Sensing we had but one chance to soak up some sunshine we went for it and spent a week in Hatteras Village. Five hundred miles across a single state. We stayed at the Sea Rider: a funky little house right on the water designed and built as an artist's studio in 1969. On an island full of mega rental houses Sea Rider is quite unique and was perfect for a week of fun.
We arrived to pounding surf so I went out first thing Monday morning and rented a surfboard and wetsuit from Natural Art in Buxton. This was my first time surfing in 12 years and it was going off. Overhead, hollow and powerful. My rented board was less than ideal and my skills not exactly honed so I got my ass kicked over and over again for hours on end that first day. It was like being in a giant washing machine. The board was reluctant to duck dive and I was reluctant to make the drop on the bigger waves but I overcame the fear and kept trying every wave that came my way. Before long it was coming back to me and before long I found myself surfing. I'll admit I pretty much sucked but I was making the drop and riding the curl and by the end of the week was even doing some turns and floaters. I surfed so much the first two days alone I got tendonitis in my right elbow and left shoulder from paddling too much. There is something about bobbing on the surface of an ocean and then riding its waves ashore that is just so pure, natural and right. I hope surfing five hours a day is good training for Double Dare and Shut In because that's all I did!
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