Surf's up

When I first saw the ocean out here, I thought it looked like a prime surfing spot, but then, I am not a surfer, so I wouldn't really know. Of course, there are also warning signs all around the beach, indicating possible death due to undertow. But it turns out that for a couple of months out of the year, though, there is a big surfing competition, where surfers come to the city and get jobs or whatever, but when someone calls and says the surf is good, they drop everything and get on the wetsuit. That's what I hear.

A couple of days ago, when it was storming, the surf was incredible. The ocean was this dark, milky, jade green against the purple-grey clouds, and the waves were frothing and crashing probably a hundred yards out. Definitely something you do not want to jump into, unless you are a fish. Probably not even then.

But today, the sea was much calmer. Still several notches more active than the beaches in Massachusetts, but compared to two days ago, positively placid.

So I had seen surfers on the beach before, but they only teased me. I saw them running with their boards, or standing and looking at the waves. I was hoping to see someone get into the surf, but no luck.

Today, they were out in force, though. As I rode my bike up the shore path just after 5 o'clock, I kept passing guys in wetsuits or carrying boards. As I went further north, toward the big open spot, I saw more and more. Finally, when I went to cross the street to the ocean side, I looked out and there were bunches of them, bobbing out in the water, like oddly shaped sea birds. Seeing them all out there was like seeing how the worms come out after in rains. They were everywhere.

So I stood and watched for a while, hoping to see someone get on a wave.

Mostly they just hung out in the water, though. I guess it's not exactly what you expect to see when you think of California surfers. There were no oiled bodies and spandex gliding across tunnel-shaped waves. In fact, it looked to me like surfing is a sport that involves a lot of waiting; treading water in anticipation of that perfect wave. I can see the appeal, though. Because it is clearly a very elemental sport. It is the archetypal struggle between human and nature. One guy was stretching and flexing before picking up his board and charging out into the waves. And as he did, I pictured the way his joints and muscles were working, getting ready to do this very specific thing.

But I watched, and eventually, I saw one. He stood up on his board, and there he was, riding the wave. It was actually very exciting. I wanted to clap and cheer. Seriously. It made my day. But I restrained myself so that I wouldn't look too weird.

And as I rode the cruiser back home, I thought about why it is that surfing is so exciting. And I thought, not only is it elemental, but it has to do with control, but the kind of control that comes from not trying to control the wave. Because you can't control the wave. But you can control what you do on it. And not only that, it puts the surfer in an entirely liminal space, where the ocean meets the sand. So they are playing with what it takes to maintain balance in an otherwise chaotic, violent meeting of two diametrically opposed states of being. And ultimately that is what we all try to do with our lives. Wait for the wave, and when it comes, ride it, try not to get knocked off, try to maintain balance, and survive.