9/8/20
I’ve been in kind of a funk over the past couple of days. Feeling a little silly about the whole “year on a board thing,” and the writing thing. That inner critic is creeping in telling me that once COVID-19 is gone things will go back to the way they were.
I’ll go back to the office, my commute will take up the time I like to spend skating, and the energy I’d rather use for writing. I won’t be able to make enough of a living off writing, so I’ll inevitably give up and just crawl back to my cubicle.
Screw that, but it was my mentality when the 3:00am alarm went off for dawn patrol.
These were the thoughts I had while making the drive out to the ocean. But things started to shift when I had a flashback to a funny moment with Nia yesterday.
All of a sudden I had a big grin on my face and quit beating myself up for missing a board meeting yesterday. I felt funkless for a brief moment, and the nagging urge to turn around and go back to bed was gone.
Glad it was, too, because the dose of vitamin sea did me a world of good this morning!
I got to Narragansett about 45 minutes before the sun came up, and I was… Confused. The usual parking lot was closed, which wasn’t confusing since it’s now off season. What confused me was the utter lack of parking down the street! 5:30 am and I couldn’t find a spot.
As I drove around looking for parking, I also noticed the amount of people out and about. Not what I was expecting, and not only surfers. There were figures moving through the misty fog.
College figures walking home from the bar maybe? Some local figures out for a morning run. A zamboni-looking figure with flashing orange lights making a lot of noise, with its counterpart walking beside it sucking up trash.
I finally parked in a spot that wasn’t as far of a walk as I thought I was in for. I crossed the street and hopped up the sea-wall to get a peak of the waves I was hearing. Couldn’t see much in the dark and the fog, but they sounded good.
I considered checking Pilgrim or Point Judith but the fog creeped me out, if I were to surf there I’d like to see the rocks to at least have a chance at avoiding them.
As I processed this thought, another surfer arrived on his bike with his board strapped to his back. I saw him, and I saw a slew of other surfers paddling out into the dark. I’d surf here, I felt safer with the crowd.
Went back to my car and changed into my 3/2. I was a little happy to not need booties at this sandy spot. I took my time so I could at least let first light arrive before paddling out. In the fog, without a moon, I was spooked to paddle out in the dark… even with the crowd.
I stretched on the beach a bit as the sky turned a dim yet light blue. Time to paddle out.
Another thing I love about Narragansett is the easy paddle out. I was floating in the pleasantly cool water in no time.
The waves were fun-sized, too. A bit fatter and slower than the hollow shore-break Steve and I surfed in NJ last month. These conditions were more forgiving for working on my timing. Luckily, too, they weren’t closing out as much as they normally do here.
On a handful of waves, I had a great takeoff. Up at the lip, took the drop on my feet. I think that because the waves were fatter, I was able to get my single-fin in and make some turns too. Basically, I took mostly rights, and made solid bottom turns, made it back up to the lip, but wasn’t focused/prepared to turn back into the wave.
I rode one nice, open face though. A right-hander. Took the mellow drop, bottom turned. Didn’t go all the way up to the lip, dropped back in and took a few steps up the board. Gained some speed and trimmed back up towards the lip. It was starting to close out in front of me, I tried to turn back down the face but I instinctively jammed my heels down as if I was snowboarding. Still working on that surfing, twisting motion.
I was in the water for about an hour and a half before hitting the road, and I’m so happy I gave myself that. Just what the doctor ordered.
Now, I do believe I have some serious catch-up to play with this Ollie goal I set myself.
September Rolling Ollies: 124
MikeFundaro.com 