Surf Memories

The morning is cold and dark. We meet in the kitchen, say good morning with a glance, then put on a pot of coffee to heal the wounds from the night before. We throw our boards in the car, turn on the radio and sit silently for the next thirty minutes as we mentally prepare for the frozen fate that awaits us when we arrive at our favourite surf spot. As we pull into the parking lot and complete the obligatory surf check, which is mainly just senseless pointing and muttering, we decide that enough time has already been wasted and hurry to pull on our thickest wetsuits. After walking down the muddy hill that cakes the bottom of our booties in a thick layer of shit, we perform what can only be described as an awkward dance on the algae covered rocks. Carefully maneuvering and swinging our arms as to not ding our boards or our bones. The first duck dive is a wake up call and the second one brings the brain freeze. By the third wave we are just about ready to paddle back in and drive home, but we put our heads down and motor towards the horizon line. It only takes a few more duck dives to get us out the back, so we sit and take in the rising sun and empty lineup among the curious harbour seals watching us from a distance. In between jokes about “leash sharks” and discussion of which of our body parts are going to fall off from the cold, a few waves are caught and big smiles follow. There is no ego and very little skill, but neither are required to surf, or do anything for that matter. I try to get my first turn and fall immediately. Ari rides one through the forest of kelp and pulls a chunk of it onto his board. Time passes and we head in. The ride home is the opposite of the ride there. The car is buzzing with excitement and laughter as we describe our waves in great detail as if we didn’t just watch each other surf for the last two hours. A quick stop at Tim’s for a doughnut and top up our coffee, head home and greatly exaggerate our performances to our roommates who are just waking up. Time well spent.