Surf life in New York

NYC was my least preferred city among the four metros I was hoping to move to. I desired to be in Southern California mainly for the surf. I imagined my ideal day to day – get a house in a beach neighborhood, surf in the morning before work. Also, by that point, I had already enjoyed my SoCal life having stayed there for a few months.

Spoiler alert, the best school for data analytics didn’t accept me, instead I moved to NYC. It’s almost two years. And although I don’t live by the beach I am living my dreams – morning surf before data analytics. I’m discovering that NY has beautiful waves, less than an hour away from the city. It took me a year before I got my stoke surfing NYC.

Sometime in October 2018

I guess my first year of surfing here was one of denial. I didn’t think I would have as much fun as I had surfing the Philippines and I have my reasons and I abode by them. The water is cold, the water is dirty, there are a lot of New Yorkers in the lineup (I had my fair share of micro aggressions and people who have no surf etiquette) AND WETSUIT! (wetsuit is a special spoilsport category in itself).

Murky but fun drops (Summer 2020)

Not really crowded lineup (my spoiled secret spot surfer self thinks otherwise)

My brain, being used to breaking up a challenge into bite-sized pieces, bit and chew every piece until the whole problem was solved. It took two years of solving the parts until I got stoked.

• Water cold -- wetsuit
• Crowded line up
• go inside for wave count (there are not a lot of people here too)
• wait outside for big sets (longer waiting time, waves get snaked, people in front of you)
• sometimes there are chill spots too
• Wetsuit -- sometimes you just don’t wear it

Obviously I cannot do anything about the water being murky, but since we’re talking about living the dreams here, there are days when the water is clear and the waves are pumping and I don’t have to wear wetsuit.

Alongers in one of most memorable spots (incomplete)

Going back to being in denial, I think the primary source of this rejection is because I was scared I will never have a surf tribe here. My surf family back home means a lot to me and one of the best part of surfing is I get to share the stoke with them. We have our little rituals that makes surf special.

It can be really fun, I look at the surf forecast like a madman now

New Yorker surfers tend to have the New Yorker style. People mind their businesses -- which make them look like they’re snobs, some mad-paddles -- which make them look scary, some are very aggressive, and then there are some who are just plain kooks. The lineup was silent and rigid. I used to not look forward to surfing, my mindset was to go because I need to remind my body that I surf, not because it’s fun. I had the expectation of not getting stoked.

Taco and beers after surfing messy waves (I only surfed for 10 mins)

The surf experience is slowly changing thanks to my NY surf family – Tyler, Mache and Lauren. My most awaited part is the celebratoy beer and food! In addition to this, the lineup is becoming friendlier, more relaxed. My cerebral subconscious also deviced a strategy for this and my body carried out the plan which is basically to smile!

I started smiling at people, 80% of the time at least. My big win is the Godfather of our spot, he was this old bald guy who usually surfs longboard without a leash. It took a lot of unacknowledged smiles and good mornings before he finally warmed up to me. His facial reactions to my smile transformed from creeped out to indifference to smiles, good mornings and cheers!

I’m starting to make friends with other city and local surfers and the lineup sounds more lively now with yiiiiws and that-looked-fun remarks.

I’m calling this out as one of living my dream moments so here’s a blog entry, can’t wait for the next ones and the next stokes!

Bonus: Foam by the shore