BodysurfUKperspective2

vagabondsurf.com
It's about life - not "lifestyle"

THE VIEW FROM HERE:
A U.K. BODYSURFER'S PERSPECTIVE

BY
JON DAVEY

PAGE 2

A couple of sets go through and I miss them, deferring to the longboarders who seem to paddle in from miles away. My next chance then comes. The first wave of a new set pitches up into a beautifully shaped, steep shoulder. The other surfers are still paddling back out. Sensing my opportunity I turn and kick. As soon as I feel the momentum of the wave pitching me forward, I quickly put both hands onto the board and lean to the left. There's an eerie silence as I drop down and across the smooth water of the face. The handboard gives me the ability to keep my head and torso just in front of the curl, which breaks in the region of my backside. The wave gradually flattens out so I cut back into the curl and go straight for a second or two while I wait for the inside section to steepen up. I make the transition by using my fins and thus gain a few extra seconds on the tiny inside break.

The session wears on and I get plenty of rides. Some are good carving turns but mainly they're just straight slides down the face. In my heart of hearts I know that I'm having far too much fun for such average conditions, but my fins, handboard, and perhaps an open mind about the whole nature of wave riding have opened a whole new world of surfing.

Exhausted I swim out for "one last wave". A surfer comes up to me while I'm waiting.

"That disc thing looks like a lot of fun. Where'd you get it?" he asks.

I explain that I made it myself.

His smile flickers slightly.

"Oh, so you never bought it?" he says, losing interest.

As he paddles off to join his friends I'm left wondering why the sudden change. Later, when I'm driving home, I come up with a possible answer. My board does not have any comforting badges or symbols of authenticity. In a world which is dominated by consumerism, where signs and brand names ahve become strangely more important than the object or activity itself, it is easy to see why many become confused when encountering those of us who have opted out. A sticker, a luminous paint job, and a 50 BP price tag might be enough to get this guy running to the nearest surf shop and demanding one. Perhaps though I'm judging him too harshly; he may be simply not interested in my off-beat methods.

As I drive home I go over the day's waves again and again. One thing is for sure - I'm tired, happy, have salt drying in my hair and I can't wait until my next bodysurfing session.

Bodysurfing