June 28th at approximately 10:28am. There was a little over a
minute left in the NSSA Nationals Explorer repercharge. All six surfers
were fiercely battling for waves at a small, swell deprived Lower
Trestles. I sat on the peak calmly, having already caught three solid
waves, and waited for the remaining time to tick away. I watched a small
lump approach and grow, as it hit the reef, into a decent waist-high peak.
Turning around to paddle, I met Nicole Grodesky paddling frantically in
the same direction. "Let me have this one, I only have two," she
pleaded. Knowing my advancement was already secure I did what I would have
done for any one of my friends. I let her go left and I took the weaker
right. On account of my generosity she acquired a third score and
advanced. "Thanks, I needed that," she said on the beach when
the results were announced. We advanced to the final together.
By
the afternoon of June 30th, the swell was finally
showing. The sets were still inconsistent, but when they came in, a
series of head-high to overhead waves broke on the reef and spun off
towards the beach in both directions. With three other friends in
the final, I was confident that our chances of overtaking the other
two competitors were good. Sitting in the channel while waiting for
the heat to start, I reminded the group, "no
interferences!" Amber Puha added a request for communication,
and everyone agreed. Not much more than five minutes later, I was
paddling back to the peak after having caught a decent left. Nicole
was sitting on the outside waiting. Soon, the first wave of a set
rolled towards us and we struggled for position.
"Going left," she announced.
"I’m going right," I replied.
We were shoulder to shoulder, paddling, and then I stood up. She
tried to stand also, but I was just a little quicker. I put my right
arm out to keep her from dropping in on top of me, and then pumped
down the line to the right. The wave closed out after two weak
turns, and I paddled back out. She was still on the outside,
paddling nervously, searching for a wave.
"You had to keep me off that," she accused, and then added
in a half-frustrated, half-pleading whine, "you just had
one!"
I remembered my kindness in the repercharge and wondered if she had
expected the same this time. Did she forget that my goal was to win?
"Yeah, but this is the final," I responded.
The rest of the heat was a testimony of patience, punctuated by long
rights and solid scores. For the first time in my five-year NSSA
career, I was surfing a Nationals final without choking. I waited
for the sets and then I didn’t fall. After a double blast of the
air horn (signifying the end of the heat), I was met on the beach by
assurances of my victory. Even coaches of my competitors
congratulated me on winning the title. The incident with Nicole was
almost forgotten.
On June first, the NSSA Nationals banquet completely filled a large
conference room at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott with sun-burnt
competitors, drunken team managers, and mothers, fathers, brothers,
sisters, and friends. Late into the evening, Janice Aragon the
national director called the Explorer Women’s finalists up to the
stage. We stood there in nervous expectation as she began to read
the results beginning at sixth place. I stood confidently, mentally
planning my acceptance speech.
"Coming in sixth…from the Southwest…Nicole Grodesky."
Suddenly, the memory of the interference popped back into my
consciousness. The look on Nicole’s face was one of resigned
disappointment. She flashed me an accusing glare. My palms began to
sweat, and a few seconds later my grand imaginings were shattered.
"In third…from the Southwest…"
I expected to hear Amber Puha’s name, but instead I heard my own.
"A double interference?" I wondered in shock as I angrily
grabbed the third place trophy. Sena Seramur began her speech
"I’m ba-ack!" But I wasn’t really listening.
I walked back to my seat with my head down. On the way, I heard,
"You really got first!" "Third? That’s
bullshit!" I couldn’t have agreed more, but unfortunately,
the judges had spoken.
Nicole and Amber crouched down next to my seat to discuss the
results. Nicole continued her accusations.
"You were holding me the whole time."
I was too disappointed to respond. Looking at the judges’ sheets
later confirmed the double interference. Their written comments
indicated that the right and left had been equal and neither surfer
gave way. Without the penalty I would have won easily.
On the drive home, my boyfriend John and I debated the incident.
What did I do wrong? What should I have done? He suggested that the
mistake had not been made during the final, but in the heat prior.
"Competition is cut-throat. By giving her that wave in the
repercharge, you showed her that you will give in. No wonder she
expected you to back down."
I tried to rationalize my actions. I was convinced that I had done
the right thing. She was my friend after all. But, our friendship
and that silly incident left her in sixth place, and cost me title.
While incredibly frustrating, it was a valuable learning experience.
That one wave will be filed in the "mistakes to be
remembered" category along with many others. As I now cross
over into the professional realm, I will alter my philosophy and
join with my peers in leaving friendships on the beach. |
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