My surf journey. Part I
It’s not easy. Not at all. That’s why I never really put a lot of effort in trying to learn it for real. I did a course here and there (France, Australia) and some free surfing here and there. I lived in Amsterdam (not great for surfing), then in Barcelona (worse) and then in Maastricht (impossible to surf). I liked watching other surfers. They impressed me with beautiful and cool movements on the waves. But for me, it was more the underwater world that captivated me (I love snorkeling, diving and free diving). So I never really got the hang of it. Until I moved to Portugal two years ago.
In the beginning I didn’t think of starting surfing, although Portugal is one of the best countries to surf. Living so close to the ocean, I did want to be on or in the water so I bought a SUP board and started paddle boarding. Other mommies at my kids´ school were surfing though and I figured, it’s more fun to do something together. I started surfing in March 2019 and soon I cut myself in the leg with a fin and had to get stitches. I had no clue what I was doing, I just went in the water and tried to stand up. That accident made me realize I needed help from a teacher. We, the mommies, started taking classes together. It was so much fun and a great way to get to know each other. I started on a big soft board and moved to a smaller soft board.My take off was slow and my paddle not strong. But I worked hard and improved.
After that summer I got a wetsuit and had my own board made by Luis at Xhapeland. I was ready to become a pro (in my mind at least). I took many classes during the winter of 2019/2020 with different coaches. There were windy days, cold days, rainy days, but we kept going. The water of the Atlantic Ocean is cold anyway, winter and summer. I got some booties to keep my feet warm, for a while, and I would rush home after each session to jump into the hot shower.
One of the reasons I kept going was definitely because I wanted to get better. But another reason was that surfing has such a positive effect on your mental wellbeing. Even when you wipe out constantly. Even when the waves are big and you are scared. For me surfing has really been a life safer. When in the water I couldn’t focus on my problems, because I always had to look for the next wave. Whether to catch it or to paddle away from it really quick. You have to be in the moment. Otherwise you loose the wave of your life, or you will be punished by being pounded on the head with a big wave. Surfing has enabled me to keep on going and not loose my mind during the troubles in my personal life. Whenever I felt like giving up in my life, I would go for a surf and I would know, I would feel, there was really something to fight for. I would feel strong and powerful, worthy and able. If I could face these winter waves, why wouldn’t I be able to face all that life throws at me?
