Surfing etiquette

The first time I ever tried to surf was in late November, when I bribed a friend of mine to teach me how. He showed me a few tricks, and casually we paddled our way out into the water, as half a dozen of my other friends watched for their own amusement on dry land. As scary as it was to try to catch my first wave, as small as it was, I managed to even stand up a little bit, just in time for my friends to wave and cheer. Mainly we just sat around, waiting, along with the other two dozen surfers that showed up for the day. What I remember most was how Ben explained the life of a surfer to me, while we were sitting in the calm of the ocean. "You see," he said lazily, "Surfing isn't really a sport. It's not organized, or all the time active. You spend a lot of time just relaxing, connecting with the waves, with nature."

After several months of surfing I have finally bought my very own long board. Upon reflection, I agree with what Ben said on both accounts. I can confirm that I have "connected with nature," or at least my bruised body can account for my connection with the wave, as I have tumbled, fell, slipped, numerous times. Many surfers on Reunion island also come back with lovely souvenirs of sea urchin bits stuck in their feet, or coral that cut up their legs.

Secondly, surfing is definitely not what I would call "organized," especially at 11 AM on a Sunday morning. Not only do you have all of the aggressive "professional" surfers out yelling at everyone who cuts them off from their perfect wave, or shoving people out of the way, but you also have all of the surf schools, with students that accidentally plow over everything that is in their way. Learning the "rules" of traffic in surfing is like learning a new language. It seems pretty straight forward, but there always seems to be exceptions or people that break the rules.

Despite the hardships, especially as a beginner surfer, it's also proven to be a great way to interact with others. You never know who you will meet up with in the water, whether it be a twelve year old boy who is learning English in school, or a kind boogie boarder that takes pity on you and gives you advice. Slowly over time, faces and people start to look familiar. People of all ages, all sizes. The only thing that appears to be out of place is the fact that most of these people are....white. Although some people claim to know the reason for this phenomenon, be it money or lack of interest, it is rather strange that almost everyone I know is not from here originally, or whose origins are from "Metropole" (France). I suppose just another thing to think about as I chase down more waves.