Tale of Two Surfers

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Song title "How Deep Is Your Love" and lyrics belong to Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, The Bee-Gees. Copyrighted 1977.

I woke up and the first sounds I could hear were the ocean waves outside of my window. The warm breezes wafting from the California air floated into my window. Was it just a few months past when I was braving the frozen tundra of Minnesota's winter?

It was six months ago when my father first called the family meeting to make his big announcement that we were officially moving to California for his new job. It was definitely a radical move but my father was always the type to be as inclusive as possible whenever it involved all of us. It was only myself, my younger brother, and my Mom besides my Dad. The Four Musketeers.

It was the first time I had ever seen the ocean apart from what you'd see in a movie. The white foam. The bluest water. You woke up and every day was a picture postcard. It was the beginning of the summer before my senior year of high school. If you had told me then that I would end up surfing, Me?, the ice hockey enthusiast, I wouldn't have believed you. It became an unexpected summer of new beginnings for me. The memories of those days have always stayed with me.

It all began when I took my first trip to the beach.

"Mark, take your brother to the beach?" my Mom said. "Would you please?"

"Yeah, Mark, I wanna see the ocean."

"Okay, okay. I will take you."

Jake was 12. He was at the age where he was on the cusp of becoming a teenager but still a kid and internally even though I was older there was still part of that kid mentality left in me too.

I was lean and athletic but not overly muscular with just enough to look nice. I had wavy brown hair and my eyes were blue.

We lived a few short blocks within walking distance of the nearest beach. Huntington. As soon as I had stepped on the sand I could feel the grainy texture getting between my toes and how warm it felt. It was a clear day where it appeared every day it was sunny and no rain. The days were gone where you had to deal with below freezing temperatures and a foot of snow outside your front door. Also, no more shoveling or icing your front sidewalk anymore.

One of the first things I noticed right away is how many people were in the water with their surfboards. I had seen all of the X Games episodes exploring all of the various surfing competitions around the world judging the best and awarding the winners but seeing it in person was a different experience altogether.

I could see the rise and fall of the waves as they hit the shore. I walked to the water's edge and stuck my feet into the wet damp sand letting the water rush over my feet. I remember once whether it was something I had read or seen on TV about your footprints carrying out into the ocean.

From staring out at the endless horizon it was like I could see forever. It was nothing but a long stretch of blue with white foamy caps.

"Beautiful sight isn't it?" a voice spoke to me.

I turned seeing a tall broad shouldered tan, blonde teenager. He looked no more older than me by a few years older than me wearing a colorful pair of board shorts holding his surfboard by his side.

"I haven't seen you here before."

"I'm new. My family just moved here."

"I wanna go exploring, Mark," Jake exclaimed.

"You can but stay around here. Don't go wandering off where I have to come looking for you."

"I will."

Jake ran off down the beach probably no doubt looking for seashells washed ashore.

"Sorry about that. We've never seen the ocean before."

"No, I get it. To everyone who already lives here it's so common place but to newbies it's a whole new experience."

He extended his hand and said, "I'm Rob."

"Mark," I said, shaking his hand.

"Do you know how to swim? Because if you are interested I could show you how to surf."

"I really don't have the kind of money to buy my own surfboard."

"No matter. I have a couple. You can always borrow one of mine."

The waves were starting to kick up again that made Rob take notice.

"I am going to go back. Let me know what you think."

As he walked away looking at his back it had intrigued me because whether it was ice hockey or surfing I already knew that a key part of it was balance. Rob looked like any typical Californian I imagined. Muscular. Blonde. Blue eyed. However, also having the elusive six pack with the V shape in his hips that was very hard to come by as well the well defined V shape of his back.

Did I just check him out? No, why would I be looking at a guy to see how he measured up?

I followed my eyes to where he ran out and quickly with ease hopped up on his board and rode a beginning wave coming into the shore doing tricks.

After seeing him and beginning to watch others it was intimidating, to say the least. I did take swimming lessons at the Y where I learned as a kid or did go out for the swim team and competed in a few events but this was a completely different environment.

When I was in the pool I had the control and could time my strokes, I had one of the best times for the 50 meter freestyle, whereas here you were faced with the raw nature of the water.

I looked out seeing Rob suddenly lose his balance on his board and fall under though he quickly popped his head out of the water and looked like he shrugged it off as normal.

Suddenly, I felt a tug at my arm and turned to see it was Jake who had sand all caked on his feet.

"You think Mom would let us come here every day?"

"I don't know, Jake," I said. "Maybe."

"It's really cool. Think I am going to start a seashell collection."

"That's a good idea. Something to show Mom."

As I turned to leave with Jake heading back home I took a second look at the group of surfers riding the waves and Rob.