First True Loves, in Blue

Willy was my first true board love. I bought Willy, my first surfboard (a Wavestorm) from Costco for $150 bucks plus free shipping. He arrived at my doorstep in Arlington, MA, practically the length of the porch, and I died with excitement. I wanted Willy to sleep in my bed. I wanted Willy to sit with me on the commute to work.

He saw the waves in Gloucester, Nahant, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. I learned about pearling, and stalling, and popping up, and looking up, on Willy. I learned how to carry a board, the feel of a wave consistently taking you, on Willy. For Willy I will be forever grateful.

But as I started catching things more consistently, I wanted more of a challenge. So last year, for my bday, my ex bought me a new board, Blue Moon, from Cinnamon Rainbows, an 8-foot board that I’ve been jamming on for about a year now. And we are jamming. I don’t think I caught a single wave for a one, two month period on BM. But I’ve been logging hours, double seshies, dawn patrol, out on our sweet little rollers and out on our moving mountains when they randomly roll in in the summer, and I’m having so much fun.

When I think of those two surfboards, I just feel love. I’m still getting there with my 5’6 Mick Fanning softop board I bought at Cinnamon, but slowly, ever-so-slowly, that’s growing too. I take that one out on sloppy joe days and it’s punchy and fun and a totally different ride. And I’m at the point where I’m comfy trading boards out on the water with buds and giving them a go—something a year ago I would have fallen off my board at the thought of.

It’s all about logging hours and having fun.

Willy’s in my storage unit, but I blow him a kiss every time I go in there, and will never ever get rid of him. He’s the perfect board for newbie surfer buds coming up for a fun day at the beach. In Willy we trust.

Me and Blue Moon. July, 2019. (C) Alana Martin, @alana29s

stay wild moon child

I went surfing with my friend Amber on Sunday in Narragansett Beach in RI. For months, I'd been nervous about this--I worried sharks would eat me. So I spent some time researching shark attacks in New England before our trip and was relieved to see that the last shark attack was reported in 1955 in RI, according to Shark Attack Data. Plus, the great white shark sightings for that week had all been clustered around the forearm of Cape Cod.

But what really gave me peace of mind was just accepting that it was happening--that I was doing it, and talking to myself positively about it. I am a strong and brave person, I repeated to myself, in the days leading up to surfing. Surfing is going to be fun.

And it was. It was f-ing amazing.

Our instructor Kerry was soulful and positive. Before getting into the water, we sat on the beach with him and he walked us through how a wave is the embodiment of all the elements--earth, wind, fire and water. And how when we ride a wave that breaks on the shore, we are the only ones to have ever experienced that particular wave. And we should say thank you for that.

Suddenly my mind was clear, and I was just excited. After a brief dry lesson on the shore, we walked into the water and it was on. I popped up on my first wave and rode it in, exhilarated.

Surfing is being in the now. There's no time for thinking of anything else--you are there, riding a board on the water, and focused. We need this in our lives.

I fell in love again with surfing, and feel like anything is possible.