Surf's up, surf's down by Tom Keer originally printed in Cape Cod Magazine

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TornAaerdiscovorstha JoVoFrising ond Fcrllinq uith tha ulcrv@s itting on a longboard just past the beach break gives every surfer some time to think. The gentle rise and fall of the swell is relaxing. For most of my life I looked at the -..-ocea$ed

saw the frqglof,an appfobbhqB wave.

I'd seesome folks swimming or surfing, lnd kids

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I still see the back of a wave and all the people scatteredalong the beach. I seepeople sitting at the baseof the dunes,the middle of the beach,and artthe waters edge.I can look for miles qld miles.

Good things come to those who wait and you learn that on the longboard. A rational thinker :

would suggesra surfer pick each of the biggest waveFfor maximum output But a -glrfer picks

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l ' r ' c r u n i n t o s u r f c t ' s i o t ' t h c p i r s t f c n ' c l c c r t c l e s , P L r n r pH o u s c S u r f S h o p i r t O r l e a r t s . b u t I c l i c l n ' t r e a l l v l i n o u , a r t r ' . I ' c ' lb c t h c g u y i i s h i n u

Nlatt lcrrrneclto sttrf froltt his dacl lvho wrls otle

t h c b c a c h * ' h i l c r l t c v s a f o f f t h c b r t r s i t t t h c r t r c r t sI

of thc originrrl Cepc (.ocl strricl's bacl< irl tllc lc)(r0s.

n , i s h I c o u l c ' l r c r t c h . T h c r ' ' c l r t l u ' r t v s p r r s s i r l o t - t us o t l l c

O L r r s k i l l c c l i n s t r L t c f o t ' s t r r r t c c sl L t r f i t t s , t s r t l < i c ' Ir,l t l c l

pleccs rvhct'c rhcv srru' iish artclI'cl pass rrlottg tlcrv

Its rvith rilr\,one rvhO ctltlllliltes tlrletlt $'ith prlrcticc,

[ ' r r r r st h r r t I ' c 1 s c e i t f t c r r r s t o r l t - ] . N ' l v c l c s i r e t o f r t k c

he nrrtkes it looli crts\ ettotlgh ior rtttr'oltc to do.

ro thc \\'llvcs on rl l)olrrtl strlrtetl u,hctt l'llv tcll-\'cilr-

O L r r l c s s o n s i r r c h el c l r r t N r r t t s c t B c r r c h r i , h c r e t l t c

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o l c l s t c p s o n , I s l ' l r r c ,r ' ' ' i r t t t e c lt < t l c r r r t l f o s l t r i , . r r l c l i t

o i f s h o r c p a r r r l l c l b r r r s r r r c l o t t g r t t r c ic l o s c t o s h o r c

sccrlecl lil<c rtou,\\'ils thc tirnc. It \\'il\ ltt\'\\'ifc

r r n c ' tl l r r k c c r r s v s p o t s f o l ' b e g i r t r t c r s . S o r t k i t l g i r l t h e

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A n s c l r r ' s i c l c a i o r - u s t o l i t r l l i c i t r r f a t l t c r r t t r c ls o t . t

s r r n s h i n e a n c l r L r g g i r t go l t ( ) L t rw c f s L l i t s , r v c g r i l l ) o t l r

borrrcling oppot'tut-rin. Hatl I ttot cttrcrcci frtthcr-

I o n g b o r r r c l s r ' t n c l r v r t l k c l o r v t t f o r , r ' ' h e t ' ct h e w r l \ r e s

h o o c l l u ' o L t l d t t ' t h r r v c t r r l i c t t , t l e s s o t ' t ,b u f I s r r r r c

Itrc sVllltlletricrrl irtltl lttlifOrtll .

n ' l r n t c c l t o l c r r t ' t - tt o s t t r i . \ X / l t r r t i r t g t o s t t t ' p t ' i r c t t s .

A n g c l r r b o L r g h t u s l c s s o t t sf r o r r t \ l r r t t l { i v e r s a r t h c

N { a t t h a s I s r r r r cr t t t c ' l l r r v c l o l v t t o t t o l l r l l o r ' r r c ' l st l t r thc' beach to gct our boclr'positiortittg righr. Strrfirlg

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is about balance, and the difference between catching a wave and taking a plunge is finding that balance.The balance keepsthe nose riding iust above the water's edge. If you're too far forward on the board then you dig in, topple forward erndwipe out. If you're paddling, it's a lot harder to catch the wave you want. Good balance on the board means you can get easy cuts and longer, smoother rides.'We slowly learn how to position our bodies to paddle out past the beach break, how to paddle to catch a wave, and how to get Llp on our knees. After some practice, we learn how to pop up with our feet on the board as Isaac and I laugh and smile at our wobbling legs.

