The summer of surfing


The day was August 28th, 2010 and something about that particular day would be
remembered by many. It could have been called the perfect storm by some people, to others it
was more than just a storm.





























However, it all goes back to the summer of 2009, more than a year ago. Three friends
Kevin, Mark, and Luke who had nothing to do over summer except sleep, play video games, and
eat. One day Kevin had brought over one of his brothers surfing movies to watch. The movie
was called “Endless Summer” and it was about two friends who travel all around the world
looking for the best surfing spots. The boys were no strangers to surfing because they all had
lived close to the beach their whole lives. After watching the movie the boys were amazed by the
sport of surfing. Not only did the movie get them out of the house it inspired them to have an
“Endless Summer” of their own.

The next day Kevin, Mark, and Luke decided to search the internet for a couple of cheap
beat-up surfboards, which didn’t take long because there are so many surfers in Florida. Once the
boys all had their own boards and after some quick repairs to make sure they were water tight
they were ready to go and try them out. None of them knew much about surfing besides that it
looked like a fun way to kill time. However, after a five minute bike ride to the beach they
discovered that there were no waves at all. So instead of giving up they went to a hotel on the
beach, jumped the fence and practiced paddling and standing up in the pool. Even though they
knew that they looked ridiculous they were having more fun than ever, although security at the
hotel eventually kicked them out for being too “disruptive.”

After returning home later that night the boys were exhausted but couldn’t wait to see
what the beach had to deliver the next day. At 6:00am all three of the boys woke up, at a bowl of
cereal, put on their baggies, and made a mad dash to the beach. When they arrived they
discovered that there were actually waves. Without hesitation all three ran to the water and began
paddling out as quickly as possible. Mark, who is the tallest of the group, had always been very
fond of the ocean. The other two boys met up with Mark short after. Now the waiting began for
the perfect set wave. When a set came in Luke paddled up to it caught it and stood up but fell
shortly after. After about two hours later all three of them had caught a few waves each and they
started heading home knowing they had more fun than ever. Mark, Kevin, and Luke knew that
summer wasn’t going to last forever like the guys in the movie. School would be starting in less
than a month and they would be starting their softmore year.

As summer came to a close all three friends had bought newer surfboards and all three
had improved greatly. Mark, who just turned 16, got his license and his parents bought him a
brand new truck so he had the privilege of hauling his two buddies around. When school got
back in the boys surfed until the water got too cold because they didn’t have wetsuits.

Throughout the school year the boys missed surfing and couldn’t wait until summer came
around. When school was finally out the second their last exam was over all three of the rushed
to the beach and surfed until the cows came home. Once they knew that they were getting better
they decided to enter in a surf contest. At the contest all three of them surfed their hearts out but
despite their efforts they were eliminated early on. They didn’t take their defeat as a reason to
quit but a reason to get better and they continued to surf as much as possible, although Luke had
to get a job to help his family because his dad lost his job at Kennedy Space center.

When the friends were split up it wasn’t the same and when Kevin started hanging out
with his older brother and made some bad decisions. Kevin started doing drugs which wasn’t
cool to Mark and Luke. Mark was often alone out surfing and missed his friends. Marks parents
were very wealthy and he was an only child so his friends were like his brothers. A week later all
three of the friends finally were able to meet up and go surfing. Luke had mentioned a tropical
storm that was expected to hit the coast of Florida in a week. The boys had never surfed a
hurricane but have talked to people that say it can either make your day or ruin it. This made the
friends both scared and excited.

It was two days before the storm and surf reports predicted perfect 6-9 foot waves with
offshore winds. The boys couldn’t wait and even planned on skipping school. Since the
beginning of summer Luke’s dad had found a new job and Mark stopped hanging out with his
brother and his friends and had quit doing drugs. The gang was back and they knew that they
were ready for the storm.

It was the morning of August 28th and the three friends woke up ate breakfast but all took
their time knowing that there were monstrous waves out in the ocean. When they arrived at the
beach they all thought about their first day out surfing and how much fun they had. They knew
that they were risking their lives but this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. When they got
to the water’s edge they admired the beauty of the ocean and all at once paddled out. It was a 45
minute battle to get out duck-diving underneath wave after wave. When they all reached the
outside of the waves they waited for the perfect opportunity to take a wave. Kevin was the first
one to go for a wave, a solid 8 foot wave which he paddles into. When he took the drop he
slipped off of his board and was pulled underneath by the massive wave. Luke and Mark look
but still didn’t see their friend or his board. It had been 20 seconds but it felt like hours. When
Kevin finally surfaced gasping for air the other two were relieved to see their friend unharmed.
This put fear into all three of their eyes and they contemplated their decision to surf a hurricane.
After Mark realized that he had to catch at least one wave and he saw the on, a massive ten foot
wave which was lining up to his liking. He went for it paddled his heart out, took the drop and
shot down the line. Although he was scared out of his mind he pulled in to the barrel and rode it
all the way down the beach smiling cheek to cheek. His two friends watched their friend in
astonishment. It encouraged them to take similar waves and they too had the time of their lives.
When they met up at the boardwalk after none of them said a word to each other and on the car
ride home they were silent. The boys knew that although they didn’t have a truly endless summer
they all had the time of their lives and knew that they would be best friends forever and surfing
would always be their favorite thing to do.