Spirit of Aloha | Features | November/December 2007

8 Take a Ride on a Surfboard
By: Sherry Shahan

SO EASY, EVEN A GRANDMOTHR CAN DO IT

PHOTO: BOB ABRAHAM / PACIFIC STOCK PHOTO: BRETT UPRICHARD

The first time a shark brushed my leg I didn’t panic, because I was tucked snugly inside a wet suit. Then our surfing instructor, Kainoa McGee, mentioned the reason sharks sometimes nibble on surfers. “It’s their rotten eyesight, man. Not our tasty human flesh.”

Apparently, a person wearing black can bear an uncanny resemblance to a shark’s favorite snack food: seals. My feet quickly retreated to the top of my 11-foot, soft-top board.

Kainoa was born and raised in Honolulu and began bodyboarding on Waikı¯kı¯ Beach at the age of 5. At 10, he entered his first competition and won. By 12, he was National Ama­teur Champion. Amazing­ly, he didn’t try stand-up surfing until he was 30. But after only two years on the professional circuit, he was dubbed “Crown of Surfing.”

“Who’s ready to paddle outside?” he asked. “Outside” is surfer-speak for the line of waves breaking farthest out.

Way out. Catching them means a longer ride, at least theoretically. So far, we’d been surfing the smaller, less forceful waves closer to shore.

That’s when Kai said, “That wasn’t a shark that brushed your leg. It was coral. Did it break the skin?”

“Nope.”

“Okay, then. Let’s go.”

A tiny voice in my head said, “No way I’m trolling for Jaws.”

The louder, stupider voice said, “Cowabunga, dude!” Six of us had signed up at Hans Hede­mann Surf School at Waikı¯kı¯ Beach, where Kai teaches when he’s not traveling the surfing circuit. This two-hour class for beginners guarantees you’ll “learn to surf in just one lesson.

Earlier, at the shop, we’d been shown how to go from a prone position to standing upright. The key is moving smoothly through the steps, then planting one’s feet just right for balance.

After paddling out approximately 360 yards—a distance longer than three football fields—we were definitely outside. While waiting for the next wave, Kai positioned himself between two boards. When the force of the water began to build, he yelled, “Paddle! "

With palms cupped, my arms moved like eggbeaters. Suddenly, I felt foaming water surge beneath me. Kai gave my board a one-handed shove. “Stand up!” he urged.

Clinging to the edge of my board (known as “rails”), I moved awkwardly through the positions we’d practiced. It felt odd to have my feet facing sideways when my shoulders and line of focus re­mained straight ahead. None­theless, there I stood—surfing —all the way to shore. I wanted to burst into song. “Blue Hawai‘i” or “Tiny Bubbles.”

Then it hit me: I had to paddle all the way back out. This reminded me of snow skiing. Getting bundled and buckled up in the morning is much more exhausting than floating down a freshly groomed slope.

I caught more than three-dozen waves. Not bad for my first time. When I headed to Maui for the second half of my vacation, I signed up with Surf Shack in Kı¯hei. Its classes also focus on surfing rules and etiquette, as well as wave-riding fundamentals and water safety. After donning booties and a rashguard, and trying a dryland lesson in Kalama Park, we leashed up and headed out.

Now feeling like a pro, I took teensie-weensie steps forward on the board. This propelled me faster so the ride lasted longer. Then I fell and grazed my knee on a hunk of coral. Since corals are animals, a small amount of animal protein and calcareous material can be lodged in even the most superficial-looking scratch. Not a pleasant thought. Following the “better safe than sorry” adage, I made a quick trip to a doctor’s office. A surfer himself, Dr. Vinny flushed my wound with a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide, then applied an antibiotic ointment. Those who don’t seek immediate treatment risk a nasty infection.

After two lessons, I decided to rent a surfboard and try it alone. Would I be able to time the waves without some-one shouting, “Paddle!”? Would I know the right moment to stand up?
Stay tuned ….

SHERRY SHAHAN, a grandmother, has written two novels about her adventures: Death Mountain (Peachtree) and Frozen Stiff (Random House).

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