The Sweet Spot

It's on now. I got me a hit of surfing's equivalent of a crack pipe . . . and I want another hit of that! And another. And another. And another. And so on.

You know, the first time I took my newest hull out, my only concern was popping up on that thing. Its length was an issue. I wasn't certain that I'd ever be able to surf a board of that length again, so the first session on that board was all about popping up. Not once did I get a feel for the board. I didn't care a bit about that. I knew if I could stand up on it, I could work on getting it dialed in later.

Today was different. I took my Hullaballo out at my home break—you know, the place with the shitty waves that closeout more often than not. I wasn't feeling a longboard today. I wanted to ride something different. That's one reason why I have three hulls. They certainly keep it interesting. Anyway, I paddled out on that 7'0" hull with no particular goal in mind. I would catch a wave, congratulate myself on making the pop-up and then paddle back out.

At some point, I got a wave where my feet landed a little further up on the board. That's when it happened. The board took off and I did one of those inhales that occur when something takes your breath away. Munch's The Scream comes closest to describing my reaction upon finding the sweet spot on this hull:
When I felt the board take off, I know I said (audibly), "Oh!!!" I do believe my face was frozen with that exclamation on my lips for a good many seconds as I processed what was occurring. I can't even explain it. Flying? Floating? Planing? I don't know what it is, but it is truly amazing when you get a hull dialed in. That one ride was enough to get me hooked and fien'in'.