Category Archives: Surfing

Travel Oops: The Unfortunate Photo — Really…that’s me out on the surfboard!

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© Deborah Conroe

© Deborah Conroe 2010

Sydney, Australia. My most recent Oops story covered my attempts at surfing. While I was looking for photos for the post, I came across these images. Of course, I wanted evidence if I got up on the board during my first lesson. Kurt, my husband, was at our hotel while our daughter Kasey napped, so he was unavailable to snap photos.

I asked my friend Deb to take photos instead. I thought I had shown her the zoom function, but maybe not. When Deb told me that she got a picture, I envisioned an image of me looking badass on the board. What I didn’t expect was that you would not be able to identify me at all. I was grateful that Deb took photos, but Kurt probably could have looked out the window of our hotel and gotten the same shot. Below is an enlarged version in which you still can’t tell it’s me. Continue reading →

Travel Oops: Surfing the Soup

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© Kurt Glaser 2010

© Kurt Glaser 2010

A nose enema of salt water surged through my nasal passages and then rushed out through my nostrils taking mucus with it in a salty, snotty blob. While I rose up in the ocean foam, my oversized rash guard billowed and water flushed through the too-big wetsuit I was wearing.

The leash attached to my ankle tugged my leg as the surfboard caught another wave without me. Another small water wall came by and knocked me off balance and cold water flowed through my suit once more.

© Kurt Glaser

© Kurt Glaser

This battering did not matter, however, because I had stood up on a surfboard. Although the experience only lasted for less than one minute, I had ridden a wave before another one slammed down and churned me up. It was short but awesome and I wanted to do it again.

In fact, it was January 6, 2010, and already I had fulfilled my New Year’s Resolution, which was to try surfing, a sport I had always wanted to learn. Aqua Camp, in Santa Barbara, CA, had inspired me. My parents enrolled my sister and me in the program during the summer of 1980.

Continue reading →