Surf or die

While my last weekend could hardly be considered a giant leap for mankind, it was more than a small step for this man.
I finally went surfing.
After nearly three surfless months in Fiji, I marked off a big check on my “to do in life list.”
Yes, like any dreamer, I have compiled – and continue to make additions to – a list of things I want to do in my lifetime. And unlike Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, the stars of the Hollywood flop The Bucket List, I’m not waiting for a terminal diagnosis to get started.
For as long as I can remember I have always wanted to surf and figured travelling to Fiji would grant me an unlimited pass to the coveted pastime. However, there are only select spots on the island where the waves are big enough, and close enough to the shore, to make surfing possible.
On Saturday, I wake up at 5 a.m. and make the three-hour drive to one of Fiji’s best surf beaches: Sigatoka.
Upon arriving at my destination, I immediately head to the beach to meet my surf instructor, Ian. After getting a ten-minute lesson on the sand, Ian deems me ready to hit the water. I can hardly contain my excitement as I look out at the picturesque beach: white sand, crystal clear water – and giant waves.
Ian takes me to a spot where the waves are moderately sized. He tells to lay flat of my board and he will give me a push when the first wave comes.
Round I
This is it: the moment I’ve been waiting for. I prepare for take-off.
Suddenly I feel Ian push me and I start to elevate as the wave gains momentum. Trying to remember everything Ian said, I stand up on the board. My feet are shoulder distance apart; my front foot is angled 45 degrees; my arms are spread – I’m surfing!
“I’m riding a wave. I’m riding a wave,” I think to myself.
Then suddenly I’m somersaulting beneath the water like I’m in the spin cycle of a washing machine.
I eventually float to the surface feeling much like the Prophet Jonah after he was vomited from the whale’s stomach: happy to be alive but knowing there’s a lot of work to be done.
I paddle back out to Ian and repeat the drill for more than an hour. Sometimes I can stand up and ride the wave to the shore, but other times the nose of my board dips below the surface, and I’m thrown head first into the water.
Surfing is definitely harder than I thought.
Eventually Ian says that I’m ready to paddle into my own waves – the training wheels are coming off. But the new challenge proves difficult. Timing is crucial: stand up too early and the wave will break onto you, stand up to late and you will literally be on top on the wave before getting dumped.
After a few hours of getting tossed around I decide to conclude my first session.
I return home exhausted, hop into the shower and drift into a nap.
A few hours later, Hart wakes me, and we trek down to the beach for another ride.
Round II
It’s late in the afternoon, and the waves are significantly smaller now. And yet, I’m having more trouble getting up. Perhaps it’s because there are two 10-year-olds casually surfing circles around me, or maybe it’s because this time I’m surfing over sharp coral instead of soft sand. I hardly ride a single wave before calling it quits.
Later in the evening my surf party goes out for dinner and drinks But after the meal when people start ordering drinks I excuse myself. I want to wake up early and catch some morning waves.
Round III
The next morning I head to the beach to meet Ian. I am disappointed to see tiny waves rolling onto the shore. Ian assures me the waves will get bigger, but I insist on going somewhere else. He drives me to the other end of the beach, and I can hardly contain my excitement at what I see: a cycle of eight-foot waves crashing into the shore. Before taking off, Ian warns me of a strong riptide and tells me to be careful because these waves can do serious damage.
I paddle out and spend the morning getting destroyed by monster waves – and occasionally riding the odd one. After a few hours I am cut up and have drunken my weight in sea water, but nothing can wipe the smile from my face.
Surfing: check