#39 Iddi

What can I say about this kid other than he's awesome!

Every year that my family has gone to Panama we hang out with him & his family who are on parallel paths. They lived in Bocas Del Toro for an extended time & then felt compelled to return to the states for school. Now we all return each summer to cleanse & nourish our spirit in the island air.

We shared a couple fun surfs together, but the highlight from this summer was a bodysurfing session with Iddi, another grom & my daughter. It was a birthday party and there were about 15 other kids all playing in the waves. On the horizon we could see what looked like the storm that carried away Dorothy & Toto. Within minutes we were shrouded within its darkness, gusting winds & rain. All retreated to the shelter of the resort except for the 4 of us.

With the warm ocean all to ourselves we laughed, joked and rode waves together in the shelter of the sea. Iddi educated us on such things as the elusive Bocas Brown Trout...among other things!

Later that day we sat down and did this quick interview that I am happy to share...

What’s your name?

My name is Iddi

How old are you?

14

Where do you live?

I live in Colorado.

How long have you been surfing?

Umm, 6 years now.

6 years?...but you live in Colorado. So, how did you start surfing living in Colorado?

So, I used to live in Bocas Del Toro, Panama…like 4 years ago and I surfed there, but I went to 

Colorado for school. And so every single summer I come back to Bocas to surf.
 

What’s it like when you’re not surfing and in Colorado?

I just skateboard…snowboard…kinda do on-land sports. And they’re very similar to surfing so they’re all kinda linked.

What made you interested in surfing?

All of the people around me… the close friends that I got when I came to Bocas were surfing so I was like “Oh, I’ll just give it a shot” and I really liked it so I got into it.

Is surfing your favorite sport? Or is it the same as snowboarding or skateboarding?

I think snowboarding, skateboarding & surfing are all of my favorites…but I really enjoy surfing because it’s just fun….very, very fun.

Do you ever compete surfing?

I have gotten into a few local competitions here and there.

And how do you feel when you take a break from surfing and come back to it?

It always feels like a huge relief!....because whenever I’m not surfing, I always want to be surfing! And when I get into the water it’s just super nice to just be in the water and catch some waves!

Do you keep in contact with your friends from Bocas when you’re in Colorado?

I try to keep some contact with them. Some of the also live part-time in the U.S. just in different states, but I always call then now and then just to check-in and see how they’re doing.

What are your favorite surf memories?
I think one of my favorite surf memories was when I got kinda barreled for the first time. I was little and I was surfing and I saw that the wave was starting to peak right over me and I got so scared; I jumped off, but I was just so proud of myself...yeah.

Did you ever have any scary experiences surfing?
Yeah, just the other day I was surfing Paunch and the riptide was so strong that I couldn't paddle back in. And experiences like these kinda help you improve though and learn for next time.

Do you have any advice, for kids especially, that are interested in surfing? As a beginner what would be your advice?
Well, a lot of kids who I know who really want to get into surfing they kinda assume it's going to be pretty easy, but when you first start off surfing all of the hard work pays off later on and that's when you start having fun after you do all of your hard work. At first when you start surfing it might not seem like much, it will be fun of course, but not going to be like what you expected, but you just have to work hard at it and then it's really going to pay off!

So when you say hard work...what kinda hard work?
You have to get used to paddling. You have to get used to holding your breath. You have to adjust your body to being the good surfer who you think you can be.

Do any of your friends in Colorado surf?
Well, one of my good friends..he's been surfing once. Most of the kids in Colorado don't really surf, but some here and there.

Is that something you talk about with your friends or is it just your summer time thing?
(Laughing) If you go up to someone in Colorado and say that you surf

What do you get out of your connection with the ocean?
Every single time after I surf I get closer and closer to the ocean and trust it a little bit more. And I trust myself as well and what I'm doing. But when you first start surf you're like "Oh the ocean, I don't know what's there..the sea life...I'm scared of like sharks or fish..the coral!" But when you start surfing and get more into it then you respect things that you used to scared of. If you leave them alone; they'll leave you alone...and it's all good.

