Surfing

Location:
United States

Surfing

By Allison Page Constable

It was 92 degrees and sunny, and you could hear the crashing of the waves in the background as you tried keep a board twice as big as you up above your head while you walked down to the beach where you could see the crashing of the waves onto the reef.

I had never surfed before, but I had always wanted to learn. It was a sport that looked so cool and gave off a lifestyle look of carelessness and pure happiness.

So while I was with my two best friends in Maui, Hawaii we signed up to take a surfing lesson. We went to Goofy Foot Surf School, and signed up for a two hour lesson.

We were given boards that were almost 10 ft long, twice as tall as we three were. Then were given little booties. I was skeptical about the appearance of these little things, but after I was informed about the sharp coral in the water and what it could do to my feet I wore them regardless of how they looked.

After getting into the water and having our instructor teach us the ways of the waves I paddled out into waves ahead of me. As nervous as I thought I was going to be about trying to stand up on an object moving through the waves on the ocean by the time I got out there I was worry free, and eager to ride my first wave. After sitting on my board for about 5 minutes my instructor yelled to me “That’s it, that’s the wave you are going to ride, so paddle!”

I quickly rotated my arms through the water, and within seconds I felt my board rise up and move rapidly forward. I had caught the wave, and all I needed to do now was stand up and ride it! I cautiously moved my feet around and grabbed the sides of my board. I then centered my body and slowly stood up and let go of my board.

I was up, and then before I could look over at my friends to give me the look of support I flew off my board as another wave took me down into the water below.

Besides not ending my ride they way I had planed I was proud enough to even have ridden one at all. And I immediately fell in love with the sport. It was even better than I imagined. I wanted to be a surfer. I wanted the lifestyle, and the experience of riding the waves.