SOARing in Northern California with Chris Kiefer

During the Northern California trip we went surfing. That was my first time surfing and I was definitely nervous. I had no idea of what to do nor how to do it. The staff gave us a basic lesson and then we got in the water. I paddled out and then once Wes was done getting another student on the waves, I went up. After a few small waves passed Wes told me to start paddling and I rode my first wave, and then I wanted to catch many, many more.

When on the waves I felt like I was riding my bike, both the object I'm on and I are moving. Several times I kept moving even after my board had stopped. I didn't wipe out too much, and every time I did, I got right back on the board and rode another. One time while riding, by complete accident and in no way planned, seven of us all rode on a wave, thus making the biggest party wave of our time surfing. A party wave is a wave that several people are all on at once. The best wave I had was one that the first part carried me a little ways, then a bigger one right behind it took me all the way to the beach.

I loved surfing. The adrenaline when you get a big wave, the feeling of almost flying when you go flying off, and the fun we had as a group. I would love to go surfing again, especially if it was the same waves we had on my favorite days of the expedition.