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| Kendra Nordin Mary Knox Merrill – staff |
How to catch a wave in just a weekend of trying
Our Little Kahuna investigates the best way to sample surf if you've never done it before: skimboarding, bodyboarding, or surfing.
from the May 19, 2008 edition
Page 2 of 3
"Skimming is a nice intro to the ocean," says Tex Haines, cofounder of Victoria Skimboards in Laguna Beach and one of the sport's modern pioneers. "You don't have to get in the water or get a wet suit. A lot of people will pick it up on vacation because the boards are cheaper than surfboards and you can store them in your closet afterward."
On my first try, the board whooshed out from under me and I landed splayed like a rag doll (watch the video to see for yourself).
Learning a new physical skill takes patience. And humility. Especially if you're wiping out across what feels like sandpaper.
Once a wave swells, "it's all about being willing to commit," said Prietto, who sensed my reluctance to hit the sand again. Eventually I land with some balance atop the board, and gently slide before falling over in knee-deep water. Prietto claps politely from his perch on the shore, five yards away. At the end of my lesson he studied the sand rash on my right shin. "You're a true skimmer now," he said with a straight face. I bloomed with pride.
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There's a pecking order in the surf. Waves are limited and unpredictable. Territorial instincts run high. Skimmers, who stick close to shore, are mostly ignored by surfers. But the short, soft bodyboards can inspire contempt by "real" surfers, who call bodyboarders "shark biscuits." To minimize ego and board collisions, beaches are often divided into swimming, boarding, and surfing sections.
But on the calm day I tried Newport Beach – just north of Laguna and famous for its varied waves – the surf was in a gentle mood and everyone was getting along.
Even though I was still aching from my skimming lesson that morning, I rented a bodyboard (sometimes called boogeyboards) at Newport Pier.
How painful could this be? Besides, one of my instructors was only 9 years old.
Natasha Fisher has real surfing hair – blonde waves – a doll-sized wet suit, and a shiny red board. She, and her dad, Evan Fisher, an architect, bodyboard all year round at Newport Beach.
Natasha patiently explained the principles of bodyboarding as she perched like a sandpiper on an empty lifeguard stand.
"It's all about timing," she said, her tiny hands sculpting the shape of a wave in the air.
Bodyboarding is a good foundation for would-be surfers, because you can study how a wave breaks without having to worry about standing up. I was relieved to learn that you rest on a bodyboard like a giant kickboard. A long leash strapped to my wrist would keep the sea from running off with it.
Once out in shoulder-deep water, I waited to feel the tug of the wave as it lifted itself up to break. That was the moment to push off the bottom and drive toward shore. Natasha flew like a water bug. Evan carved against the lip of a wave.
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