Day 18 - Ice-Ice-Ice Baby (The Return of the Kook)

Session 21

The first ice refers to the effectiveness of icing my back to alleviate the pain that I'm having. It really is helping! The second ice is referring to the two blocks that are attached to my ankles that still claim to be my feet (should have worn booties today). The third Ice Baby refers to my younger years when I used to spit rhymes in the underground clubs of the OC. Back when I was a teenager with a little bit of gold and a pager... sorry, I digress.

The return of the kook - I had too many good titles for today. So as I always do, I run down to the edge of the water and if the waves are good, I get that child-like giddiness (aptly named grom-stoke*). So, I have my grom-stoke going, I'm accelerating across that warm sand as I'm approaching the water. I notice a peak down that beach with nobody on it, even accelerate more, I cannot wait to get out there. My grom-stoke is in full effect, my back is feeling good, the wind is offshore, the air is warm (summer like), I cannot wait. With grom-stoke going, most of your mental capacity is shut down. This is when it happens... Sometimes your leash can be your best friend (I know mine has saved my life a few times) and sometimes it can be your worst enemy (anywhere from the classic hog-tie**, to getting hooked on a reef - very dangerous), but mostly a leash is a good thing. Not today! I was running at full steam and that's when my feet got caught up, instantaneously transforming both my legs into the center leg in a potato sack race. It turns out that you need two legs to run! Board in hand, I'm skidding on my face right at the edge of the water, on a crowded day (it was warm and about 10 o-clock, so there were people all around). To someone watching, it would have been hillarious! Not on my end though, embarrased, I got up and acted like nothing happened, no look back toward the beach as that would have acted to acknowledge that fact that I had just eaten a bunch of sand. Kook #1. This is a vid that Tom sent to my in an email titled "Olson in Indo" Funny Vid This is a link to the video, it is really funny. So, I have righted myself, brushed it off as nothing has happend, my grom-stoke was fading, but I'm still going to get out there. I get back up and begin running, into the water, with the water about ankle deep, I take a step into a hole and I go down again! This time in about knee to ankle deep water so I try to brush it off by paddling. It didn't work, the water was too shallow. Kook #2. So now I'm out in the water, the wind is offshore, the waves have good shape and I'm having a good time. This is when I try to paddle into a great wave. I'm excited, but I have clear a paddler directly in front of me. The wind pushes me up the face, I cannot get into the wave! I get pitched! I held onto my board, but some how I avoided hitting the guy paddling in front of me. Kook #3. I saw Tommy and Ben out there and Tommy made fun of my day-glow board. I agree, if you are going to kook out like I did, you better not have a memorable board.

I had a number of good waves out there - very fun none-the-less.

*Grom-stoke is a term that I use to describe a state of agitation that occurs when a surfer loses his or her mind due to an extreme excitement over surfing. It could be a good session that sends the surfer into this state. The term grom comes from the word grommet. See the definition below. The point is that no matter what the age of the surfer is, the state can occur sending the surfer back into a frenzied state of a grom.  From About.com:

Definition: A young surfer. While it seems that being called a "grommet" would be derogatory, in fact, most surfers wish they still had that grommet perspective of the world. For the most part, grommets are boy and girl surfers younger than 15 years old.

Pronunciation: graw-met

Also Known As: Grom, Gremmie, Grem

Examples: After school let out, the lineup as packed with grommets.

**The hog tie, typically happens on the best wave of the day. This is when you stand up and you leash is rapped around both legs causing you to stand up on your board with a very narrow stance. It would better if you just fall. However, this is generally not the case as you struggle to half-surf a good wave. You are then required to paddle back out and explain to all of your buddies what happened. It turns out that surfers never like to hear excuses, if you blow a wave, it is just that a blown wave, excuses are like... everyone has one. Something like that. When in Rome...