Today was the BEST DAY EVER!!!!!.........
because......

I DID IT!!!!!

I left outta work early today... it was sunny and
I just had this feeling like I HAD to go out and surf.
I got to Linda Mar about 2pm and there were a few
standups out... and even a couple of kid bodyboarders.
The waves looked smallish... but I was happy because
I had the whole afternoon to practice..... and... I had
even remembered my boooties, gloves and hat today!
It just felt like everything was going my way!

Today was a big turning point for many reasons.
First... I somehow started being able to tell the
differencebetween a big wave that was gonna wall up
and close out,and a big wave that had a peak and was
actually rideable. (How I even know how to explain that...

already amazes me! And, I have to say thanks to all
the supportive people who have chatted, emailed or
hung out and surfed with me. No waycould I have
learned all this without the help of this community.)

The next great thing that happened was that I actually
met a friendly NorCal bodyboarder and we had a nice
conversation between sets. It was fun to chat and have a
buddy. I caught some nice rides and I cheered for my
new pal as he rode his special DK board. I hope I'll be ab
le
to coordinate surf times to meet up in person with some of

the friendly NorCal people from here. So far.... bad timin
g.
(sorry Sam, sorry Bill)

And then it happened.... the moment I've been longing
for. It was incredible! I was paddling around... and this
big wave started to swellup. It had a peak! I kicked like

crazy and managed to slip right down in front of the curl.

I leaned left hard and pulled up on the right side of my b
oard
and all of a sudden.... I was riding down the face! No fo
amy
slosh.... no eyes closed, what the heck am I doing, holdin
g
on for dear life. I actually was riding AND steering down
the
face of a cleanly breaking wave. And on top of that.. I wa
s
aware.... at that very moment that I was DOING IT... for t
he
very first time EVER! And the funny thing was.... that wa
ve
just kept going... and going... and GOING!!! I was thinkin
g...
"Man! I'm still going! Well... okay!!! :-)" And the wave w
ould
kind of catch up to me.. and I'd push the tip of my board
down..
and just keep going some more. It was a crazy long ride!< >/P

Well.... when the wave finally foamed up and I turned
out... I know I must have looked silly.. because I was jus
t
smiling so big and goofy. I couldn't help it! It was such
an
awesome feeling to finally ride a sweet wave correctly.
And.. I KNOW that I'm not exaggerating about what a sweet
ride it was....(at first I thought maybe it felt so good a
nd long because it was my first)

How do I know I'm not exaggerating??? Because later on
...
when I was paddling around.... this good surfer says to me
,
"Hey, I saw you catch that sweet left over there a while b
a
ck. Man!
That was a long assed ride on a bodyboard!"

Aaaaaahhhhhhh.... I can die happy now.

More great stuff happened later.... but... this was the
highlight of my day! Thanks for enjoying it with me!