Best Mat Session Ever!
I still can't ride a mat to save my life. Who cares? I enjoy it more than any of my other water activities. Riding a mat is a true treat.
My surf mobile is down for the count. She's near the end of her days. The mechanic said we can keep her alive for another year for $1200 or give her a transplant that would keep her going for much longer . . . $3400. I opted for the former. Why am I even talking about this? Oh yeah. Since my car is down, I have no way to transport surfboards to the beach. I don't need no stinkin' surfboard to enjoy myself in the waves. That's why I have a mat.
I got a few bona fide rides today. Something has definitely changed since the knee replacement. This is actually my first mat session without knee pain. None. It was also the first time I felt like I was actually reading the waves while riding the mat. Unfortunately, I still can't turn very well. Pranaglider, KenDog and the others need not worry about me snaking their waves. I look down the line. I think, "Turn!" I always think I'm turning, but somehow I'm not. I can't quite make it happen. I'm still relatively new at this. I've got fewer than 10 mat sessions under my fins.
I did learn a thing or two today. Notice in the third picture my elbow is sticking out. Wrong!! I know it's said you've got to keep the elbows on the mat. Now I know why. While I was on this wave, I did manage to get that elbow into the water (which probably means I did manage some kind of turn). The mat immediately lost a great deal of speed. Nooooo!! You don't want to lose speed. One of the joys of riding a mat is the speed. Let this be a lesson to us all. Elbows in!!!
That was way too much fun!
posted by Surfsister @ 13:01
4 comments
4 Comments:
SurfSis,
Judging from the pics and your text you are doing everything just right! Dragging body parts can be very helpful in some situations so keep that in the repertoire for when you are holding yourself back in the tube. To turn, get up a little speed, move the air to the inside pontoon, roll in the direction of the turn and maybe drag a fin tip.
Sounds like a lot but think about every weight shift that goes into a stand up turn.
Oh yeah, one more thing, there is no "snaking" in mat riding. We call it "sharing" and it's a blast! Don't know why it never caught on with the stand up foam and glass crowd.
looks fun!
Go Sista, Go! Having fun, looking good! Stoked for you. Aloha, Cher
You sound like me and surfing.. I still can't ride a board to safe my life.. I just cant get that pop up..uggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!! you look better on that mat than I do on my board. =-)!
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