Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Session 4.131: Improving on Short Boarding...

I got a bit busy with work this morning Actually, got stoked with a part of the project that was moving along, so I kept at it until noon.  So I did not get in the water well after 1:00 pm this afternoon. Due to the semi-sensitivity of this spot, let me just say that I was in HMB. This is after checkout out the super crowded Jetty. When the school is out there are a lot of people there... I almost forgot about it.  At this spot, though, unfortunately was closing out heavily sometimes up to head high, and for my skill set the only way to ride them is to shoot for the reforming inside, but still, sometimes, I would be forced to be sitting on the lip of a close-out set or being caught inside in a bigger set with nowhere to escape. The fun part of all of this was that I was there all by myself, so I could just try to get at them without hanging on to the board and all these etiquette stuff. But I had to be extra careful as these ponders were happening right at the chest level depth.  With a more focus on driving the paddles, I had a few remarkably good take offs into some of the waves, so I was pleased, but needless to say, they were more as a result of accidental luck than being intentional. But I am starting to see the potential of all this now... I am gaining more and more confidence on taking off into faster situations, so I am thinking that these are kind of good training. Last year, if I saw this condition, I would not have even stepped in, so I think there has been some progress.

Then Wendy and I went to see Riding Giants. It is one of the better or probably the best big-wave movie ever made. Very beautifully shot and also it follows the history and who's who of big wave stuff. I am not a big wave enthusiast, but my 10 Ft waves must equal to their 60 Ft waves. Every fear, the emotion, the contemplation, the preparation the hold-downs and joy after successfully catching a wave, I think almost every surfer can relate to.

Another thing about this movie, I spoke or shook hands with several of the people in the movie already in my short 2.5 years of surfing, so it goes to say still how small the actual surfing community is. Sure, there are million surfers who have bought a board or two, but if you are seriously doing this sport, thinking about it, and actively participating in surfing events, it still are not that many people. So that really made me feel that I was participating in the movie as an active surfer.

But I now must wonder what other audience who have never stood on a surfboard will interpret all this?
LC:D

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