Just getting started. Photo: Paul Crétinon
Once again, I find myself writing about something I’ve lost — something that perishes as I get older. This time, it’s kiteboarding.
While driving to Charleston, S.C., I looked in the rearview mirror to find my surfboards, which were supposed to be tied to the roof of my car, fall onto the road and shatter like antique crystal. Fortunately, no one was injured and the only thing that suffered was my ego, made worse by the guy in a BMW giving me the finger as he passed. I didn’t like it but I understood.
Later that day, after the shock wore off and I found myself able to speak again, my wife suggested that maybe this was a message that I should give riding a rest for a while, and not replace the brand new board that I had just seen splayed on 95 South. Honestly, I had thought about it before the words came out of her mouth. It’s not exactly a family-friendly sport as I’m the only one in the family doing it. I’ve been learning how to kite surf for several years and have seen moderate results. My image isn’t going to appear on magazine covers anytime soon (unless somebody got a picture of that shattered board on the highway). But I did enjoy it, nonetheless. Anytime I’m in the water and there are waves, I’m happy.
Before I made my mind up, I talked to my boys about going kiting for the morning and they said they wanted me to stay with them so we could all go to the beach instead. Guilt instilled. Sometimes this tactic works and sometimes it doesn’t. But I was already feeling bad about the boards so the guilt was compounding.
Either way, the boys are starting to embrace surfing and showing a real interest in the sport. I have always enjoyed surfing but it had been put on the back burner a few years ago. My sons started riding waves on my paddleboard, then my nine-foot longboard, then on a rented foam shortboard. Next, we bought a Beater and finally this year my son got his first real shortboard.
It all kind of makes me feel like a parent whose boys have made the honor roll. My own father used to stand on the beach and watch me surf, but being with my boys as they go through the learning process is unmatched. Coaching them on body position, paddling technique, and catching a wave has helped me get better as well. They’re progressing much faster than I did, which is good because (as most of us know) it’s a sport that can be very frustrating to learn. And some days I’m more of a cheerleader than a coach, trying to give them confidence and get over the anxiety of trying something new. Like any difficult sport, though, it gets easier over time and with support.
I’m happy I can give them something we could all use more of. And I’m absolutely sure that the joy I’m finding in this new role is ten times better than anything I’ve lost. And I can always kitesurf later.
