mortality reality check

[mainemike]

ystrdy i was once again reminded of just how insignificant i am, and how habitually stupid. the weather here in maine has been a bit wild: storms, high winds, exagerated tides = big waves/strong currents. i hit the beach late in the day w/my longboard and it was cold and windy and rainy and the waves were just huge. i am no pro, i've been at it only a few years and i really don't go often. there were 2 surfers in the water ripping it up. as i got there a buddy-much younger and a much better surfer was getting out, i asked him where he was going he said "look at that shit, i'm fucking scared"! i said i'm scared too and he suggested i go in down the beach a bit. which i did. i made it out past the breaks, caught a smaller wave, and paddled back out. i was good and cold and pretty exhausted, no gloves, hood, booties and an inadequate westuit (3mm not good for i believe sub 50 water temps) and in about 30-40 mins, i had had enough. so i waited for a break in the swells and thought i had found one and began the long paddle in against a still outgoing tide. very exhausting and sure enough i got caught in the strike zone by a monster. i bailed and was in the waching machine, 10 foot long board still strapped to my leg, felt like a picnic table. came up, still in the strike zone and was hammered again. this time swallowing some ocean and w/the leash wrapped around both legs and getting spun and thrown and all that happy horseshit. i come to the surface and can just touch bottom, maybe 2 seconds and wham! another small building on my head and i really just have no strength left, and no breath. just hurled around up and down and swalloing lots of ocean and a moment of blackness and truly scared. mercifully, it ends. i literally crawl onto the beach and vomit saltwater, happily. i chugged 2 warm coronas before the shaking stopped, and a 3rd to be sure. thus concludes my surfing in that type of shit. i am clearly no surfer, though god willing, maybe jutst a tad smarter at the ripe old age of 41. doubtful. safe and happy summer all. :cheers:

[Too Tall]

Hey Mike. If we take the *PC goggles off I'd offer that was pretty cool you took the dare and went out today. You are ok, cool and accomplishments even failed ones change us in a good way. Coolness.

*Kids, don't do what unkle Mike does he is an idiot.

[steve garro]

good to have you around, man! :cheers: i only had a corona! - five cent deposit............Steve. YouTube - Minutemen Corona Acoustic

[bfarver]

I don't think there is anything that can humble you like the ocean. I lived in San Diego for about six years got to what I felt like was decent at surfing. The "oh shit" feeling of staring down what looks like a small building crashing down on you is about as scary as it gets. I've been out at Black's Beach over my head and did the same kiss/vomit on the beach move. There's no other sport like it, though, so keep at it. Surfing in Maine sounds a lot like surfing in Oregon.

[GAAP]

That is a great story! Thanks for sharing it. I'd call it a great day - even though it didn't work out as planned. Again, very cool story, thanks for sharing.

[Vax]

Good story Mike. I think anyone who's been there I dentifies with the feeling of impending doom and utter helplessness and confusion. Happily you got kicked out of it.

Nature, (ocean, storms, microorganisms etc.) can be very humbling. We are so sheltered from exposure it's easy to lose respect.

[AntLockyer]

Every day I don't die doing stupid shit fills me with joy.

[andrew]

About 10 years ago, I switched from racing on the road to whitewater kayaking (1 to many car-bike accidents). After a few years of getting pretty good, I fancied myself an accomplished creeker, regularly jumping on pretty stout, step creeks at fairly high water. I had a friend coming up that was getting pretty good, and I offered to take him down a local class 5. I thought he was ready, and I KNEW I was able to flat down no problem.

Well, I was so damn distracted and overconfident that I flipped on the entrance of the very first drop (I was pretty much turned around watching my buddy), broke my paddle across my forehead, gashed my thumb open, blew my skirt, and got myself pinned upside down in the middle of the rapid. There is NOTHING like being trapped upside down, underwater, while what feels like 10 million tons of water is trying to strip the flesh from your bones.

I got lucky, I was able to pry myself off the rock with half a paddle, and after a few minutes of vomiting water, I made the second mistake of the day. I kept going, handpaddling the rest of the creek. Needless to say, it was a wretched day. Multiple swims, my buddy, scared shitless because I, who was supposed to be this great paddler, was getting the shit beat out of him, down in this deep gorge, no hiking out, and miles to go.

That was the LAST time I took any paddle trip or river lighty. Nature can and will step up and bitch-slap you silly when you get to uppity, and if you are lucky it might let you up to think about your hubris.

Glad you made it back to shore a little wiser.

Andrew

[davids]

Mike,

I'm glad you survived.

I'm not, and never have been, a risk-taker. I don't know where my edge is, because I stay well away from it. That's just how I roll.

[DarrenCT]

Mike,

I'm glad you survived.

I'm not, and never have been, a risk-taker. I don't know where my edge is, because I stay well away from it. That's just how I roll.

did u just say edge?

[Lloyd Graves]

The two prime movers in the Universe are Time and Luck.
--Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

[WadePatton]

and what i don't have in timing i usually make up for in luck...so far.

i rented a board and went out on a red flag day (only decent surf in the gulf in the summer) many many years ago. story short...i know what the washing machine feels like. total respect for surfers and the conservative side of me is glad i don't live nearer the ocean.

rock on with it.

and send me a lobster or two.

dammit.

[dang]

Hey Mike. If we take the *PC goggles off I'd offer that was pretty cool you took the dare and went out today. You are ok, cool and accomplishments even failed ones change us in a good way. Coolness.

*Kids, don't do what unkle Mike does he is an idiot.

Go ahead and call me "PC" if you want, but Corona? Warm corona?

Glad you're ok Mike.

[mainemike]

thanks all, really. i hit the pool this am, to confirm that i can still swim sans guppy style panic, and i can. :cheers: