944 days

It has been exactly 944 days since the 1st time I paddled into a wave and stood up on top of a 12 foot piece of foam and rode a wave. 2 years, 7 months, and 1 day since that life changing event. I've always been intrigued by the ocean and surfing has always been something that I wanted to try. A long time friend of mine has been pushing me to get into the water since high school. "It'll change your life. Trust me you will love it. You are missing out." Nothing he said could change my mind. The "land lord", "men in grey suits", "whitey", BIG FREAKING FISH WITH BIG FREAKING TEETH kept me out of the ocean. No way was I going to step foot into the realm of nature's apex predator. I happen to live near the coastal area also known as "The Red Triangle". This nickname, this region, this fear kept me from one of life's most simple yet satisfying experiences, gliding down the face of a wave. It took 15 years and Hawaii's warm, crystal clear, water to entice me into the ocean. I don't know exactly what clicked in my head and made me bite the bullet, but I'm glad I did. Upon returning to California I immediately ordered a wetsuit and picked up a board off craigslist. I hit the ground running, surfing 2-3 times a week since then and now owning 4 surfboards to cover most conditions, surfing has been one of the few things I've tried that actually live up to it's cliches. It is difficult to explain the feeling to someone that doesn't surf. As Dave "Rasta" Rastovich put it "It's like trying to explain color to a blind man".