It’s been somewhere in the neighborhood of three and a half years since I’ve posted to Swaylocks. It’s also been somewhere in the neighborhood of three and a half years since I’ve been a surfer. Until two weeks ago, I’d paddled out a handful of times at best over the last three years.
I got busy.
I got stressed out.
I started a business.
I played in a band.
I drank too much beer.
I felt like crap.
I got high blood pressure.
I hate medicine.
I got on a bicycle.
I felt better.
I dusted off my surfboards.
I got stoked.
It’s a trip, really. When I used to surf sometimes I’d get lazy in the winter and stop going for a couple of months. I’d dread paddling back out. I hated knowing that I wouldn’t be as strong, or feel as comfortable on a board as I did when I was surfing regularly. I figured two weeks ago would feel like that, times a thousand.
It was only half true, though. The half about not being as strong of feeling as comfortable. Jesus, do I suck. My shoulders and neck were balled up in agony only two hours after getting out of the water. I didn’t hate it, though. I was stoked in a way that I haven’t been in a long, long, time.
I regret not surfing, but I’m really happy to have gotten this funny little gift from it. It’s amazing to get this restart. It’s so close to the feeling I had when I first started surfing.
I’m stoked to just take off in silly little waves and go straight again. I’m more patient. I’m not leaping into my wetsuit and running down to the beach, I’m enjoying the ceremony. I’m not worried about looking like a kook (mostly because I know I look like a kook).
I’m back at the spot I learned to surf… it’s an uncrowded, broken up little campground wave. Putting in time until I deserve to go back to my favorite point.
It seems like I missed an interesting few years. When I was last clued in, the industry was putting itself back together post-Clark and it still seemed unclear what surfboards were going to look like by now. Swaylocks was full of excitement about Liddle hulls… and SUP equipment was something watermen were dabbling in. What did I miss? SUP seems to have gone from watermen to everyman and the watermen dabble in boards made of 1/2" plywood!? What else did I miss?
Three and a half years ago I started shaping a fish. Swaylocks folks were amazing help. Jim and PlusOne were especially giving with time and information, and I’m a dick for not following through. The board is sitting on the stands. The blank is cut, and foiled, and ready for the rails to get roughed-in. I panicked at that point, and the project stalled. The foam is yellowed on the surface. I’m going to finish it. I’ve got a couple of messages in my inbox from PlusOne encouraging me and walking me through the rails. Tomorrow I plan to sand off the yellowed foam, read through those messages carefully, and try to dig up the rail outlines I’d planned.
My original thread (unfortunately, the photos were deleted. I’ll resurrect them eventually) - http://www2.swaylocks.com/node/1021501
Giant apologies to the folks who spent time helping and sharing with me for squandering the gift.
I’m glad to see that Swaylocks is alive and well. If you see a bald, bearded kook in the line-up this summer who looks ridiculously happy to be sitting in the water… come say hi.
Cheers,
Phill
