Saturday, August 7, 2010

To surf local or not?

Sure, I can surf local. I can be in the water in fifteen minutes. But, more often, I prefer the predawn drive to a distant spot.

As you slip out the back door, the crisp morning air hits your face and your mind awakens. The air is fresh and alive as it fills your lungs. You are ready! You hear the sounds of your engine bouncing off the houses of your dark street as you “sneak” off while the rest of the world sleeps.

It’s the Aroma of fresh coffee and an old wetsuit bag in the back seat, as you head down the road following the distant red tail lights of a late night driver. Your thoughts are all yours; there is no boss, no clients, no email, no phone, no wife no kids, just you as you drive to a distant spot.

Escapism? Perhaps, therapy?.... sure. I don’t drink, or do drugs, so this is it for me; we all need to escape now and then. I am 44 now, and the solo morning runs mean more to me now, then ever. It is a time of deep thoughts and retrospection. Contemplation and introspection, of planning and remembrance. When the right song is playing, my mind drifts off like a fading swell. Things are Clear.

Some say that is what surfing provides. I find that hard to believe with today’s crowded lineups.

So, if you ask me to go local, I just might say no…………