Newbies

I don't know what is wrong with me. A year ago in conditions like this, I would have gone out. I went to OP at 6am and saw a few shoulders until the clean-up set-waves the length of a football field came through. I drove to Sunset just for the drive-by and looksie. I knew I wouldn't be surfing with a hundred of my closest friends. I ended up walking out to the Pier for the first time this year and seeing waves with make-able shoulders popping up between the close-outs. The sun was out, I was there early enough not to deal with the meter, but I couldn't bring myself to suit up. Instead watched a couple of newbies (from Uncle Grant's report today: a photo of what amused me) -- a father and son duo, I think. I had passed them in the parking lot when I trundled toward the pier. The kid was propping up a shiny new fiberglass Doyle with no wax and the nose scraped the concrete on the ground. I know it's just a Doyle, but I cringed nonetheless.

I stayed long enough to watch them fumble with their boards out to sea. They went out right next to each other in the white water. I wondered whose loose board would knock out which person in the head. It's like watching NASCAR just to see if there's a car crash. I know we were all newbies once, but there are some common-sensical things you'd think people would do.

In a way, I envy the newbies. If I'd been less jaded and spoiled by nice waves last weekend, I would have gone out. But for some reason, even with the sun in the sky and the water a glassy blue, I couldn't muster up the motivation.