Great balance, the ability to snap to one’s feet from a lying down position, and an innate fearlessness that some are just born with–a few of the traits necessary to be a surfer. Ever since she was little she loved water and could stay in it longer than anyone else wanted to. Not the kind that ripples cutely onto your toes, but the kind that pushes you around. She likes the wilder things, fast coasters, aerial silks, flight simulators. As a wee downhill skier she always went straight down the hill, squealing at the top of her lungs the whole way. At the bottom she would just repeat, “Faster, faster!” She’s the kid who wants to try rocket boots and sky diving. Cali comes alive with a challenge, and meets every one with determination, endurance, and glee. Then along came surfing–they were made for each other.
Her first surfing lesson was taught by a young man in Tamarindo. He wasn’t big into explaining things. He showed them how to hop up onto the board three times on shore and then they went out. The first attempt she was up easily but the board slipped out from under her. The second time, she was up for the entire wave and rode it into the sand. As she got closer to shore she started fixing her ponytail and messing with her clothes. Hilarious.
In Jaco we found the angel of the surf himself, Gabriel. He is one of those guys who lives surfing. He mused that for some people it’s in their blood like an addiction that can never be extinguished. His lessons start with introducing the ocean and how to understand the waves, and ended with less existential, more practical information like how not to get hit in the face with your board.
In the water he was a masterful instructor, very intuitive about what a person needed to hear in order to master the next wave. Cali wants to do more surfing around the world, wave permitting. She’s also happy that our permanent home is close to the ocean. Surfing looks like it will be part of her future, wherever her feet splash down.
