To be human you are: interactive, honest, brilliant at your craft, happy, patient, resilient, and adaptive. Those are all the adjectives I've noticed so far....
Sometimes you meet people and you have no idea what impact they will have on you. Whether you’d see them again or whether they would remind you why you live a life of solitude. But sometimes you meet people who change your very existence. Who leave you speechless and leave your heart open for waves and all of what is living. That was my surf trip to Fuerteventura.
It’s a volcanic island with endless surf spots, sand dunes, clay, and beaches, and a few good restaurants along the way. Simon from Cross Island tours kicked off our trip as our guide. Just this young guy, my friend, a land rover and I (my dream!! if you take out the tour guide part). We talked for ages about the landscape and how each plant retains moisture. We also had lunch and talked about reframing our entire lives. What it means to live and who we are living for. Simon is an excellent photographer and has an eye to project a subtle yet real beauty in every moment. I was impressed with his knowledge and our interaction during the tour. It was a great way to start the trip seeing how remote some of the villages were, and how humans adapted to the environment. Apparently, most of the surfers live in Lajares, as it was only 15 minutes to each break in the north, efficient. Hanging around the villages, driving past the agave, I almost packed up and moved.
When it came to surfing this time around, I caught all the feels. As I write this there are no words to describe the feeling of getting talked into waves as big as me. Remember the instructor in Ericeira who said that from last December, it would only be a matter of how big the waves I’ll surf? Yeah well...I was pushed to my limits. I didn’t bounce back, instead, my limits were broken down and there was only, “Look to the horizon... a big swell is coming in”.
I’ve been chatting for a while to Peter from NaturalSurf Camp, the oldest surf instructor on the island, not by age but by experience. It was a bit expensive but I went out with him alone. In the whitewash at Rocky Point. I would have given him all my money for another session. He changed my life.
We did a great warm up, all joints ready! The first thing I learned was that I was surfing with the wrong foot forward. I thought I was goofy but I’m not, I’m left foot forwards (aka natural). Blip-9 trips later.
So we spent a few waves getting rid of that bad habit. Then I stood up on so many waves that I threw myself off because I couldn’t believe it. I always thought that because I sat for most of my life, I couldn’t surf well. Well let's be frank, I am still working on my stance. Funny enough, every time I drink too much the night before this becomes apparent. In Newquay, also in Jersey, I was natural while hungover, and goofy bone sober (aka in my thoughts). This is the only time I will say hangovers were really worth it. Only time!
Day 3. Los Lobos is beautiful. Crystal clear water and the best paella you will have! I walked over to where some surfers were enjoying a lovely winter surf and just stared in awe. Watched some of them glide up the face of the wave and others spear through it. I could have watched for hours. When I find the words to describe watching them, you'll be the first to read it. Just 'feels' for now.
Later that day I went on another surf adventure this time with someone my age but with the experience and patience of an old monk. Trystan was not only a motivator, but he made me the happiest person in the water. We paddled out so far, farther than I’ve ever been. But I can’t paddle so he pulled me on his leash. Then we saw localism at its best. This older guy was angry with this dude who had a paddle with his surfboard. The paddle dude shared a wave with me and helped me to stand up by screaming “up”. It was fun. But then my instructor watched the angry guy and told me “you get good at what you practice”. And you could see, being that angry must come with practice.
Back to the fun stuff, I was pushed into waves, hehe. I learned more in this one session than a few of my trips combined. Or more likely, I was more receptive to what was being said -fear out of way and all. For instance, each wave is its own experience so I shouldn’t carry my experience from the last wave to the next one. Learnt how to calmly lay back on my board, how to hold my neck and my head when I fall over (I wipeout a lot), how to paddle long and calm strokes and stop moving my head (wobble much), how to be stable when riding with my knees inward, how to not look at the people or else I’ll hit them, how to watch to the horizon and see which waves are coming, how to look back at the waves and paddle strongly for them, how to hold steady after the wave is broken and you get that extra push from the whitewash, how to reach out and touch the wave a bit as you glide to the right, how to breathe and most importantly how to sit back on the board and be happy. Trystan was full of little gems of information. I also laughed a lot.
We did a drill where I had to paddle and then he taught me to go deeper and straighter with my arms. Then what took like 15 paddles were now 3 to get back. Craziness!!
I’m not sure how many waves I did or didn’t get, but with Peter’s foundation, it felt better. My mind was the only thing stopping me from riding. My head constantly down. Even in images. Chin up he would say, back arched. Actually the day before, Peter said that 🤙🏿 (the sign surfers make) is not only for coolness but that’s how high my chin should be off my board! hehe... Nice try, but workable.
There was one wave that made the whole time and effort worth it. If I thought I was in love before, I’m now deeper in the mud with this life. It was steep, but I can’t remember anything else. I just remember the feeling of not thinking, just floating, for a few seconds. A few seconds of feeling free then I looked down and well, obvs, I fell. But paddling back to Trystan, he asked me how was it and I couldn’t speak. It was more than wonderful, it was more than beautiful, it was more than peaceful. Pure happiness, maybe. Captured by no words.
Even now as I sit in a crowded restaurant, I cannot explain to anyone how deeply affected I was by this weekend, these three wonderful humans, and those waves on that rocky beach off this little island.
Interestingly Peter, Trystan, and Simon are adapting to a new craft of their own. In the next few months, the government is auctioning off surf spots, which means the bigger schools will have a monopoly. However, true to form, they have adapted to new passions. Hearing about their journey made this surf trip exemplary.
As Micheal Gervais said in the Surf Mastery Podcast:
“The thing you do can never define who you are, but it is the activity that helps us express and realise who we are at our centre."
Surf trip 9/∞: January 2018
Board: 9' foamie
Break: Rocky Point, point break.
First written January 29th, 2018