Surfing success

Chris hanging out in the green room (not really)

While Chris has been ripping up the overhead waves on Playa Negra lately, I have been struggling in vain to understand this crazy sport we call surfing. I may not be the most coordinated person in the world, but never have I encountered a sport where the initial learning curve is so steep - almost vertical I think. I tried surfing a couple of times in Mexico and El Salvador, but never really put my mind to it, so I figured while we're living on the beach in Costa Rica for several weeks, I'll really give it a go. I borrowed an epoxy longboard from Bob, our friendly landlord, and vigilantly got in the water a couple of times a day for two weeks. During this time I only managed to thoroughly cleanse my sinuses with salt water, get frustrated and/or freaked out when I banged my feet on rocks, and feel close to tears when another wave heading towards me filled me with an overwhelming sense of dread. After a particularly frustrating morning with a huge foam board (the easiest to learn on) and baby waves still left me near tears, I was ready to give up forever. Chris convinced me to give it one more try, this last time with a teacher (besides him). And it was like a miracle. Friendly Walter of the Avellanas Surf School had me standing up on waves on about the third try, and after a couple of hours with Walter, I am now able to catch waves on my own. Granted, this is all on an 8-foot foam board, but surfing is now officially fun.

Kristin surfing a barreling waist-high killer wave