Dude!

On my way back from dropping First Born Prince at school I saw a dad I know driving home with his surfboard on top of his car, coming up the hill from the beach.  It was 7:20a.m. and he was already done with his surf session.

Done?  Dude! 

He was already finished because he’s a lawyer and I am sure had to be in his office by 9:00.   It hit me like a ton of sand that all the surfers I know are successful working professionals...teachers, lawyers, surgeons, engineers, physical therapists…most of them are the healthiest people in my social circle, too.  They are physically and mentally fit and as a bonus, tend to be soulful, kind and caring.

I used to be afraid of the negative surf-culture stereotypes.   I grew up with a mixed bag of screw-ups and college-bound surfers.  I am a protective mother now.  No one wants a kid who ditches class to surf or falls out of a VW bus in a cloud of smoke.  But now that I see how my peers at the beach ended up, I realize it’s not the love of the ocean that breeds screw-ups.

Surfing is a sport, like any other—not wanting your son to surf because he might end up like Jeff Spicoli is like not letting your son play football because he might turn out like Michael Vick.  Likewise, not trying to surf when you live in La Jolla is like not trying to ski when you live at the base of a gorgeous ski resort.  The wave breaks here are infamous and we boast year-round surfing weather.

Charming Baby wants to learn how to surf this summer.  I foolishly dissuaded my older son from trying it.  Thankfully I am older and wiser now.  We’re fortunate to live here and I’m excited he is interested in one of the more challenging, yet rewarding, sports available to us on the coast.

If everybody had an ocean…