When you look at contests most of the surfers don't have skin as brown as yours or mine...does that affect you as a surfer? Or is it different because we're here in Bocas and you see lots of brown surfers?
Well, at the (local) contests you just charge it and have fun with everyone there. But for sure, like I used to live in Florida as well. There you wouldn't see anyone really out in the surf break with dark skin. You just kinda show them that you're good...yeah, just as good as them and just have a good time!

Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?
Well, I feel like it's really important for some people to realize that surfing can be pretty frustrating at some points, but you have to push through it then it'll all start to fit together.

#38 It Begins Anew...

This is always a special time of year in the Bay Area. The weather is welcoming, the water is warm-ish, & the waves are fun. And it always seems to start on October 1^st! This year kept with tradition. For the last 4 days we had howling onshore winds; the surf was a jumble of lumps, bumps & chops. And then around the time the clock struck midnight on September 30^th the winds went offshore. They blew all night smoothing out the sea so that surfers of the Bay awoke to small, clean, glassy waves under sunny skies on the 1^st day of the Season. The changing climate is affecting a lot of things, but has spared us NorCal surfers for the moment.

I had to rush out of the house before getting to do my breathwork and warm-up, but this allowed me to get it all done in the sand dunes overlooking the surf. It felt great to take in deep breaths of the warm ocean air while being supported by the sandy earth.

The surf was mostly 1-2’ with the odd 3-footer. It was too warm to pull up the wetsuit beyond the waist until reaching the water’s edge. A handful of riders were sprinkled the length of the beach. The water was a deep navy blue that shined like mercury. It was the perfect day for the Wavestorm!

 

I had so many fun rides! A shortboard was in the car as well, but watching the waves during the warm-up beckoned the trusty softop Wavestorm. And sure enough I was able to hunt down wave after wave. At Ocean Beach even the 2-footers pack a little punch so maneuvering that board around the line-up was like wrestling an alligator for an hour. I had a fun surf and a good workout! More on the benefits of Wavestorm sessions later…

The beginning of Surf Season feels like a good time to get this blog going again. Though I have not been writing about it my surf life has continued in new and exciting ways. Our family lived on the island of Bocas Del Toro, Panama for a year and have spent every summer there since then. I’ve basically been living my 16-year old fantasy: surfing rad waves on a tropical island…..a lot! My love for the ocean has grown ever deeper. And I dare say that I’m surfing better than ever and am in the best surfing shape that I’ve experienced. Granted, nowhere near my mind-surfing fantasy…but having profound levels of joy in the water nonetheless!

And is the joy that has gotten pen back to paper. A glance at the state of the world is quick to reveal that suffering is on the rise. Pick your lense…whether it be the health of humanity, health of the planet, politics, society, finance, education or family dynamics…just to name a few. As a whole it all seems to be more bummer than bliss. So what do we do? As my acting teacher would say, “How do we proceed?”

My current answer is to proceed with gratitude. Where there is gratitude there is joy. And while joy feels good inside me I’ve found it to be highly contagious. I’m grateful for all surfing as done and continues to do for me. Even with a keen awareness of all the bummer-stuff I am able to smile. May these joyous cooties get all over you!

Thanks for reading!

#37 Fall Stoke!

I should've taken my camera!

The weather has been hot lately and that can mean only one thing.....Fall is here!  And as every Bay area surfer knows....that means the conditions for good waves are in effect!  It took about 2 weeks of hot weather to equalize the pressures over the land and sea and put those onshore winds and fog to rest.  Now we have calm winds and glassy water.  Add in some south swell and you have the recipe for happiness.

I had been watching the pro surf contest at Trestles for the last couple days and getting all amped to surf fun waves.  That wave is particularly enticing because its shape beckons you to be all that you can be.  And watching the masters maximize its potential just heightens my own aspirations.

I usually like to check our local surf report: Surfpulse to get the nitty-gritty of what's happening waveside. Today I kept checking it and checking it, but every time all I saw was the post from yesterday.  I could feel it....the surf was so fun that our faithful reporter had bailed the report so he could paddle.  Finally, at 2pm my suspicions were validated.  He had surfed for 3 hours and then was so deliriously high from the session that he forgot all about posting a report.

