Learning to surf

Last Updated on Monday, 16 January 2012 07:26 Written by Chris Marzonie Monday, 16 January 2012 07:26

Current location:  Mulege, Baja Sur
Days in Baja so far:  30

When I was in high school I used to bus tables in a restaurant with a gregarious waiter named Gordon, an ex-wrestler with a New York accent. He always stoked up the guests with his outrageous humor and antics. If I happened to be passing by at the right time, he would make some off-hand comment about the “surfer boy” and pull me aside as a prop for his routine. “Do you realize this guy is a world-class champion surfer? Look at him!” I guess there was something to it because most of the time people believed him and started asking questions. I would shake my head, smile politely and suddenly find myself needed elsewhere on the floor. I always liked working with Gordon, there were lots of laughs and lots of tips.

But there was something to the whole surfer notion. It’s just one of those things I’ve always wanted to do. Naturally, I got fired up while talking to my friend Robb about this trip and the potential surfing opportunities, when he offered to loan me one of his boards. Yes! It would be come a reality.  Make it so.

Robb was kind enough to loan me not just a board, but the leash for it and a full wetsuit with a rash guard. Board happily mounted to the rack on my Toyota, smile firmly plastered across my face, we both crossed the border into Baja together, destined to become good friends. That was a month ago. I figured I might not get on that surfboard until I got to Central America where I’ve been told it’s a great place to learn with soft sand bottoms and warm water. But like most plans on this trip, that was definitely subject to change.

After departing Ensenada Alcatraz on the Cortez side of the peninsula, I headed over to the central coast of the Pacific to meet friends Jack, Debbie and Linda. Jack has some property there and it was my first visit. Little did I know that his property sits right at what could possibly be the best place in Baja for learning to surf. My anticipated four day stay lasted instead for eleven. But I only surfed two days. The first few days were spent waiting for my friends to arrive. The next few were spent watching experienced surfers who had come down to ride big swells. I studied a lot. I befriended an accomplished surfer named George who lives there most of the year. He was an inspirational guy and happy to offer me some great tips and advice.

The big swells came and went, and so did the crowd. Some days the weather wasn’t good or the water wasn’t right. But then the perfect day came. This was it. As I floundered about in the break, I watched George sail past me over and over… his board like a dance floor that he set upon with flair. He was perfectly free…smiling ear-to-ear. He was doing the circuit. He’d ride a breaking wave from way out by the point all the way in to shore, hoist the board into the air, and walk/run along the beach and then the rocks, wading and paddling back out to the point. “You want to ride a wave every 15 minutes” he told me. I’m not really riding waves yet, so to speak, but I can stand up and coast a bit. I’ll get the hang of it.

Surfing was only a part of my eleven-day camp session. Jack took me out on a tour of some local 4wd desert trails to see some sites. We also played a lot of what I have come to think of as my absolute favorite remote campsite game, ever (yes, better than poker): All-terrain bocce ball. Jack, Linda, and I would set out on the beach or the mesas, or in the dunes… you name it, and come up with some pretty amazing plays. I added a little atmosphere by hanging a couple Goal Zero “Rock Out” speakers from my belt with the iPod strapped in for the ride, playing endless tunes for the game. I helped do some rock moving and wall building. I learned how a mud oven is built out of local, natural materials (and saw some great pizza coming out of it). There were lots of things to do and 11 days went by pretty fast.

Many thanks to Jack, Debbie and Linda for the fantastic hospitality and good times.