Maybe the break looked so do-able from shore because there were so many good
surfers out there -- they seemed to be effortlessly gliding along. Maybe I was falsely confident because it didn't look like a long paddle out. After two weeks of cold weather (and a chest cold), I was just desperate to get in the water. I was up on the north shore to meet some friends at a BBQ and just wanted a quick session first. I found a parking place! ... Hey! that was enough magic to make me feel I was meant to be there.
I was single minded. I didn't acknowledge the lifeguard watching me get ready. I didn't look around to be disuaded. Once out past the breaking waves I realized I had been a bit hasty. I realized I was out of my league. I didn't panic, but my heart was beating a bit fast. I stayed outside and watched for a long time. Finally, I moved in a bit. I came to the peak of one wave, looked down and backed away. These are not Waikiki waves.
I talked with another sponger and found he was new to the spot too; he warned me that the swell was
increasing. I decided I had better take one wave quickly, if only to get over the jitters. At
about that time a body surfer came sleekly paddling by. (They always remind me of otters - sort of
playful between sets even. Well, these guys seemed to be the only ones smiling out there anyway.)
He explained the break a bit - what to watch out for - and was pretty encouraging. I realized ... it's
only water.
I looked down the line, and saw the the perfect wave; it was all mine - I could do it easily.
I was
thrilled! I cut quickly to the left and was smoothly cutting across the face of the wave (maybe 1+ overhead) ...
when, all of a sudden, I saw a sponger coming up from behind - on the outside. Without a pause,
she whipped in front of me and cut me off! I was shoved into the breaking crest ... swept into the
impact zone and got confused about how far down the beach I had gone. I tried to punch my way
back out, but the inside rip just took me another 20 yards down the beach. Then I saw the rocks.
That settled it. I managed to turn and kick myself into the beach break. I was very close to shore,
but the rip wasn't going to let me land easily. Finally - most inelegantly - I slid toward shore and
grounded myself on the sand.
I took off my fins and walked back to where I had started. The channel now looked closed out.
(Maybe I was just seeing it differently after the struggle?) Anyway, it was nearing sunset and I had
people to meet. I sat at the edge and watched for a while - the sponger chick who had smoked me was
quite spectacular - sweeping down any face, doing double spins , flying up over the shoulders. She
really stood out from the crowd. I remembered seeing her earlier out in the lineup. She looked local,
but , no 'eyebrow salute' ... hmmm ... probably one of the Brazilian contestents from the meet that was held out here this week.
As I sat on the sand watching, the body surfer emerged and stopped to congratulate me for my
wave. He pointed down the beach to where he had been competing the last few days ... Pipeline. I
suddenly realized where I was. Maybe it is good to be ignorant sometimes. LOL.
The next morning I stopped again at Ehukai on my way home ... the swell had come up quite a bit
overnight. I noticed the red flags near the edge (the ones I had ignored the day before) and I nodded
to the lifeguards I had ignored and I sat down to watch. There was a swarm of people on the Pipe
waves. The Ehukai waves seemed too sharp and perfect to be real.
Next year.
