My Surfing Phase

“You are never too old to try new things” I told myself as I straddled a surf board like a beached whale, waves of salty water bashing into my face, salt water stinging my eyes and my thighs getting sore from several attempts to stand on a board and look like a cool surf babe.

still smiling

As my children have grown and become less dependent on me, I have had a thirst to try new things and make the very best life has to offer. My son, Callum says that whilst I’m an inspiration to him, I am a crazy mummy. He describes my attempts to try new things as “phases” in my life, some have lasted longer than others. I somehow think my “Surfing Phase” will be very short term!

My gorgeous son, who would look much better on a surf board than I!

So it was, during my brief return visit to Bali that Felicia, a gorgeous 23 year old Swedish woman, with a beautiful smile, blonde hair and legs that reached up to my armpits suggested I join her and her friend Matilda, another young Swedish jewel, at Kuta beach to go surfing.

Hiding between two Gorgeous Beach Babes

I had just celebrated my fiftieth birthday and was feeling a little jaded having consumed the best part of a bottle of red wine, (an unusual event for me in Indonesia due the extortionate price of anything drinkable there), but Felicia gave me little choice, I was going surfing.

My dear divegoddess friend Sonia enlisted her Sumatran boyfriend Iwan to serve as our instructor. He is one of the many local instructors who hang around Kuta beach enticing tourists onto their boards to enjoy the beautiful surf there.

Sonia, Iwan and I

We had a practice on the beach, I chose the smallest board, thinking it would be easier, and was soon corrected by Iwan and given the largest board which I could barely carry.

It was a bit of a struggle to even carry my board

The board was laid on the beach and we were shown how to lye on it, paddle and when a wave came, to push up on hands, in true press up style, jump onto the back leg then front with no use of knees, it seemed pretty easy as I practiced on the sand, I was getting rather proud of myself, keeping up with the twenty somethings, that was until I hit the sea.

This looks pretty easy!

Iwan was very patient with me, but his words “Up Up Up Up….now” still reverborate in my mind.

All that beach practice coming to fruition, Im getting up……

Oh my oh my, Im actually riding a wave…..how cool!

Now you see me, now you don’t….splash!

Felicia looking cool as a surf babe

This is how it is done….in 10cm of water that is (sorry Felicia!)

Felicia and Iwan

Couldnt resist popping this action shot in!

Beautiful Felicia

The lovely Matilda

I had a wonderful time, and did in fact manage to get to a standing position on the board, albeit for a very short time and felt I got a real taste for surfing but feel that I am probably 30 years too late to start this new phase…..

I prefer to just lye on that board!