Monday, July 4, 2016

Making It To The Line-Up

I am laying here waiting for the sun to come up so that we can try and go surfing, again. I write, "try", because a whole lot of planets and stars and tides and moons and traffic and parking spaces and temperatures and conditions have to align for me to be able to unload my board and get in the water and have a good time. It happened yesterday. And it happened Father's Day weekend camping at San Onofre State Beach--SanO.

I made it into the line-up yesterday. And at SanO.

AND I saw a shark to boot.

But that is not the point of my story.

Yesterday, the water looked inky and ferocious and big and like there was a lot of power in those waves, and then, when we got in, it was like a dream for me: There was time for me to think and to turn and to shoot and to stand; not too much to ride, but that was okay, too. And I was knocked off my board and I was sent into an actual somersault in the shorebreak--sand is still shaking out of my hair. I could hear my laughter in my own ears.

SanO was a whole 'nother story.

I was nervous, man. I had a brand new board, and the last time I "surfed" there, I was hurt so badly I did not touch the water for another 20 years--NO, like, I NEVER set a foot in the water long after the broken nose and the split skull and the loose teeth and the concussion were healed. The Caveman and the Hero and Papa Fig were there; they can testify.

I was up early Father's Day morning by about 4:00am, washing my face and brushing my teeth and Papa Fig and the Wedding Singer were up right after me. The Caveman and Baby Fig were still asleep. Normally, the boys go to the cliffs and take a look at the waves before we all load up and make the walk down Trail 6 with board bags and lunches and whatnot.

Papa Fig and the Wedding Singer were getting ready to go down to the cliff, and I was sitting on the bench drinking my tea thinking THEY will go take a look and I will pack the lunch and I said, "Do you want me to wake-up the Caveman?" And Papa Fig said the best thing he could have said in just about my whole lifetime, "Naw, just come on, Dweez. Let's go take a look." In all the nearly 30 years I have known Papa Fig, he has called me that; in all the nearly 20-some-odd years we have spent Father's Day at SanO, that was the first time I have seen the morning sets from the cliffs.

Man, it took all I had not to girl-it-up by bawling.


Andlemmetellyou, that was like making it to the line-up, right there.

I will tell you about the shark another day. Mostly, because I still cannot believe it happened. More importantly, I feel very special that I got to see something that huge and incredible up close. And there will be people that will not believe me and they will feel compelled to harsh my good feelings and make fun of me and just generally ruin it. Fuck that shit. I am owning this for as long as I want right now.

For today, all this lady grom wants to do is throw down on her belly and paddle and paddle and make it to the line-up and then maybe see a wave that will not crush her skull and turn her board around (quickly!!!) and paddle to the left (hard hard hard!!!) and get up (quickly!!!) and ride, just ride! And without going all Spicoli, I just wanna get stoked. That is all. Just once, well, now I am getting greedy.

I wanna get stoked...A LOT!

Happy 4th of July, my friends; be safe and sane!


xoxo Darya