Surf's Up

 I love the adrenaline rush I get from surf competitions.Our team shows up to the beach when it is pitch black and freezing cold. We quickly throw on our wetsuits in order to escape the chilly air. I usually grap my board and place a thin layer of wax on it just to make sure I won't slide off my board during my heat. Once it is more visible we walk to the shore line and stretch. While I'm stretching I'm watching the waves and picturing where I want to be and how I am going to take the waves. I play over and over my plan of attack. Once the competition starts I look at the competitors in the heat before mine to see where the swell is and  where the other guys are positioning themselves to get into the waves. Pretty soon I go check to see what color rash guard I have to wear. Our rash guards tell the judges what team we are representing. Once I throw that on I grab my board and head towards the water. When the horn blows I run into the water and quickly paddle out past the break. Now it's game time.

I'm constantly watching the waves to make sure I am right were I can catch them. When I see one I paddle towards it, position myself, and charge. It dig deep into the water to make sure I gain enough speed to drop in. Once I feel I have caught the wave I snap up and turn quickly to ride the wave left or right. It's the same process over and over again. After my fifteen minutes is up I head out and my dad tells me how I placed. I then get myself pumped up for my next heat. Even when I'm not competing, surfing gets me going.  My friend Dave told me why he loves surfing one morning when we  were out waiting for sets to come. He said, "Aly, your are riding moving water, that makes you like God." I don't know if I would consider it godly but it is perfectly described in one word, rad.