I never intended to slow down my blogging so much, but much of my time and mental energy is spent with my mom these days, or attempting to look for some light in this dark time of her being sick.
These days, I’m so thankful for those light times shining through the dark, and a day trip or day away feels as exciting as a whole vacation used to feel.
So when my coworker Mallory forwarded me an invite for a surfing press trip she couldn’t attend, I’m not sure I ever responded to an email so quickly. I’m also going to write something for work on exercises to get surf-ready, and I’ll share that here when it’s live!
Hurley brought us out to Long Beach to show off the Hurley Surf Club (in partnership with Skudin Surf, where I’ve taken lessons before.) It was such a beautiful day that I had a hard time believing I was just in Long Island, not somewhere more exotic. The surf club is a legit cool idea — you can take free clinics with instructors who will also video you and critique your form and give you pointers on how to improve. They’re trying to bring more of a surf culture to NY beaches. As someone who obsesses over getting the perfect beach wave, I support this and would like to become a surfer girl.
The water was pretty calm so we didn’t have very big waves, which made it a little more difficult — we didn’t have that time cushion to get up a little more slowly.
Hurley was also kind enough to let me bring my college roomie, Jen. It makes me happy that after all these years, we are still close. Jen went to high school in Southern California and totally looked like a surfer girl when we started college, so I thought she’d have fun with me and probably show me up.
It’s called a “pop up” when you…well, pop up on to your board to stand up. You’re supposed to stand with your feet parallel to each other but I can’t help but stand up with my feet perpendicular, which means I never stay up very long. The arms in the air is also the exact opposite thing you’re supposed to do.
I have a lot to learn, but it is FUN to play in the water like I’m a kid.
What do you totally suck at but love anyway?
I would love love love to learn to surf! I could have taken lessons the summer I lived in California during grad school, but they were crazy expensive. #brokegradstudent
Thinking of you and your mom <3
I just spent a week in the Dominican Republic in an attempt to learn to surf (Swell Surf Camp for those interested). I am a HORRIBLE surfer (years of running/inflexibility make the “pop up” impossible) but it was still so fun, and somewhat liberating to do something I’m so bad at! I’m interested in your post about exercised to get surf ready – my arms were sore for DAYS after my last lesson!
1.) I watched a couple of stupid surfing movies this winter and want to try agin even though my first attempt ended in a full leg bruise.
2.) I continue to do all kinds of things that I’m not good at! Like parallel parking (reverse in general really), scrapbooking and gardening among others.
I suck at most things, hahahaha! No really, I do. It doesn’t put me off though. I just enjoy improving, I guess that’s what keeps me going.
We bought the kids really small surf boards (I’ve forgotten the proper name, ha!). They had loads of fun on them. They were pretty rubbish to start off but they soon got the hang of it.