Out with the Old...In with the New

My blue 8.0' - She has been with me thru thick and thin for over 3 years.

At the end of this past year......I decided to retire her and buy another board - another 8.0 - Pierson Arrow out of Santa Cruz, CA.

When I first came to Costa Rica in 2006 it was just a few weeks before I returned to CA that I decided to take a surf lesson from the local instructor, Brett.

Because Brett does such a great job preparing and instructing before you even get in the water, like many of his thousands of students, I got up on my first wave. From that glorious moment.......I was hooked.

In Feb. 2007, after I returned to Costa Rica... having spent the holidays in the states, I decided to buy my own board.  Brett, and just about everyone told me I needed a 9.0'.  I had already decided I didn't want to have to deal with such a long heavy board and went looking for something smaller.  In March of 2007 I made 3 different trips on the bus to Jaco checking out all the local surf shops not really sure of what I was looking for but believing I would just find it.  And I did - Walter's Surf Shop on the main drag in Jaco.

At that time I was living with Cecilia and William in the upstairs bedroom of their house on the beach.  On my very first day, headed out for my first time ever on my new used board, as I was going down the stairs, I slipped on a stair and dropped her.  She went down 2 more stairs then hit the nose on the wall.  Right out the gate......I had to take her to Jimmy for a repair.

Since then, amazingly she has only been back once for another small repair.

It's an interesting thing to love an object.  But......I do love this board.  She has provided me with confidence and a ton of fun.  She does not have a name, it was always just "She"

One would think with all this time invested in living in Costa Rica, the many times I have been out surfing that I would be an expert by now.  FAR FROM IT!  I have days when I can catch a great wave and totally surprise everyone who sees it, then immediately after....... I will do a nose dive or something else very common to a beginner.

About this same time last year a friend - Willy - from Daytona Beach - who has been a life guard and surfer most of his life - who lives here in EO with his wife Michele for about 4 months out of the year - both awesome surfers - paddled over to me one beautiful morning to chat.  What he briefly said has made a significant difference in my approach and feelings about MY surfing.  Willy is about the same age as I am - a year or two older is my guess.  Just out of the blue he said "Pat.......do you realize you are in probably in the less than 1 percent of women who take up this sport who are in their mid............'s"

This was a huge wake up call to me.   Everyday I see men and woman who make it all look so easy.  The majority of them have surfed most of their lives.  This one simple, thoughtful comment has made it possible for me to step back and realize I truly am in a very small unique group and to be thankful for what I can do.

And thankful I am.  Before Costa Rica, I lived in a surfing community on the central coast of California for 30 years.  Never once in my life there did I ever give a second of thought to getting in that water.  Living in Esterillos Oeste is all about life in this beautiful environment  surrounded by palm trees, the constant presence of flora and fauna - my beloved macaws - everything so alive - always dramatic and in constant motion - clean, 80 degree F. water that just calls to you to join.

The first photo in this set, was the one taken on my very first wave ever during my lesson with Brett.  Because I am the one who takes most of  the photos, a photo of me surfing hardly exists.  No matter.......I'm out there and that is what is all about.  The other photos have been taken randomly thru the years -The 2nd photo was taken the first week I had her... taken by Cecilia,  a favorite photo of me and my beautiful friend Erin coming in from surfing small waves in Este, another on the beach with girlfriends Jen and Pepper, my drop in on Hayward at Coralillo - ooops, the last one is of both boards taken night before last.  "She" is now officially retired but will remain with me all the remaining days of my life.

Pura Vida!