i arrived at the east side of santa cruz in a cloud of literal fog. my brain probably matched it- i've been really tired lately and was frustrated after wednesday's disappointing session in pacifica. however i greeted richard, with the now signature token of humiliation giant 11' board awaiting. he said we were lucky to pick this time as the fog was about to burn off but most people weren't aware yet and we'd have some space in the water. there was a larger swell in town and he said we'd be sticking to whitewater over waves.
i don't have a ton of detail to share about this lesson, he pretty much towed me in (what a service) and gave me a shove and after eating shit the first two times, i managed to get to my feet every other time with varying amounts of success. now the stances i landed in were pretty bad (to me) and i was doing exactly what i knew not to do- looking down, rushing, etc. as the feeling of standing and riding waves becomes more familiar, i began to relax and it helped. a great thing about richard is that he's VERY encouraging and told me everything i was doing well 5x over anything that needed some adjustment. most waves i didn't even fall-just sat back on the board after petering out, but honestly i wish i had taken more chances with getting a good stance and not been so afraid to fall, but there were some really big rocks that intimidated me. as with last time, my last ride was my best- long and i finally was able to stand all the way up. i still felt my balancing was shaky and that giant board did a lot of help though.
richard said i really exceeded his expectations with progress and "ripped"- L O L to that! but i'm glad i got to ride so many waves and see an improvement. i know i can do much better, just have to relax and think clearly. i also wasn't winded in the slightest (then again, i was barely paddling) and i know i have strengthened in these past 3 months a lot. i left with my stoke much improved! i am so addicted, i think i will do another lesson in a couple weeks. i am hoping once i am doing well with popping up and riding, i will get some guidance for catching waves on my own. he mentioned again it would be a long time til i could ride the board i have and i'm pretty frustrated with that situation. however, not having my board on my car left me more mobile and i spent a couple hours hanging out in SC and watching the action at the hook- so many fucking drop ins! it always amazes me how even in a really big crowd, most people actually aren't that good. this just in: surfing is hard!
i mentioned to a friend today that if i knew then what i know now regarding the difficulty of surfing, i probably wouldn't have dared to try it. i'm glad i got hooked on my first wave push and am now just trying to chase the dragon. i also really didn't expect i've have such a hard time finding a suitable board of my own. i was thinking the walden mega magic would be a good idea but richard said to show it to him and he said he didn't think it was right for me and he knew local shapers (i always would prefer to support a local shaper over overseas mass produced stuff) who would make me a board for the same price but didn't specify what was the issue. i went in thinking it would be hard to find a wetsuit to fit me but not a board- meanwhile the wetsuit was a piece of cake and here i am trapped between a log and a hard place. argh. i know my skill level now suits an 11' beast but i want something i can reasonably paddle and catch waves with on weekends and settle into for awhile. shouldn't be this hard? maybe a local shaper is the right way to go- get someone to pack in ton of volume and some red and purple tint so it feels like home.
speaking of cake, my attempts to eat heathily backfired and i've been a total fucking pig these past few days. i think my shitty feelings wednesday spiralled and i've been numbing the pain with cheese and crackers. i refuse to not allow myself the joy of surfing because of my body- i am 31 years old, i have proven i can survive 1-2 hrs in the water and take some beatings. i am the happiest and most peaceful person when i can sit on foam in the pacific ocean amidst sea lions, dolphins and sparkling blue. i feel alive and exhilarated when given the gift of flight via aquatic energy. there is no reason why i shouldn't be doing this and every reason to keep going and own my future spot in the lineup.
i arrived at the east side of santa cruz in a cloud of literal fog. my brain probably matched it- i've been really tired lately and was frustrated after wednesday's disappointing session in pacifica. however i greeted richard, with the now signature token of humiliation giant 11' board awaiting. he said we were lucky to pick this time as the fog was about to burn off but most people weren't aware yet and we'd have some space in the water. there was a larger swell in town and he said we'd be sticking to whitewater over waves.
i don't have a ton of detail to share about this lesson, he pretty much towed me in (what a service) and gave me a shove and after eating shit the first two times, i managed to get to my feet every other time with varying amounts of success. now the stances i landed in were pretty bad (to me) and i was doing exactly what i knew not to do- looking down, rushing, etc. as the feeling of standing and riding waves becomes more familiar, i began to relax and it helped. a great thing about richard is that he's VERY encouraging and told me everything i was doing well 5x over anything that needed some adjustment. most waves i didn't even fall-just sat back on the board after petering out, but honestly i wish i had taken more chances with getting a good stance and not been so afraid to fall, but there were some really big rocks that intimidated me. as with last time, my last ride was my best- long and i finally was able to stand all the way up. i still felt my balancing was shaky and that giant board did a lot of help though.
