The Beautiful Surfboards of Haleiwa
8 September, 2015These kids are better at _____ than you!
7 October, 2015Like every year around this time summer has finally and inevitably come to an end, the vacations we all had longed for for months are over and we have returned home trying to make our way back into what is called the “real” world. Some of us are lucky enough to call home a place where there are decent, surfable waves all year around and now only need to worry about matching up swell forecasts with their work schedules. For the rest of us though, now begins the longest season of the year, the one where we sense a permanent longing for the boards and places that mean the world to us. In other words, the dark, cold nine months of non-summer we only seem to survive by regularly checking Skyscanner and secretly plotting our one-way escape to Indo.
So how about this year we don’t let the dark season be quite as dark, try to get the most fun out of it and maybe get prepared to surf a bit better next year along the way? Here are some ideas to lift your mood up a bit:
Longboarding
Have you tried longboarding before? It’s really not as hard as it looks (you’ve stood up on a surfboard after all!), is super fun and pretty much feels like surfing on concrete with the additional perk that it actually gets you to places. Don’t be shy; I predict that you have at least one friend who owns one. So ask them if you can borrow it for a day, find yourself a nicely paved road, preferably little traffic and incline, and give it a go!
Stand Up Paddling
Now I am aware that we are talking about the cold, dark season, so outdoor water sports isn’t exactly what you expected to read here, BUT in most places the stand up paddling season is about as long as the kayaking and canoeing season, which means well into October at least. Although it might seem tricky at first it’s actually quite easy to hold your balance on a SUP, so no worries about falling into the water. And if you do make sure to wear a nice and cozy wetsuit, I promise you things won’t be half as bad and a cup of mulled wine afterwards will taste twice as good.
Slacklining
Slacklining is another one of these sports you watch others do on nice summer days in the park and never considered yourself ever capable of. Trust me, you are! The things you essentially need for slacklining – except for a slackline and a place to put it – are a good balance and muscular tension. It will take some practice for you to take your first steps, but the reward is even bigger since next to the accomplishment you might even improve your surfing with your new found balance and body strength. Although this is mostly a summer activity many gyms are starting to offer classes during the winter as well. Just check in your area, I’m sure you’ll find one!
I hope I could lift up your spirits a bit and give you some ideas to brighten up the rest of the year. Try some of these or tell us about your favorite ways to pass the time until next summer as quickly as possible. And remember, if nothing works there is a nice and welcoming surf school in northern Tenerife that would be happy to help you out! Until then, don’t hesitate, get out there, make it happen!