Surf and Ski

 

On Saturday Stuey convinced me to go surfing.  I've long wanted to try surfing with my inflatable stand up paddles boards (SUPs).  So when Stuey asked if he could borrow them to go surfing with a friend and asked if I wanted to try it too - it was an easy sell.

So I joined them at Buskin Beach, and I took the dogs for a walk while they inflated the SUPs.  As I walked I looked at the waves and got a little scared.  They were far bigger than I had expected. And the water looked so cold.  But I was there and already had the wetsuit on - and so I helped finish pumping up the boards, put the dogs in the jeep, grabbed a board and away I went. 

It was far too rough for me to stand on the board.  So I kneeled and paddled out through the waves - I headed straight into them and they broke over me and the board.  This was going to be interesting.  I quickly turned the board around and started to paddle as hard as I could as a big wave approached.  Then when it was under me I leaned forward, and away I went down the front of the wave.  I keep on paddling to control the board, but was pretty much totally out of control.  Water flew up over the bow and sprayed past me - I was flying. Totally exhilarating! I was carried over a hundred yards and then when the wave broke on the beach I got dumped.

Getting the board back out through the breaking waves was a challenge and a lot of work.  Then I turned, paddled up to top speed and caught another wave and went even further than on the first ride, but this time I broke out of the wave before I got to the beach.  After that I was exhausted!  I took the board over to Stuey and his friend who were sharing the other SUP, and swam/walked back to shore.

I got back to the jeep and changed into dry clothes, and it was time to take the dogs skiing! We drove straight up to the pass and climbed up the mountain. I've always heard surfers talking about 'surf and turf' where they surf in the morning on water and ski in the afternoon on snow.  And now I was going to do it!

Only the skiing was terrible.  The mountain was a sheet of ice - truly 'hard' water. But I climbed up to the top and got in my ski.  The sky turned orange as sunset approached and I watched the moon rising on the opposite side of the sky to where the sun was setting.

Patrick