(no subject)
it's been a year since i first held onto a fiber glass board that looks like a flattened banana. i looked out there and the waves was in rage (well, for me at least). my friend and i were both excited about our baptism with the swirling ocean. we hit it off with a leash tied to our ankles and garments that do not resemble those of the rest of the rascals out in the ocean. obviously, we looked amature with our outfits. who cares, everyone for sure had their own share of awkward beginnings.
it was november and the waves just didn't care how fragile the riders were. i stretched fully my whole body lying flat on my board which was way longer than me. i mustered all my strength and shifted it to my arms to strongly paddle against the current. i never realized water can slap you on your face that hard, man! it was wave after wave until i reached the more placid waters. it was then that i learned that maneuvering in water is harder than making a sharp u-turn in a no-u-turn makati intersection.
i kept my body flat on the board with my head turned 180 degrees earning me a big time stiff neck afterwards. the waves came on early than i expected and my instructor who was bobbing his head up and down the water yelled to me "o, ready ka na!" I was nervous and didn't know if "ready" meant stretch your arms upright, spread your legs wide, or smile to the camera. then with his stronger signal of "paddle! paddle!" (or more like "padel! padel!") i started swinging my arms crazily and then digging into the waters that seemed to me like senseless since i wasn't moving anyway... until my instructor, the lanky Peps, gave my board a stroooong push then...
weeeeeeeeeeee!!! i was holding tight on my board when i swiftly attempted to push my weight up to make a "goofy stand." Then...
...i was in panic swirling with the furious current bringing me up and down and then further down and then around and around with the long heavy board still tied onto my ankle. i never played with the washing machine when i was a kid, neither when i grew older with naughtier curiosity, but it felt like i've been in one, less the powder detergent.
then finally i was close to the shore. i was in awe at how stupid i probably looked there. then i thought, everyone was hazed in their own concentration. i was just a spec of dust in the sand. so i paddled back to Peps who was still bobbing up and down in the water about 60 meters from where i stood.
we did the same routine: head turned back, tight grip on the side of the board, and with an unknowing look on my face so curious as to when that "good wave" will arrive. then again, he yelled "ready ka ulit joey ha! malakas toh!" then he gave it a strong push once again. i gripped hard on the side of my board, waited for a few seconds before lifting my weight up, then finally... WAHOOO! i was able to stand! I spread my arms a little and balanced on my board while it rode with the waves. i felt like i was the only one there. it was a rush that's so unique, different from when you roll over the sand while playing volleyball, or hitting a good backhand in tennis, or catching the fast rhythm of hip hop.
after that november, i came back again, then again, and then again.
i might not be hitting a good ratio of 6 out of ten but being able to catch a "good wave" is really nice. it's a different kind of high, especially when your riding even just a 100-m wave. all good. nothing beats the feeling of being stoked (in the good sense of the word).
i'm amazed at the locals we've met in san juan la union. i've met the likes of mickey, peps, raul and some other guys with bleached hair. it's so nice that they remember you everytime you come back. and luke, the surf resort owner...hmmm... i hope i get to meet you soon! haha. hope he teaches us more about surfing.
i have to go back. the weekend's long enough. and it's the most affordable trip i've been so far, you'll be surprised. tara, let's surf!
