”This summer I’m going to do it different, this summer I am not going to work 24/7 and let the August madness take over.” Yeah-Right.
Going with the flow, moving with the elements and take it as it comes are all parts of the live(style) I have chosen for – quite a long time ago now.
Now being my own ”boss” or working for myself makes a lot of difference, I can manage my own days and balance it out a lot more, right? Wrong: If my buddy Marco from the surf shop calls me at 10 at night (when I’m already sleeping) with the words ”Niels- sorry to wake you up, I have 2 persons for tomorrow, can you do it?” Then there is simply no voice in my head saying ”Dude I surfed every day since the day that I can remember, it’s gonna be strong north wind tomorrow, I think I’m just going to chill, write a new post for all my followers (lol) and let these guys find their own way to the beach.” The sleepy voice just simply replies; ”Yeah man no worries, I’ll be there.” And another surf guide adventure is guaranteed.
So- a lot of guiding trough August and a couple of free days in the beginning of September. On one of my first complete free days a big swell was on the forecast (18 seconds with 1.7 meter). The swell would come in overnight and the tide would be low in the early morning. Mattress in the back of the van- big wave fins + thick leach under my ‘step-up’ board- and off I was. After not the greatest night on a small parking next to the bins where people seem to drive of and on all night trough I woke up excited.
Still dark, a good strong coffee, 1/2 the breakfast that I prepared and into my cold wet wetsuit. By this time the first light made it possible to actually see the waves, or better, the lack of them. There was a small dawn-patrol crew arguing it might be the tide being to low and so on. I was already in my wetsuit and ready to go.
If there’s anything I hate more is to hesitate. So I went in.
With me two of my buddies arrived and we had a really playful fun surf. Every set that came in we thought ”this would be the start” but between 6.15 and 9.30 nothing spectacular happened. When I got back around midday the swell had arrived. I had spaghetti arms and wasnt feeling like driving again 100km.
”go with the flow- move with the elements, there will be a next day, there will always be a next wave”. Not bummed but not satisfied either I finished my day. To wake up the next day with several alarming messages that the swell indeed arrived and created some epic conditions here and there.
In about 30 minutes I chartered some friends to join me for what would be one of the more epic sessions this year so-far. When we got in (just the 2 of us) we joined a little group of guys making it a handfull of surfers on the point. But with a period of 13 seconds the sets were much more frequent then the day before (and múch bigger.)
At the biggest set of the day everyone had to paddle to the left cause they where all out of position, except me cause I was already sitting a bit further on the peak. My buddy yelled ”GO PRINCESS” (i got this nickname 3 years back and still kinda deserve it.) I paddled as far out as i could, spinned by board around and made the biggest drop I have had in quite a long time. The whole group was sheering (even the bodyboarders) and i even manged to do 2 big turns on it. (So the stif fins and board came in handy after all.) Go with the flow- Move with the elements 🙂