As fate would have it I got off work at 3pm and was in the water by 4!  When I rolled up to the beach and saw the glassy conditions and peaky head high surf rolling in I felt like a little kid.  The joy was so pure and the excitement so full that I hardly remember putting on my wetsuit.  I only had one hour to surf before I had to return to family responsibilities.  I channeled energy from watching the contest and treated the session like a heat.

I scoped the horizon with purpose looking for any and every fun wave I could get into.  After a wave I would sprint back out to the line-up.  I had so many waves today!  The ocean knighted me a wave-magnet today!  I was getting the best wave of the set every time.  It was incredible.  I actually started feeling a bit guilty and towards the end of the session called a couple guys into waves even though I
was in priority position.  And both times that happened there was another wave behind it that was even better.  I felt very fortunate this session!

I was just so happy out there!  It felt good to hoot for guys when they were getting good waves.  It was fun to hear dudes hoot when a set approached.  The only thing missing from this session was a close friend.

Anticipation is a tricky thing. It is very easy to feel let down after longing for some outcome over a period of time.  Every spring and summer I try to put the expectations for the Fall surf conditions to the back of my mind.  I do things to keep me in the moment.  I always take my fins with me to the beach so that I know I could get in a bodysurf.  I really try to focus on being stoked with one good one.  I do a lot of fitness training.  But even with these tools the hopes for Fall slither their way to my attention. 

I do not want to build up Fall too much in my head.  There are infinite ways that it could not meet my expectations.  Then there would be this empty feeling that would linger until the next Fall when I would hope for another chance.  Yet, I think hope is part of our human condition.  It is one of those driving forces that gets us up every morning.  And so ultimately, I give in to my inner callings for good surf.

Every barrel when I'm bodysurfing is an opportunity to become more familiar with the tube so that when the Fall arrives I can hunt down some in and outs.  I constantly push and refine my fitness training so that I can maximize my time in the water without injury and a body that is strong enough and flexible enough to come closer to my imaginings.

If todays session is a sign of things to come..........Yes!
If it is not...............Well, that was one fun day of Fall!

#36 The Ride Home from School!

How fun is this?

#35 a wave...

i was flipping through my surf journal and came across an account of a wave i encountered back in the fall....the image is so clear in my head...i wish i had a photo to share, but these words are all that is left:

i saw the most beautiful wave. it was an afternoon session at Ocean Beach. the swell was long interval and decent size. the waves were breaking on the outside sandbar and there was some nice space between them. they peaks were far away from each other so it was hard to be in the right place.

i was sitting on the outside when i see a sneaky big one appear on the horizon. i stroked to get over it, but my 6'5" didn't allow me to cover enough space fast enough so i had to go under. when i came up there as another wave...a bigger wave rising near the horizon.

an opalesce green curtain rose from the sea. the slight texture on the surface made the wave sparkle in the sinking sun. at the top of the wave a double-up formed as if to urge itself to its potential. and then the curtain fell creating a dream-like barrel that raced alone towards the shoulder.

i was memerized by the beauty of this wave!

i had no thought of trying to get over it or under it. i was content in the presence of it. my jaw hung open; my eyes did not blink. i felt present. i felt lucky. i felt grateful. i do not know if anyone else saw it. i wanted to talk to someone about it.

i wanted to ride it : )

#34 "I AM" The Movie

I invite and encourage you to go see this film!



                            I AM



Here I am...

#33 a little balance work...

Okay, due to the overwhelming interest in people wanting to see a demo of the board: 2 people! Here are a couple clips...

Playing with this thing has added a lot of strength and comfort in a low squat. I just finished watching a few days the Quicksilver Pro at Snapper Rocks and tripping out on how much power and flow the master wave riders generate out of that coiled position. They're spring loaded whereas most of my surfing is more stickman-style.

Anyway, this toy is a definite step in the right direction of where I want to go...



This one is playing with a small weight to make the balancing muscles work a little harder...



IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE MUSCLES STRONG AROUND THE KNEES!!!