A Confident Rider

A Confident Rider

Yesterday, I surfed at Cowell's in Santa Cruz. I cannot remember exactly when the last time I surfed there, so it must have been quite some time. In the past few years, when I go to Santa Cruz, I either surf the East Side or go to Manresa, and actually much of the time I stay up closer to breaks in Half Moon Bay.

I was really glad, though, I went, because the waves were fun, and especially I was comparing my experience with Waikiki. Here I don't have to paddle out too far, but we still get some good quality long rides, and like it was in Waikiki sets were far enough in between that getting out was easy and really relaxing just be out waiting for the waves. There were a modest amount of people, but there was a room for just about everyone too.

While I try not to boosting my abilities, I must say that I came a long way since the first time I stepped myself in this break. In fact, this was the only break that I could surf for many of my early sessions. Now I go, catch a wave; go "diagonally" to the wave all the way to the beach from the "outside" where other people are not catching. I have gotten confident enough also that even there are people inside; I can easily negotiate around most people. I can sometimes even work out a course when I was dropped in later, if the surfer wipes out, I can cut over the surfer and continue on!

Every once in a while I do run into a surfer that I would aspire to and I saw a woman surfer who was there catching ton of waves at ease wearing a small smile as she went down the line with really graceful posture. There is this big "confidence" on her that everything looked so natural and part of her from a take off, kick out to paddle back. I was just observing her and I was just watching the whole grace of the thing. It was kind of watching a nice dance performance by master dancers. Everything looked came so easy and effortlessly with her.

There always are other technically good surfers, but I saw that many surfers seems to be forcing something out of their actions, and I feel that I am one of them doing that too. So I really felt that I still have a long way to go, but this is a kind of surfing experience that really is valuable to me.