I go down to Walter’s VW Microbus at lunchtime, where, true to his word, there is a 6’8" egg waiting for me. I am delighted, because I have wanted to learn to stand for a long time. Now I have no more excuses for not getting around to it.
After starting out rather slowly and intermittently, I’ve spent the last month or more working at this diligently every day. I knew it was not going to be an easy proposition. "You need a long board, a nine-footer" everyone tells me. "Thanks" I reply, "I know... but this is the board I have, and so I’ll keep working with it."
It is discouraging at times. Day in and day out, it seems to be all I can do to barely get around on the board, occasionally catching a belly ride. I progress slowly to the point where I can get on my knees, and once in a rare while I pop up and immediately drop.
I say jokingly that I guess learning to surf is a simple matter of gradually extending the time between when you stand up and when you fall down.
This week is a red-letter week! On Monday, God sent me a beautiful left. I paddle like mad, catch it, steer left and manage for the first time to stand up long enough to really know that I am standing and in balance! I do not wipe out; rather, the wave dies out and I deliberately fall off the board backwards. Total time? Perhaps five seconds; but what a wonderful five seconds they have been!
Lest you think this was a fluke, after several discouraging days, I have a repeat performance on Thursday! Once again, I manage to stand and ride a ways, this time almost making it over a second lip and another drop. Alas, I stall, but hope springs eternal!
And then on Friday I ride yet one more, standing and delivering. I am beginning to believe that if I can only get some more consistent good waves to ride, I will be standing much more in the near future.
What will become of body boarding? Some folk I know have told me that after transitioning from a body board to a surfboard they will never go back. I’m not sure I believe that; it is hard to believe that I could ever abandon something that has given me so much joy. However, I guess I will have to reserve judgement until I have spent some more time on my feet.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the Only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." Jude 24,25