Sidetracked

It usually starts with a glance, then some pontification.  After mulling it over a few sets, the surfer looks t his buddy and pops the question.

“Hey, dude — wanna swap boards?”

It’s not that the surfer doesn’t appreciate his board. In fact, he may well love his board dearly. It’s just that he wants to try something different. Because, he knows, every board has a different feel. A different personality. His board might be more conservatively sturdy and straight, while his buddy’s is more loosey goosey and fast.

Three fins instead of one. Shorter, not longer.

So the swap is made. And it does indeed feel different. And it’s fun and exciting.

For a bit.

After about 30 minutes, the surfer begins to miss his board. To miss the nuances, the quirks. He begins to feel a sense of loyalty to the board. His board. The one he has spent so much time with over the years. The one that gave him all those great rides.

“All right — you ready to switch again?” he’ll suggest. And, as if thinking the very same thing, the other surfer answers with a quick, “Yeah, let’s do it.”

Of course, some surfers aren’t into board swapping at all. To this slider, swapping boards is immoral. Not right. There’s only one rider for this board, and it’s the person currently on it. So when someone says, “Hey, man — wanna swap boards?” this surfer kindly answers, “That’s ok.” And the first surfer, feeling a sense of rejection, thinks, “Geez, why don’t you just marry that thing!”

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Photo: Brian Milne

Posted on November 18th, 2009 by Pat
Filed under: Surf stuff, Things Surfers Like