Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy: The "Trying To Catch A Wave" Story

It was an ordinary day. Close to 7:00 am and my son Tad and I are walking the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey. Heading the couple of blocks from 9th St. to the 7th St. beach which is known in Ocean City as Surfer's Beach.

Tad is clad in his wet suit, walking barefoot and carrying his surfboard as we head down the deserted boardwalk. There is no one in sight except a single fisherman on the jetty between the 6th and 7th St. beaches as we walk down the steps and head to the water. Tad began surfing a year or so ago when his best friend, Josh, invited him to join him on a surfing trip to the Jersey Shore. Tad's balance is near-perfect which I first noticed when he began skating in Middle School and joined a local ice hockey team. His foot skills were remarkable and I marveled at how easy he made skating look as he maneuvered past other players on the ice rink. Then it was his skate-boarding, boogie-boarding, body boarding and water-skimming which also amazed me.

Looking toward the east and the sun rising in the sky.

But surfing, according to my son, is slightly harder than most other athletic sports that require exceptional balance. He waxed his board to help him from slipping on the board and then grabbed the board and headed into the waves. The waves today were very gentle, not the type for a good surfing day. The tide was out and very shallow for the first 50 yards or more into the ocean. He spent the next half-hour attempting to catch a good wave, but finally gave up and exited the water. I had my camera along and tried to take a few photos of his experience, but wasn't too successful. You'll see why todays adventure wasn't the success that you hope for when trying to find that perfect wave for surfing. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.