It was a great surf session for me today. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite so for Donnie. Somehow we were on very different wavelengths. Poor Donnie just couldn’t sync up with the ocean. Worse still, it was clear to him that I was in the zone. I did my best not to hoot and holler too much, but Jack Lordy was I tuned in today.
The waves were breaking pretty far outside, so the paddle out was a doozy, zapping so much arm endurance right out of the gate. But then there was a LONG lull once we hit the line, so we were able to recuperate. When the sets did come, they were lovely, shoulder-to-head high treats. Long lines, no-too-steep faces and barrels for the intrepid. And my Electric was up for the challenge.
The rip was strong today, and at one point I floated into the magic zone, because everything came together. I caught about a half dozen waves inside of 10 minutes or so. I’d ride a fantastic wave in, paddle back, spin around and ride another brilliant wave. There was another guy on the opposite end of this cycle and we’d smile at each other during each pass, real shit-eating grins too. We both knew we were in something spectacular. Towards the end my body was so tired I couldn’t pop up and just belly-rode a wave in. My new buddy was waiting in the chowder. The magic cycle had ended. He just said, “That was something.” I nodded. It was definitely something.
But the biggest news of all is that I may or may not have achieved my first aerial (intentional). Not a full launch and land back on the wave, but an pre-planned, intentional launching off the lip of the wave, with board. I was flying down the line and I could see the wave was going to close out down a ways. So, I tried to time myself to be on the upswing just as the wave was closing out. I hit a huge bottom turn, shot up the face, grabbed the rail and went sailing over the top. I suspect it looked as lame as when a kid pulls off his first ollie on a skateboard, but it felt like a million dollars. Now for step 2 – landing it and continuing on the wave.