Westbound Boarder

This morning, I hit the waves for my very first day surfing since I broke my hand (correction, all my fingers) in early July.  While paddling out to sea, desperately trying to remember my 123’s… I was hit stone cold with an enlightening epiphany - not all board sports come easy.     

I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes I have the feeling that board sports (surfing included) should just come naturally, that I can set my board down for a couple years and be able to pick things up right where I left off.  Not always the case.  Surfing is a sport you need to work at perfecting each and every week, not only physically, but mentally as well, and I quickly realized that this morning as I was teetering and falling over and over again.  

After struggling for several wave sets, I decided to try a different approach - I shrugged out of the water and plopped my board down on the beach to start from the basics.  After practicing standing on my flat board in the sand a few times, I went out to a calm break in the water and tried it there a few more.  I made sure I had my balance 100% realigned before heading back out.  

The end result?  One wave… success!  Two waves, three and four.  I was surfing like a pro in no time, finally back to where I left off.  Well, almost.

So, what did I learn today?  Surfing takes time.  Surfing takes patience.  And it does not come naturally.  So next time you’re in a rut, frustrated, or about to give up, remember this - take a step back, and take it slow.  Master the sport one step at a time before you take a giant leap.  And never give up.