richard said i really exceeded his expectations with progress and "ripped"- L O L to that! but i'm glad i got to ride so many waves and see an improvement. i know i can do much better, just have to relax and think clearly. i also wasn't winded in the slightest (then again, i was barely paddling) and i know i have strengthened in these past 3 months a lot. i left with my stoke much improved! i am so addicted, i think i will do another lesson in a couple weeks. i am hoping once i am doing well with popping up and riding, i will get some guidance for catching waves on my own. he mentioned again it would be a long time til i could ride the board i have and i'm pretty frustrated with that situation. however, not having my board on my car left me more mobile and i spent a couple hours hanging out in SC and watching the action at the hook- so many fucking drop ins! it always amazes me how even in a really big crowd, most people actually aren't that good. this just in: surfing is hard!
i mentioned to a friend today that if i knew then what i know now regarding the difficulty of surfing, i probably wouldn't have dared to try it. i'm glad i got hooked on my first wave push and am now just trying to chase the dragon. i also really didn't expect i've have such a hard time finding a suitable board of my own. i was thinking the walden mega magic would be a good idea but richard said to show it to him and he said he didn't think it was right for me and he knew local shapers (i always would prefer to support a local shaper over overseas mass produced stuff) who would make me a board for the same price but didn't specify what was the issue. i went in thinking it would be hard to find a wetsuit to fit me but not a board- meanwhile the wetsuit was a piece of cake and here i am trapped between a log and a hard place. argh. i know my skill level now suits an 11' beast but i want something i can reasonably paddle and catch waves with on weekends and settle into for awhile. shouldn't be this hard? maybe a local shaper is the right way to go- get someone to pack in ton of volume and some red and purple tint so it feels like home.
speaking of cake, my attempts to eat heathily backfired and i've been a total fucking pig these past few days. i think my shitty feelings wednesday spiralled and i've been numbing the pain with cheese and crackers. i refuse to not allow myself the joy of surfing because of my body- i am 31 years old, i have proven i can survive 1-2 hrs in the water and take some beatings. i am the happiest and most peaceful person when i can sit on foam in the pacific ocean amidst sea lions, dolphins and sparkling blue. i feel alive and exhilarated when given the gift of flight via aquatic energy. there is no reason why i shouldn't be doing this and every reason to keep going and own my future spot in the lineup.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
argh, i hurt my neck really badly somehow? maybe whiplash from getting slammed by white water?
i got a mall massage and that helped restore some mobility and i'm just sorta stiff. but could i feel more old?! goddamn surfing is hard on the body.
going to have another lesson in santa cruz on saturday. i think i'm not gonna bother bringing my board.. that way i can drive fast and park as i please! plus i want to browse the racks for bigger boards. i'm starting to feel like a walden mega magic would work well for me as my attempts to "diet" have resulted in immediate misery. i don't want to change my life, i want to enhance it. it's expensive but not ridiculous if it will make me a happier paddler and rider. i see people obsessing over riding shortboards that aren't right for them and i don't want to be the same just because my longboard is pretty.
i'm over yesterday's disappointment..there's nowhere i'd rather be than out in the water in santa cruz with the dolphins. i have to admit, i've wondered at times if i'd like SUP because ir eally enjoy just calmly laying on my board out in the water but uh, no. fuck that paddle. fuck standing up the whole time too! i did watch some pretty cool 90s bodyboarding videos today though.. when the dudes get sucked over the lip and just flip with it.. pretty sweet.. maybe someday will try it.
i got a mall massage and that helped restore some mobility and i'm just sorta stiff. but could i feel more old?! goddamn surfing is hard on the body.
going to have another lesson in santa cruz on saturday. i think i'm not gonna bother bringing my board.. that way i can drive fast and park as i please! plus i want to browse the racks for bigger boards. i'm starting to feel like a walden mega magic would work well for me as my attempts to "diet" have resulted in immediate misery. i don't want to change my life, i want to enhance it. it's expensive but not ridiculous if it will make me a happier paddler and rider. i see people obsessing over riding shortboards that aren't right for them and i don't want to be the same just because my longboard is pretty.
i'm over yesterday's disappointment..there's nowhere i'd rather be than out in the water in santa cruz with the dolphins. i have to admit, i've wondered at times if i'd like SUP because ir eally enjoy just calmly laying on my board out in the water but uh, no. fuck that paddle. fuck standing up the whole time too! i did watch some pretty cool 90s bodyboarding videos today though.. when the dudes get sucked over the lip and just flip with it.. pretty sweet.. maybe someday will try it.
