It was a warm summer evening; the sun was just high enough I could
look up and be blinded; just low enough you could tell the day was coming to a
close. From the garage of my house, it took me just under two minutes to ride
my black and blue beach cruiser to the smooth sand of Croatan beach. Following
behind, my step-dad, Chris, held a body board in one arm, and steered his dark blue
beach cruiser with the other. We walked the three feet of sand that kept us
from the bike holders. I unstrapped my carbon fiber surfboard from its holder
mounted on the side of my bike while Chris locked the bikes together.
I trotted up the sand dune pathway. Either way I looked, I saw large beach houses stretching all the way across the shore line. The one to my left stood tall with a bowed 4 by 2 glass roof made for watching the stars at night. The house to my right was noticeably shorter, but made up for it with a longer yard and house length. The only thing separating me from them was two half’s of a dune covered in knee high grass and shrubs as well as the waist-high, thin wooden picket fences that poked up from the edges of the pathway. I look down. I notice the millions of micro sized rocks that make up the sand, and a penny-sized hermit crab fluttering to its burrow inside the sand. As I watch, my eyes wander up the dune; a seashell here, a piece of driftwood there, and finally, they settle on the calming sight of the Atlantic Ocean.
As soon as I heard the ‘click’ of the bike lock, I snapped out of my ocean compelled trance with a little jump. I skipped over to my bike rack which was now neatly folded back into the length of my cruiser, my surfboard standing up with the support of a wooden beam that guided the walking path. I look at Chris and give him a slight nod of the head that says “Thanks.” I slipped my right arm over the cool sticky wax and start to trek up the small dune.
It took zero time for us to reach the warm water. I submerged myself in the calm chaos of the sea; the first time under always feels like the longest. I come back up for air and grab my board’s leash, securing it to my right ankle. As soon as there was a break between waves, I paddled out. The water washed over me as I took turns duck diving under each new wave that came at me. I finally made it past the break. I sat with my board half way facing the shore while I watched as waves came rolling past me, waiting for the perfect wave.
After five minutes of waiting, I finally saw the wave I’ve been waiting for. I waited for it to build a little more and then I turned my board and start paddling. I cupped my hands and dug deep and fast heading straight for the sand as I waited for the wave to catch hold of my board. My arms are starting to burn and my back is already feeling achy from holding myself in the surfing superman position. At last, I feel the familiar tug of the wave behind me and push out two more big strokes of the arms before I pop up. Angling my board to the right, I quickly get into standing stance with crouched knees and wide feet. The board feels like an extension of my body as I push out from the bottom of the wave to its lip and back again. With a huge grin on my face, I ride it out until there’s no wave left. I turn to Chris and he tells me I did great!
I was so excited to catch another ride; I didn’t even wait for the waves to calm down. I turned my strong and hard surfboard back into the waves keeping it in front of me while I did a silent victory dance, and with the same grin plastered on my face I looked back to the waves and board in front of me and that was all I saw. I heard a loud ‘THUNK’ and a shocking pain vibrated throughout my neck. The next thing I know, I’m on a stretcher in an ambulance.
I trotted up the sand dune pathway. Either way I looked, I saw large beach houses stretching all the way across the shore line. The one to my left stood tall with a bowed 4 by 2 glass roof made for watching the stars at night. The house to my right was noticeably shorter, but made up for it with a longer yard and house length. The only thing separating me from them was two half’s of a dune covered in knee high grass and shrubs as well as the waist-high, thin wooden picket fences that poked up from the edges of the pathway. I look down. I notice the millions of micro sized rocks that make up the sand, and a penny-sized hermit crab fluttering to its burrow inside the sand. As I watch, my eyes wander up the dune; a seashell here, a piece of driftwood there, and finally, they settle on the calming sight of the Atlantic Ocean.
As soon as I heard the ‘click’ of the bike lock, I snapped out of my ocean compelled trance with a little jump. I skipped over to my bike rack which was now neatly folded back into the length of my cruiser, my surfboard standing up with the support of a wooden beam that guided the walking path. I look at Chris and give him a slight nod of the head that says “Thanks.” I slipped my right arm over the cool sticky wax and start to trek up the small dune.
It took zero time for us to reach the warm water. I submerged myself in the calm chaos of the sea; the first time under always feels like the longest. I come back up for air and grab my board’s leash, securing it to my right ankle. As soon as there was a break between waves, I paddled out. The water washed over me as I took turns duck diving under each new wave that came at me. I finally made it past the break. I sat with my board half way facing the shore while I watched as waves came rolling past me, waiting for the perfect wave.
After five minutes of waiting, I finally saw the wave I’ve been waiting for. I waited for it to build a little more and then I turned my board and start paddling. I cupped my hands and dug deep and fast heading straight for the sand as I waited for the wave to catch hold of my board. My arms are starting to burn and my back is already feeling achy from holding myself in the surfing superman position. At last, I feel the familiar tug of the wave behind me and push out two more big strokes of the arms before I pop up. Angling my board to the right, I quickly get into standing stance with crouched knees and wide feet. The board feels like an extension of my body as I push out from the bottom of the wave to its lip and back again. With a huge grin on my face, I ride it out until there’s no wave left. I turn to Chris and he tells me I did great!
I was so excited to catch another ride; I didn’t even wait for the waves to calm down. I turned my strong and hard surfboard back into the waves keeping it in front of me while I did a silent victory dance, and with the same grin plastered on my face I looked back to the waves and board in front of me and that was all I saw. I heard a loud ‘THUNK’ and a shocking pain vibrated throughout my neck. The next thing I know, I’m on a stretcher in an ambulance.