The Lion's Pride vol. 3 (Feb. 2015) | Page 13

old, we got Boogie Boards, a spongy foam body board for riding waves. We spent hours out in the water, me probably more than my brother. I went Boogie boarding (lying on the board on my stomach, riding waves) with my parent’s friend’s kids and when my friends were around, I’d go with them, pretty much anybody that would go out in the water with me. I grew to love being in the water. We’d even camp at the beach for weekends, our family and other family friends would all camp together, most of the time at Carpinteria beach camp grounds in California. Carpinteria beach is a very flat beach; with waves that washed up onto the beach thin and flat, and would stay on the beach for longer than normal. I would lay my Boogie Board on the beach, take a few steps back and wait for the right moment when the water would wash up under the board. I’d run and jump on the Boogie board, for a short ride into the shallow water. I would do these short rides over and over for hours at the time. I didn’t know that I was learning the balance I needed for surfing. After a few seasons of riding the Boogie Board in the water and on the beach, I was ready for the next step, “Skim boarding.”