Life here has sort of settled in to a rhythm now, I hesitate to say "like every day life", because it is rare that people get to have the life I currently have every day, but you know what I mean. There's wave hunting, chillin' on the veranda with a book, beach walks, the odd social occasion and some more wave hunting.We have had a long spell of mediocre swells and I started to feel pretty secure in my surfing, enjoying "hanging out" in the line-up chatting with cute surfer boys (;-) and working on my turns and tricks. I guess Alvaro thought I'd started to look a little too comfortable so he figured we'd give some barrels a go this morning. Ooohhh...... my..... god! I forgot what it was like to be out there and feel like you have all your nerve-endings on the surface of your body, a mix of fear and excitement in your eyes at the possibility of riding the wave of your life...or getting the pounding of your life. I mostly got the latter. Your worst enemy riding these kind of waves is hesitation. You have about a 10th of a second to pop up and turn your board into the wave before it picks you up and you are staring down a big void (please note that while 5 feet doesn't sound that big in theory, standing on top of that wave with nowhere to go is terrifying). A "normal" wave will supply you with a slope to ride down, it may be steep, but there is a surface to aim for. The "barrel" wave sort of sucks itself in, creating a tunnel between the back of the wave and the break. If you are not in that tunnel however, the wave just inhales you and you feel like your body is being torn in half as the tumble dryer starts working you. Hesitate for even a moment, and the wave wins. When that happens.... if you want to be a surfer... you paddle out and get on that next wave because you may have lost the battle but there is no way you are going to loose the war! Most people give up, and trust me, I wanted to...so bad, but Alvaro pushed me and pushed me. "I know you hate me right now but I don't care" he stated as he instructed me to get ready for the next wave. Alvaro is what gives me a shot at being a surfer, he is what is going to make the difference between riding that barrel or packing it in for cocktails on the beach. I may have hated him today but I am eternally grateful for the part he plays in my pursuit of happiness.
So, did I ever manage to catch that barrel? Well, no, not really. But Juan did. The wave came when the stars aligned and I got everything right, except I got so incredibly confused when "time stopped" (the feeling you get in a barrel). I stood up and looked back at Alvaro to try and make some sense out of it all, just to be greeted by a ton of breaking water. As I joined Alvaro in the line-up again I still hadn't figured out what that weird thing was, I was in a ton of water and yet there was no noise, no surface. Just stillness. "That Anna, was a barrel. Your board was in the barrel and you decided to stand up and look back?! Never look back, it is terrifying." Well, today may have been an "almost" but apart from bruises, sore muscles and some tears of pain, it left me with a hunger that is just not going to be satisfied until I get in that barrel!! Wish me luck!
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