I saw a surfer in the water smiling big.
Conditions were middling.
Closeouts. Pretty choppy.
There were some corners to be had, but a lot of fierce paddling by surfers ending in not-ridden waves.
The smiling man was smiling SO BIG.
He looked like maybe he’d burst into song–like a 1950s Hollywood Musical.
Not a young guy. Not too old.
His ebullience was intriguing.
I saw him take off on a wave. I moved a bit away. When I go out and bodysurf with surfers around I make sure to respect the lineup and steer clear of any kind of collision. I don’t want to mess up anyone’s ride or get hit by surfboard or surfer. I dove under the whitewater.
When I came back up, he hadn’t gone far, but he was still smiling.
He idly said to me, still smiling, “how you doin’ man?”
I said, “good man! Pretty day. How are you?”
He said “I’m so good. First time surfing in 3 years!”
I asked him, “what kept you out of the water?”
“I broke my back and leg, they were going to amputate!”
“They didn’t though.”
“Whoa! Welcome back brother!” I said.
He said “my buddies said the waves were gonna be shitty but I don’t care this is great!”
And that’s what I’ll remember from yesterday’s session.
