I looked out over the gently rolling waves of the clear blue ocean water, forming small barrels just big enough for a body and board to squeeze in between the small hole where the crest and surface met. The ocean water cleansed me like Holy water as I submerged beneath the rolling waves and surfaced with a new found life.
Today’s the perfect day for surfing, huh Brad, I heard my best friend Sam say, board in hand. Sam was the ideal picture-perfect surfer dude. He had the long shaggy hair highlighted from the sun, the dark sun-kissed skin, the tall, muscular body, and white teeth that stood out against the dark skin of his face. His eyes were as bright blue as the ocean ebbing and flowing in front of them, and was an immediate attention grabber of the vacation girls that visited frequently.
We’ve been friends since the 2nd grade when we teamed up to participate in the annual Renaldi Elementary School talent show (which we received 1st place in for our skateboard tricks). We both developed a love for the ocean and its beauty and began surfing together in 6th grade. Now, you rarely find us apart or without raisin-shriveled fingers.
Yeah it is, I bet we can catch some sick waves today, bra, I said to him as we continued to look out at the mesmerizing water, seemingly caught in its trance forever.
My body began to yearn for the touch of the youthful water, teleporting me into a whole other world that I can only find and experience in the water.
I could wait no longer, I had to be in that water. I took off for the breaking waves far beyond the security of the shore, paddling as fast as my arms and legs would allow me to.
The water jumped out at me, threatening to throw me off balance and envelop me in the dangerous churning of the waves beneath the surface, but I was too determined to be kept from reaching those liberating waves.
I heard Sam paddling alongside me, just as eager as I was to reach the outside break, the area farthest from the shore where the waves are breaking.
When we finally reached the outside break, we sat up on our boards in excited anticipation as we waited for the perfect wave to come and carry us off to another world.
Off in the distance, I saw it; the perfect wave. Cowabunga I yelled through smiling teeth as I took off paddling in order to catch the wave in time.
Excitement coursed through my body as the wave neared me. I began to feel the undercurrent pull me towards the shore, and I began to pull my feet inwards towards my chest. The water splashed around me, now happy and jubilant rather than threatening, almost encouraging me and pushing me along to ride that wave.
As the wave finally caught up to be and swiftly caressed me in its wake, I stood and let the wind blow through my hair and the saltwater splash onto my face and into my mouth, the saltiness of the water was an addicting taste to me now after the countless days spent on the water.
The board glided through the water and shook beneath my bare toes curling against the board to maintain my balance. The feeling of power that runs through my body as I become one with the water is a feeling that has become essential to my life now.
Suddenly, I saw every surfer’s dream; a perfect barrel forming just off to my left. Anxiously, I steered my board in the direction on the barrel, and held my breath as I skimmed across the surface of the water.
I reached my hand out to touch the water towering and then falling around me, and watched in sheer amazement and the beauty of this wave and this experience.
Finally, I shot through the opening of the barrel, and bailed out before I had a gnarly wipeout due to the loss of my balance.
As I washed up on the sandy shoreline, I watched as Sam rode a less exciting wave in, and run over towards me once he reached the shore.
Dude, that wave you caught was totally rad, he excitedly smiled as he lied down his board and sat next to me.
We sat there on the beach together and watched as the sun set over the waterline, feeling more free, excited, and youthful than ever before.