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
blah
today was a total flop.
i woke up at 6:30 am and was the first person to turn the lights on at work at 8. me + waking up early + work just aren't a good combo. i wasn't feeling my usual vibe even before i got to the beach.
the nice thing about the timing though, was the lack of mob scene in the water. maybe 20 heads scattered across the coast? sunday felt like 200. plenty of breathing room, however, i wish i'd trusted my initial instinct and gone for thursday, when the swell was forecast to be a little smaller. after the good behavior on sunday, linda mar was just not going my way. the paddle out seemed impossible to me and i could barely balance on my board. i repeatedly kept getting out of the water to try to find a channel or break but i kept getting tricked by lulls that lasted too little time. i finally DID manage to make it out and just kept paddling as waves were breaking pretty close inside and i just wanted a rest! it was SO choppy and rough out there so i'm glad i had a confirmation that these were some tough conditions.
getting my 9' board out through this shit just SUCKS, it's so long i don't feel like i can control it much and then when i get on it, i'm so fat that the thing just squirrels away from me. i hopped on it with me knees a few times in the white water and popped right back off. i don't think i've ever even landed on my knees before. i just wish i could catch a fucking wave! as soon as richard said my board was too small, it's been whirling and swirling in my head and i have a feeling he's right. i don't think it should be this hard on a "beginner" board. i'm thinking maybe i need to just grab a big foamy rental and see if i get as frustrated- if i can even lift the damn thing!
finally i just put an end to the misery and sulked back to my car. it's so hard seeing other people do what you want to do (and noone out there was great, just some people getting some rides and paddling smoothly) and you're just completely looking like a jackass. if someone had told me my weight would be this much of a factor, i probably wouldn't even have tried to do this. it's really really difficult to take a sore spot like this and just constantly (literally) have salt rubbed in it. either i'm going to be miserable trying to change my body to suit a board or just find a board to suit me now that i can have some fun with!
it did dawn on me that maybe i'm not taking enough chances because i really am afraid but after being pounded just trying to get out, i'm not really feeling the idea of flipping through the air with my board following me. then again, i can't even catch a wave to try. argh. i obsess too much and there is such a strong divide between all the surfing stuff i follow and my ability. it makes me feel even more useless watching pros/wannabe pros sliding around with power, grace and style. why does it have to be so hard for me? i can't even do a proper dry land pop up. maybe i'm just biting off too much.
i think i need to sleep and let this go. just a bad day. this is silly but i didn't feel connected to the ocean and that's very strange for me. usually just being out there is enough. i guess sometimes the one you love just don't want you around.
i woke up at 6:30 am and was the first person to turn the lights on at work at 8. me + waking up early + work just aren't a good combo. i wasn't feeling my usual vibe even before i got to the beach.
the nice thing about the timing though, was the lack of mob scene in the water. maybe 20 heads scattered across the coast? sunday felt like 200. plenty of breathing room, however, i wish i'd trusted my initial instinct and gone for thursday, when the swell was forecast to be a little smaller. after the good behavior on sunday, linda mar was just not going my way. the paddle out seemed impossible to me and i could barely balance on my board. i repeatedly kept getting out of the water to try to find a channel or break but i kept getting tricked by lulls that lasted too little time. i finally DID manage to make it out and just kept paddling as waves were breaking pretty close inside and i just wanted a rest! it was SO choppy and rough out there so i'm glad i had a confirmation that these were some tough conditions.
getting my 9' board out through this shit just SUCKS, it's so long i don't feel like i can control it much and then when i get on it, i'm so fat that the thing just squirrels away from me. i hopped on it with me knees a few times in the white water and popped right back off. i don't think i've ever even landed on my knees before. i just wish i could catch a fucking wave! as soon as richard said my board was too small, it's been whirling and swirling in my head and i have a feeling he's right. i don't think it should be this hard on a "beginner" board. i'm thinking maybe i need to just grab a big foamy rental and see if i get as frustrated- if i can even lift the damn thing!
finally i just put an end to the misery and sulked back to my car. it's so hard seeing other people do what you want to do (and noone out there was great, just some people getting some rides and paddling smoothly) and you're just completely looking like a jackass. if someone had told me my weight would be this much of a factor, i probably wouldn't even have tried to do this. it's really really difficult to take a sore spot like this and just constantly (literally) have salt rubbed in it. either i'm going to be miserable trying to change my body to suit a board or just find a board to suit me now that i can have some fun with!
it did dawn on me that maybe i'm not taking enough chances because i really am afraid but after being pounded just trying to get out, i'm not really feeling the idea of flipping through the air with my board following me. then again, i can't even catch a wave to try. argh. i obsess too much and there is such a strong divide between all the surfing stuff i follow and my ability. it makes me feel even more useless watching pros/wannabe pros sliding around with power, grace and style. why does it have to be so hard for me? i can't even do a proper dry land pop up. maybe i'm just biting off too much.
i think i need to sleep and let this go. just a bad day. this is silly but i didn't feel connected to the ocean and that's very strange for me. usually just being out there is enough. i guess sometimes the one you love just don't want you around.
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