I almost always surf on Friday and Sunday. However, since Friday was the day after Thanksgiving, which is enjoyable family time for me, I was unable to make it down to surf. I received a surf report from my surf dude Brian. He said the waves were small, but very consistent and clean; something that only happens every once in a while in Galveston. And, usually, it happens when I'm at work or have some other place to go. After examining the forecast, I decided that I might need to change my schedule this week. A strong front was scheduled to cross the coast some time on Saturday. With it would come a small window of opportunity for some fabulous waves. However, a Saturday morning arrival for the front quickly turned into a late afternoon arrival, which meant I was going to miss the good stuff. But, I also knew that if I was going to surf at all this weekend, it would have to be Saturday because once the front blew through it would be FLAT! I started my Saturday as usual: a 5 a.m. 8-mile run with some running folks (we actually usually start at 5:30, which I prefer), but when I made it back home, instead of heading to Bike Barn for a Saturday morning bike ride, I loaded my 9' Softop and headed to G-town. Conditions were not fabulous, but I was not the only one there who had a now-or-never attitude. I ran into five of the usual guys including surf dude Brian. I even ran into an out-of-town non-surfing buddy who was visiting Galveston, happened to be driving down the seawall and stopped to say hello. It was so good seeing him!
Neil, who had already been out, warned me that it was difficult getting out because the sets were not consistent. And, he was right. I struggled in the rip beside the jetty. When I made it to the end of the jetty, I was pummeled by wave after wave. I'm sure it looked like a Three Stooges (minus two) episode from the seawall. I immediately got swept to the west side of the jetty, pushed to the inside and surfed a white water wave in. However, I could tell that the best waves were definitely on the outside. That's where all the experienced surfers were. I made my way back out, and although it was a struggle, I made it. All in all, I paddled quite a bit during my surf session. The wind and the tides kept pushing me west, but I struggled and made it back to where the guys were surfing on the east side of the jetty. Bryan (with a "y") was in town and he gave me some tips, which are always great to hear. He tried to help me catch one by yelling out moves, but I got shoved under once again. Eventually, though, I caught some re-formed waves on the outside and rode three or four of them. They weren't long rides, though, because I lacked the skills to ride a wave, catch a re-form and catch a third re-form to get a nice, sweet ride like the other guys. (In particular, the T-man was surfing like a pro and walking the board while catching wave after wave.) All in all, I had a great time, but I need soooooo much practice on my surfing. I worked hard, but got very little reward. And, just about all four or five of the waves/re-forms I caught in the three hours I was there were in their whitewater stage. I got a great workout for my arms though since I had to paddle so far out and continue paddling when the current pushed me to the inside. And, despite the fact that I struggled so much, I can't help but love doing it. While surfing the Internet for some surfing tips/quotes, I came across this one:
"Surfing expresses ... a pure yearning for visceral, physical contact with the natural world." Matt Warshaw, "Maverick's: The Story of Big-Wave Surfing"
I definitely experienced physical contact with the natural world on Saturday!
After surfing, I offered to take a couple of the guys for coffee. However, Neil and T-man had other places to go, so only surf dude Brian took me up on my offer. It was a nice post-surf experience. He told me a little about his younger life -- his life before Galveston. He told me about some of the gals he had fallen in love with along the way, and about some of the unusual jobs he had along the way. He told me about an old friend who is now deceased, and about finding out he had died. He missed his friend. It was a great way to end a morning of surfing. I will definitely have to do it again!
* Brian gave me a couple of t-shirts and a sweatshirt (pictured) to wear around town and promote his surf school. Texas surfer for sure!
Oh how I miss surfing! It seems lately that my regular surf days are either plagued by bad surf or filled with other responsibilities. My surf updates this weekend were filled with bad news. When the King Surf Dude calls and says he is canceling lessons 'cause the weather and waves are crappy, then I know it's pretty bad down at the 43rd Street jetty. I probably should use the time to take the summer wax off of my Senator board (Petal), my McTavish (Rainbow) and my JLS (Lil' Sis), and replace it with cold water wax. Not sure what the differences are between the two types of wax, but I guess they wouldn't sell it unless it was necessary. Either that, or I'm just a sucker. I don't think so though because the King Surf Dude Brian mentions to me occasionally when the seasons change that I need to do it. I noticed on g-townsurf.com that the water temp yesterday was 57 degrees. Brrrrrr! While I've been using my 3-2 wetsuit during the last few sessions, I haven't been extremely cold; possibly because the air temperature was in the 60s and 70s. However, with the last passing of a cold front earlier this week, not only had the water temps dropped a few degrees, but so has the air temp. When the air temp drops, the worst part of surfing is standing on the Seawall and pulling off the wetsuit after a surf session. I can NEVER get the wetsuit pulled off and my sweatshirt and sweatpants put on fast enough! But, I digress. This should be a time of maintenance; a time to get things ready for my winter surf...even if the temps are supposed to be back in the 70s by next weekend.
Although I didn't get to surf this weekend, I made the best of it. I participated in my first adventure race. A cycling/running friend does them often. Both of the people he usually partners with in the team category were busy. I had expressed interest in his adventure races. So, when neither of them could make it to this latest race, he contacted me. I was thrilled. It would be something completely different for me! Adventure races are set up in several different ways. Many of them have a running leg, a mountain-bicycling leg and a kayaking leg. Some offer mystery sports, and some require participants to use a GPS to locate the stamps for their race "passport." My friend said that this particular race would be a good one for me since I was a first-timer. I asked him to explain, and he said that he always thinks of this particular race -- the Dave Boyd Adventure Race -- as a great one for beginners. What a great time I had! Although I've had a mountain bike for a long time, I don't use it much. I'm not a very aggressive mountain biker, and to be a good mountain biker, you have to be aggressive. I like to say that a person has to have the mentality of a 10-year-old boy to be a good mountain biker. 10-year-old boys do NOT think they can die, which is why they take the risks that they do. A mountain biker can't be thinking about getting hurt, he/she has to be thinking only about how to get around the bump in the path. Because the river in Lake Houston Park is low, the kayaking leg for this race was canceled. Instead, this race included a 2.65 trail run, a 14.11-mile mountain bike ride through easy to moderate (for me) trails finishing with a 2.65 trail run on the same course as the first run. We also waded across a low river to get to one of the punch-card stations. The air temp was cool Saturday, but I'm glad because then I was forced to wear long sleeves and leggings. This extra layer of clothing protected my skin from the tree limbs, vines and brush that I had to maneuver through to get to my check points. This particular race included two categories -- a 12-hour course for the diehard adventurers and a 2- to 3-hour sprint course for people like us. We finished almost an hour after the first place team in our category, and probably placed last or next to last in our category. But, I had so much fun! After all, it was my first adventure race AND the first time I've ever run on trails. We finished in 3:19. I've decided that this won't be my last adventure race. Even if I don't get to partner with my friend again, I might try to do it alone. Of course, if some of the courses require a GPS, I might have to re-think it. After all, I'd hate to get lost on a trail in a race. Ummm...like surfing, I definitely need more practice.