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I ) r ' o l r r t h l it h e b i s g c s t s u l - p l - i s ef o r r r r c i s r h e p . t c l _ cllrrtg o t r t p r t s t t l r c b e a eh b r e . t l i . \ l . r t t s h o n s r r s h o n . t , g r ' 1r . r pi l r ( l ( ) \ ' c r ' ( ) l r e ( ) l t i l r g \\.ll\es.trclh,* f, g. t h ' , L r g l r f l r e f . 1 ' r s. f r h c n r . H c * ' r r r c s t h c s r r r l r r c ef . r

t h t ' c l c er r c r \-\ i r t c l -. r t l r c . L r t s i r l c, f t h c p a r r r l l el b e r \ \ ' c l r ec r u p u , i t h r r s r - i nr ri n g \ l . rt t .

l t s c o u n t c r i r r r L r r tci r l r s l r r t v t h i n g l ' r c c r e r - r l o n c . h t r t o l t c r \ \ ' e g t : f L l s c r lt < l i t t r n t l g ( ) t g o i n g i f i s r . r t s r .

o r r r r v e i g h t r u - o r i n cflt r r ' p r . r c t i c c .c h r r r r t l cr l i r - e c t r t l n r r . c lc l u r r l - r , l f t h e b , r r . c l [ r r ' f . r - es h , r c . I r e s i r r r p l i s -

\ I l r t t g c t s i r r r , 1 - r , s i r i , rir, f l r c * ' r r t c r .j r r s tb e i . . c l t h c l r r c r t l i i n gn r t re. F l e l r o l t l st h c l r o r r r - icnl p l r r c cr r n d lrctte'tl'irctiol).errl thc strcliiress hclps Lrs liccp u ' r t i f sf o r r l r c . \ \ ' i t \ et \o e u r - rl r p b s 1 . , 1 ,u, s. g. H e r c l l sL r s f r , . r s l i t i i r g r r r o L l r r l ( ) l r ( ) L ' ' [ ' ' , , 1 r ' c l sr.. r i a g o l r l . \ t r h en r r n c lh o u h r r r t lf o P e t l t l l c .' l ' l r c l i r - s tf r u f i n r c s b el l r . r h o r e t h e \ \ ' i t f c r . i i c c p i n u n t r h e r r r l u p 1 1 1 . 1 \ \ ' c s t r i r i l ..lr r r r r . r t r s c llcr sr r t lp l r c l c l lh c , r r - ct .l g c t r t h e l r d t i , r r g t l r e c l ' i r \ \ ' ls t r r l < c * i t h 1 r \ t l r \ r l l - r r s r s r r b , L r f , l t l r c \ \ ' i r ' r r r r r t sl u r - fi t . r l l r h r .\ \ , . r \r ( , s h . r e . \ \ , r ,s h i f t

Fot' rhc srlrrllcr-\\'il\'('s n c sliint ovcr rht, top ol the *.rtcr. f.r' thc rr,clc'rrrc sizctl r)r('\ \\'(' rcrrr .1-r . l t c l c , . r s t . i er t l r c r r , l r r r l f < l r t h e l r g , r r c s * r ' r li r e t u . r i c ' r r . t l s r r i r r o l r t h r . t r g h t o t h r ' , t l r . r - s i t i e. I .

t i c r r r r cbl c r r r r t i f r r lh i t h r r , * ' c 1 ' r r r d r l br er r c l ,, r r f r r r r i r c p e r l tr h e r i c l ei t g i l l n . , \ f t c r l t l c u s r r c c c s s f r r -l rnr s . \ \ . e n r ( ) \ . co n t o t h e l t c \ t 5 t e Po l g c t t i n gt ( ) ( ) u r - k n t , eus. l r i l cr - i c l i n rsn .

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p a d c i e [ r : r . ';i]' , crnd hou to get u p o n , f u r k n e O 5 . "

Pr>sitionin{rthe lrorrrclto get in front oi the wi.lve

cnjov thc ruslt of the wiltcr, thc blLrcsoi rhe slc', rrtrcl

rerluirc'ssonrc tirtring, rrnd thcre is rr cluick nrovc-

feelingof lertrningsonrcthingne\\'. thc rrccornplishecl

r-t-tcnt of grrrlrbing thc eclgcof the lroitrcl attcl po1-r- Ancl u'hcn vou relilr lnorc. cvervthilrgilou's berrer. p r i n gi n t o 1 - r o s i t i o n .

This stcp trrkcsrr littlc morc tinrc ior tre thr'tnfor

If I rvipc oLrr.u,ho crtrcs?When t'olt're i1forte of rhe lresr berrcheson (.apc Cod rrnclit's 11wrlnrt sunrtv

Isrrrrc.I seenr to ['re cithcr tt>o frrr iorr.virrclott the b<xrrclanclcligthe nosc inro the \\'rlvc()r l;lttt too i;.tr

clilr',nrho clrn cottrpliiin?

brrck on the borrrd anc'lir scluirts or-tt fron-t ltnclcr-

l l a c k u p o n f h e h o t s r r n d ,\ \ ' e f u g o u t ' n ' e t s L t i tosi t ()rte our shoulclcrsrurcljoin rr groLlllof locrrlsLrrfers.

nerrthnre. During rr fcrv other titt-tcstrr'finring is oii

of rhe glrvson thc bcrrchhrrsrr beitutifulb<xrrclrttrldc

. Vecchioncsplirshis r'rsfrrstas l shoLtlclltr'n'c.I lose bv locrrlsurfer ShrtrvnVecchione or I neglcct to trrrrclcllc (.ocl Han'rrii ricling \\'ilves C.e;re arrcl tinrc benveen higli nosc of boarcl ricles irrtcl rhe spceclrrnclthert thc sittce lrorrrcls.He's been shrtpingl'rorrrcls I rliss the n'rtvc. Whcn I iinallv itct thc rr;rprtxtch rrnclsl-rirpring lL)c)c).rrncl custornizes ertch llorrrd ro thc surfcr's right I citn scttle into citfchintr sonre rttore. With everv aclclitionaln'itvc I crttch, I reliir evct.ttttore rtttcl

tr'lstcslrncl nref-ercnccs.

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Ma tt Riv er s at t he Pu n rp House Surf Shop Highway.

9 Cranberry Orleans 5082402226

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