Film Review: It Ain't Pretty

http://itaintprettyfilm.com/trailer/

I LOVED this film. I didn't mess around, I bought it instead of renting. So glad I did!

Ostensibly a documentary about the Ocean Beach Babes, it turned out to be so much more. The OBB's are a group of hard charging female surfers.

The film explored women's surf history,  the challenges of women's surfing, and the sheer bad assery of female big wave surfers. This is a film I will watch repeatedly. It made me stoked to be a surfer!

Book Review: Impact Zone and Turning Tides

Two cute young adult books about how surfing can make you a better person.

Book Review: Surfing Mavericks: The Unofficial Biography of Jay Moriarty

"Surfing Mavericks: The Unofficial Biography of Jay Moriarity" by Ryan August, LifeCaps.

Mavrericks is the gothic romance of waves. Dark, cold, rocky, sharky. And big. I  will never surf it, but I am fascinated by it.

This biography is the sort of book one finds in a school library. Short and simple, but a fun read about the short life of one of Mavericks' surf warriors.

Start reading it for free: http://a.co/5wTh2wz

Review: Surfing Tips and Tricks

"Surfing Tips and Tricks 2nd Edition: A guide to the realities of surfing for beginner and intermediate surfers." by Ben Bryant.

Vague and generic, for the armchair beginner surfer who imagines they will learn on a shortboard. BAIL!

Start reading it for free: http://a.co/7t263Dm

Review: Surfwise and Scratching the Horizon

The film Surfwise and the book Scratching the Horizon really deserve to be reviewed together. The film is a documentary about the Paskowitz family, a family of eight sons and one daughter, children of modern gypsy parents who raised their children on the road on a never ending surf safari. It sounds like a such a charming, romantic story- successful doctor goes back to the land (or ocean) to raise his children purely.  It's an interesting story, and well worth the watch, but it does prove the old maxim about dysfunctional families.  They did it with style!  What bothered me though, was the underlying attitude of the parents- they repeatedly referred to the sons, and didn't and don't seem to value their daughter as much. 

Scratching the Horizon: A Surfing Life is a memoir by Izzy, on of the sons.  It felt like a really honest book.  He did not shy from the darker moments on the road, but still imaprts that they were a family. He is unflinching in the struggles to move from surf gypsy grom to responsible adult.  Seems like he got their though.  He now runs an foundation that brings surfing to autistic children.  At least one success story came out of that family! 

How I Finally Nailed My Pop-up

I think the most frustrating thing about the fist surf lesson I took was attempting the pop-up.  I was really discouraged.  

I think the most empowering feeling was nailing my pop-up last summer and riding a wave into shore. 

The hardest thing about learning the pop-up is that you can read about it, and be told about it, and watch it, but a lot of it is just getting it. I went into surfing last summer understanding the concept of it.  I've read so many books and watched so many videos.  The first thing that helped, of course, was increased upper body and core strength.  The second was confidence.  I told my self that if I could do crow pose in yoga, I could pop up. 

My fist session I got some wobbly pop-ups, but didn't catch a full ride.  I already knew, however, that I was doing so much better that two summers previous.  What finally got me up and riding though, was my hand positioning.  I had been setting my hands more like I was doing a plank, or a push-up, or crow.  Once I moved my hands right under my chest, under my boobs really, I was flying.  

Now that I've nailed the pop-up, this summer's goal is to get my wave timing down.  I can't wait.

How Surfing Has Changed Me

Surfing is transformative.  It is so hard to describe to a non-surfer what is so magical about the experience of gliding over the water.  I've found that I have changed since I began surfing, sometimes in ways I never expected.

• I am less anxious and more brave. Facing the power of the ocean, and standing up on water makes me feel as if I can do anything. I took my first airplane ride last fall and loved it. I think surfing helped.
•  I am more invested in my workouts and fitness.  Getting fit for surfing is both motivation and goal.  
• I don't care about being skinny; I want to be strong.
• I am more patient. The experience of being in the line-up, waiting for a wave has taught me to relax a little when waiting for other things.
• I have become more passionate about protecting the environment, and especially the oceans. 
• I've become very interested in the weather. Weather = Waves!
• I'm more relaxed about storms, since now I know that there may a swell as a reward.
• I've completely lost interest in fashion magazines.
• I don't care as much about fashion and makeup.  Sure, I want to look put together for work, but it's not a huge priority anymore.
• I've become a very boring conversationalist.  I can find a way to work surfing into just about any conversation!  

I'm excited to see where surfing more will take me!