Sunrise at the Beach

That's how early I got up and out this morning. What's funny is I didn't even check a lot of spots. I went straight to the Pier. My window of opportunity was once again a small one. If I wanted to cut it close, I could stay out in the water surfing and be home by 9. But I don't like to cut it close, so I had to be in and out by about 7:30. Much to my surprise, I was the first person there doing a surf check. As I walked back to the car, having decided that the waves looked good enough, someone said my name. There was Whiff walking toward the water for a surf check. We both decided the waves looked pretty good and suited up.

Today, Whiff got to see my magnet. Alan M always talks about his kook magnet and the amount of people who gravitate to him when he's in the water minding his own business. Well, I don't have a kook magnet. I do, however, have a "Hey-it's-a-black-girl-who-surfs-and-we-don't-get-many-of-them-in-these-parts-so-I'm-going-to-talk-her-ear-off-because-my-curiosity-has-been-piqued" magnet. Whiff was dressed and out in the water while I politely talked to the guy who was parked next to me. It happens to me all the time. Truthfully, it's happened to me my entire adult life. There's something that makes people engage me in long or deep conversations even though I'm a complete stranger. Weird. Anyway, my magnet was working this morning. The guy even talked to me while I was in the water.

The waves weren't great. They looked and were good before I paddled out. Things changed up once I was out in the water. You could see the shape beginning to deteriorate. I caught my first wave rather quickly. Then, nothing. The waves were either walled up and shapeless or mid-sized and mushy. I was not at all frustrated though. Here I was on a weekday morning getting a session in. The skies were clear and it wasn't all that cold. Everything about the setting was gorgeous. No, the waves weren't great, but you can't have everything. At some point, Whiff yelled, "Are you having any luck over there?" All I could do was shake my head.

The session wasn't a total wash. I saw Whiff catch a few and then get out. My clock was ticking and I was looking for my one last wave. Then some woman yelled to me. It sounded like she said my name and then she waved. I didn't recognize her at all. I paddled over to her to get a closer look. It turns out she thought I was someone else, someone who apparently also has my first name. I couldn't help but wonder how many black, dreadlocked women there are in the lineups these days who are also named ****. Frankly, I thought I was the only one. Anyway, she and I talked awhile. We both turned around and saw a wave approaching. As I paddled for it, I realized I was looking at a real, honest to goodness, bona fide shoulder. I was all over that thing. She and I both caught it. It was a right. As it lost strength, I turned around and went left. (This seems to be my signature move, one that I learned out of necessity, one that seems to impress the hell out of people who don't realize that I'll do anything necessary to go left!) It ended up being a long ride, one worthy of a point break. It took me all the way in. Then I went home to start my day in earnest.