best of the best
Surprised there hasn't been any comments on this theblowin.
Some great words and descriptions of feelings that others would struggle to get down on paper/screen.
My recent trip away went through nearly all these experiences expect the first one as I was on holidays. Still to wash away the long hard drive into the desert by surfing an empty point with dolphins as company is something special again.
Not much more to add to this list besides than maybe being woken during the night by cracking sets of a new swell hitting the reef over the nearby dunes.
First light cannot come quick enough and that first glimpse of the ocean on a dawning day stimulates more effectively than any coffee or other morning wake up supplement could. Magic stuff!
Note: Never choose to do a year 12 English piece on surfing, unless you can describe the feelings like theblowin. Very tricky stuff and you've nailed it.
Dave Rastovich " the inability to describe something is proof that it is fucking amazing"
... or, more likely, just a poor vocabulary.
Btw, lovely work, tbi.
Great words tbi. I love 1 and 4 you nailed it on those. That feeling of being closer to god or a heightened awareness, the clean, chicken skin high that great waves give us is true awe.
and
very astute about Rasta whaaat, A wavesmith he is, a wordsmith he's not.
Lets face it, surfing is the gateway to a better life in a better world. It's all a blessing, yet a few parts of the act redefine joy for myself.
1 - The Wash Off.
It's been a hard slog, ten hours of back breaking toil under the blazing summer sun. Dust,sweat and stink clogging every pore. But now your at the waters edge,the surf may be D grade but the water is warm and clear. Run, dive and glide on your board. Mental stress and physical fatigue immediately evaporate.The brine cleansing to your core. That first duckdive is tonic for the soul.
2 - The LAGO.
Surf has been busy . The beach has been packed, with good reason, it's been a great day. But the onshore has come up and killed the action. Your surfed out , it's been a day for the ages . Time to chill with a beer and some mates and reflect on what you've scored. Crank the barbie and let the day morph into the night. The party mood descends but after a few you realise that in the last throes of daylight the wind is dying with the heat of the day. Ghost out the back gate, grab your board and snag a half dozen empty ,glassy gems to put the icing on the cake.
3 - No one out,No one coming.
You and a couple of mates are on the spot, it's pumping. Can't get out there quick enough. The wind will be offshore all day, the tide is just going to improve the situation yet the furtive glance to the carpark /channel is a constant distraction. Relax , your in the middle of nowhere, the only people that know about this spot are indisposed and the rest of the world is blissfully unaware. No spoilers today boys, soak it up.
4 - Closer to God
Caught a few nice ones,feeling loose, relaxed, in rhythm. Paddling back out after a smoker, reviewing the last wave Replaying the sensations in your mind, reliving the sensations in your body, watching sets pour down the reef. Realise that the sky seems bluer, the sun is brighter, the water is silky smooth on your skin. Takes a buddhist monk half a lifetime to get where your at right now.
5 - In it together
I think this life is really all about connections, Connections between people , places and moments in time. What better way to connect than by sharing the session of a lifetime with good people.
6 - The Sweet Anticipation
A deep , deep tube ride is the dream, an indescribable sense of achievment,thrill and sensory overload. Nothing comes close. Nothing except that heart lifting moment when you realise that perfect wave is approaching. Marching inexorably towards you in the perfect spot at the perfect time to roll the dice on what could well be the best wave you will ever catch. Now it's all up to you