Surf Envy

I've been jealous of surfers for a long time. It may have started late one night when I caught Endless Summer on TV sometime in the 90s. These guys just followed the summer and waves around the world. it looked like the most peaceful and rewarding life anyone could live. Then I think I saw Point Break and started fantasizing about having bonfire brawls on the beach.

Growing up in Philly I never really saw any proper surfers. Certainly you can't surf on the Delaware River. I would go to the Jersey shore for a week during some summers. I loved going to the surf shop to buy my poseur surfer gear. Maybe an Ocean Pacific long sleeve t-shirt and a Ron Jon Surf Shop sticker for my marble notebook. You know, so I could rep surfing, while taking notes in Bio AP. 

I used to see people with surf boards at the Jersey shore. I guess they were surfers, but it didn't really seem like there were ever any waves to surf. I lived in Southern California for 6 months a while back. I saw some real surfers there. Now I live in South Florida, and well there are some real surfers in Martin County where I go to the beach. And I watch them surf when the waves are up. It looks so easy. I want to do it.

I am a big believer that anyone can do anything with enough time and practice. I know I can learn to surf. But I lack so many of the requisite skills to even get started.

I am a terrible swimmer. I have terrible balance. No upper body strength. I have zero experience with board sports. Never skateboarded, snowboarded, wakeboarded, nothing. I have rollerbladed. 

So that might explain why I am so jealous of surfers. What they do, seems almost impossible to me. But it looks so easy.