Kendall is on her middle school's surf team and today was the last contest of the year. They held it at Steamer Lane which is a huge step up from the last couple of events she participated in down at the Capitola Jetty. When we showed up waves with 4 to 6 foot faces were pouring through. I could see from the look on her face that it would be a colossal battle of wills to get her to compete - a battle that I would ultimately lose. So after needling her a bit about being a wimp I suggested we just scratch her from the competition and I'd grab my longboard and take her out for her first session at the Lane.
It was definitely the right call. Kendall did great and it boosted her confidence. We worked our way down from the Indicator section at the Lane to Cowells which was super fun with all the sand bars. We finished tired, sunburned and hungry.
I try to get Kendall out every now and then. No great aspirations for the World Championship Tour, just would like her to learn when she’s young so she can always grab a board and go out for some fun with her friends. Plus, as I continue that inexorable march toward being an aged cripple and am relegated to longboarding, Kendall can come out and push me into a few.