The week before leaving for Vegas was a crazy one, as they usually are the week before a trip. The Sunday before the trip, though, I found some time to go surfing. A cool front had come through and even though it was a little gray, I took Petal and headed to Galveston. I hadn't been out on the 9'6" board in awhile, and I had a chance to rediscover why I love that board. I went to the 37th Street jetty and had a blast. I was only out a short while, but I caught multiple waves. Today, I took my 9' Softop and went out at the 43rd. I chose the west side of the jetty because of the way the wind was blowing. Only one other guy was out, and he had been there a short while. He told me that he thought we might have been the only surfers finding waves. However, I had already seen several at 37th and a couple at 25th, so I knew that surfers were out down the beach. The afternoon was beautiful, and although I would have probably surfed better using Petal, I needed the Softop today because of a luncheon that would have my board sitting outside in the sun for a longer period of time. Sometimes, I just prefer using the Softop on days like this. The air temp was warm, but the water was cool…the intrusive hint of fall. I dread needing a wetsuit soon.
I've also been SUPing a little more. A couple of weeks ago, one breezy weeknight, I loaded Penelope
(my SUP) and met up with an SUP group in Galveston. The sun was on the verge of setting, and I drove down after a busy day at work. The group met at a parking lot on 61st Street on the side of Offat's Bayou. A friend from work also showed up. We unloaded the boards and dropped them in the water at the end of the boat pier. Just as the sun set, we took off across the water with lights and a required life vest. The group stayed out about an hour, and I look forward to doing it again sometime soon. The experience was awesome. I met some people active in the SUP community, and learned about some events especially for SUPers that sounded like fun. One, in particular, was a race that took place this weekend (Saturday/yesterday). The race allowed people to register and compete in one of three events: 12' boards, 11'1 boards and an open category. I felt like I had nothing to lose and opted to register for the open event. Since I know so little about SUPing, I had no idea what to expect. Saturday was quite windy, so the course was rough. The route was three miles total, meaning two 1.5-mile loops. Racers lined up at the end of the pier at Moody Gardens' Palm Beach. About 30 racers showed up on various forms and sizes of boards. I could tell the racing boards from the boards like mine. They were long, narrow and thick. They were made for speed and the minute the bell went off, those speedy boards took off. I was pulling up the rear and struggling. The current was as strong as the wind, which was causing small waves to form. Many people were falling off their boards, and, eventually, I fell; but only once. I noticed many were on their knees at the beginning, and I followed their lead. I got lapped by about six people, but I kept going. After I finished the first lap, I considered quitting, but opted to go on. I was sorry I did. The emergency crew rescued someone from the rocks, and, very soon, I noticed that only a few of the novice people had gone on for the second lap. I turned around and went back to the finish line. I was proud of my work friend who made it through most of the second lap. However, he didn't "officially" finish either. He's on an 11' board, which makes it a little easier for him, but I think the current was even a little strong for him. Overall, though, he did great! I'm a little jealous of his performance. I thought I handled the board well, but I have a lot to learn. I know that my board is really geared more for surf, but I still think I can get stronger on the flats with it. Practice, practice, practice!
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| I had a ball SUPing in the moonlight! |
