I have found that folks who are willing to try new types of surfing are very welcoming and I enjoy being with them. Foil surfing has demonstrated to me again that those who see value in the weird or different seem to see value and good in everyone. For me Sitting in a crowded lineup feels similar to being in a office for 12 hours a day, I feel trapped and want to burst out running into the forest. With SUP and foil people, doing our own thing and welcoming everyone to join us, I feel welcome and at home.
On my twelfth day of learning to foil surf it all came together. I caught a wave, lifted up on the foil and flew down the line, opened my eyes to a new world of flying.
Here is the video with commentary:
Part of my success in progressing on the foil and learning to fly has been riding my DIY “foil” skateboard. Essentially a skateboard that moves in several directions require the rider to balance as if they are riding a hydrofoil. Here is latest version on video with my commentary:
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I have been stoked and excited to foil everywhere and everyday. We brought the foil and boards up to Tahoe. The wind was to light to try downwinding the lakes so we headed to the rivers and gave river foil surfing a go:
Ah but before we headed up to the mountains I had to give foil surfing in the ocean another try. I was feeling confident in my progress so I tried foiling in larger waves at a new spot. Scary and a huge rush, and further opened my eyes to how a foil can open up new places to ride waves:
Clay, I agree with you about how lame it is to sit in a crowded lineup. It’s like work. This evening there were a dozen people trying to ride a little wave in Bolinas. I don’t know any of these people. There weren’t any locals out there. I would rather do anything other than sit out there with a bunch of amped-out kooks. I love that you invented a new skateboard and you made a Banshee Bungee and you drove to Tahoe to see if you could learn to foil in a river and even though it did not work you posted it for us to see anyway. You are obviously not trying to show off, you are just trying to have fun. That’s the way surfing used to be for me, it was just fun. But now everyone has a longboard and everyone comes to Bolinas and teenage girls can surf circles around me so I gotta surf a different way. The Internet may have ruined surfing for me but I will use the Internet to learn something new. Thanks for sharing your experience with me.
Hi, you’re welcome and thanks for sharing your experiences.
I’m hearing frustration, loss, and sadness. I hope you rekindle or find whatever makes you come alive.