Margarita Whittemore in Kauai (Photo by, Erinn Whittemore)
I remember vividly my first time ever surfing. I was five and my family was visiting family in Kauai for my grandmothers funeral. It was an emotional time filled with lots of confusion and sorrow. I did not know at the time but this is when I chose the ocean and/or beach to become my safe haven. It was my ultimate escape and my grandpa caught on really quick.
After the funeral and wake took place for my grandma, my grandpa took me on a drive to one of my favorite beaches on North Shore. Once we arrived, we hopped out of the car and met up with one of his good friends. This is when I discovered, I was about to learn how to surf. I was ecstatic; for as long as I could remember I would watch in awe, each surfer at the beach glide across the waves.
My first time out was thrilling, exciting, and brought me so much serenity. There was and still is something so peaceful and powerful when surfing a wave. I am disconnected from society and have the opportunity to not only be one with the nature but ride a wave that is never like the last. I will never forget the act of kindness my grandpa showed me by fully introducing me to the surf world. I still to this day happily am involved and invested in surfing.
Today, my room is completely beached and surfed out. I own boards, wetsuits, and even have a board rack on top of my truck. I surf every opportunity I can and have even made my immediate family pick the sport up as a hobby. We love to attend and watch surf competitions. Like Evan Benner, I enjoy to wake surf. I have picked up many activities too that relate to surfing in some sense, to either partake in as a hobby or to improve my skills in the water. The surf related activities are: skateboarding, long boarding, skin boarding, indo boarding, wake boarding, and snow boarding.
The beach and the swells is still my safe haven and I still cherish my first time out with my grandpa. When I visit Kauai now, I can ride by myself; my old surf coach sometimes even joins! I now also have local friends in Kauai that I love to surf with.
My Bedroom (Photo by, Margarita Whittemore)
Overall, surfing has brought me endless joy and I hope this blog inspires and helps you become somehow, even if just a little bit, more involved in our community.