Kimberly paced at the front door. Her grandfather was not due to pick her up for another ten minutes. She could not stand still. Her excitement grew stronger by the minute.
For almost a year, twelve-year-old Kimberly dreamed of this day. After watching a surfing competition the previous summer while visiting her grandparents in Long Beach, New York, Kimberly yearned to ride the waves.
Today was her first lesson, a wonderful birthday present from her grandparents.
Grandpa was hardly out of the car before she ran out to meet him, yelling back to her mom, “Grandpa’s here. Bye, Mom.”
Kimberly’s mom rushed down the stairs and outside.
“Hi, Dad,” she called as Kimberly jumped in the car.
“I guess Kimberly is pretty excited. I better get going,” Grandpa said to his daughter-in-law. “I will keep my eye on her.”
Kimberly’s mom waved as Grandpa drove away.
It took Grandpa two and a half hours to go from Kimberly’s house in Pennsylvania to Long Beach, New York.
Grandpa lived right by the ocean, which Kimberly loved.
Although Kimberly was disappointed her grandma couldn’t be there, she understood. She was excited that grandma had a meeting in California about the film rights to her book, Marcel, The Legend of Cudjoe Key.
“Your grandma will be back tomorrow and you can fill her in on surfing. She also told me to give you this as part of your birthday present,” Grandpa said while handing Kimberly a package.
Kimberly eagerly opened it. “A wetsuit,” she cried. “Wow, this is great. Thank you and Grandma so much.”
“You may want to put it on. The ocean temperature is in the mid-sixties,” Grandpa said.
Kimberly quickly changed while Grandpa went to the garage for the beach equipment.
Together they walked up to the beach and arrived at the surf school location thirty minutes before the scheduled lesson.
Kimberly was a bit nervous. She appeared to be the youngest of the five students. Three girls between the ages of seventeen and nineteen and a boy around fifteen happily discussed their surfing expectations.
The three girls were getting a group lesson while Kimberly and the young man were each getting a private lesson.
Three instructors, all in the early twenties, came out to greet the students. Instructors John and Sharon made sure everyone had a wetsuit and proper surfboard. Casey checked everyone’s paperwork.
The three teenage girls could not take their eyes of Casey. At 6’3” with black wavy hair, Casey was everyone’s favorite instructor.
“I hope we get him. He is gorgeous,” the tall redhead said.
Her two friends readily agreed.
Much to the teenage girls’ dismay, Casey’s assignment was Kimberly.
Kimberly could hardly talk. She shyly said, “Hello” to Casey, who was just as nice and friendly as he was handsome.
He explained all the basics in just about twenty minutes while on the beach. Once the students practiced getting up on the surfboard successfully, they headed to the water. Kimberly was a quick learner and mastered getting up on the board within minutes.
While Kimberly got her surfing lesson, Grandpa watched from a perfect location on the beach. He had a clear view of everything, and despite two bad shoulders, one fake and one bad knee, he was ready to spring into action should Kimberly need him. He was always willing to go the distance for his granddaughter.
As he observed Kimberly strapping the board cord to her ankle, it brought back memories of surfing with his son Keith on Long Beach Island, New Jersey years ago.
He laughed out loud as he remembered his Ron John’s long board from the early ‘60s. Grandpa never claimed that he got up on it or ever rode a wave, but it proved the perfect sitting vehicle for him to observe his son.
Keith, Kimberly’s father, was a young, hard-working doctor. He didn’t have much free time anymore to surf, but in his younger days, he could ride a wave with the best of them.
Grandpa remembered buying Keith a short board. One day after they arrived at the beach carrying their boards, Grandpa recalled Keith asking him, “Dad, why don’t you get a short board like mine?”
“Are you kidding?” Grandpa exclaimed. “I am a 275-pound, banged-up ex-football player. I would need one of those short boards for each leg for me to ever get up.”
Keith howled with laughter just imagining his dad standing on two boards.
Grandpa hoped that someday, he would watch Keith and Kimberly ride the waves together. He might even get his long board out from the basement and join them.
Now it was time for Kimberly to put what she learned on the beach into practice. She and Casey headed into the ocean.
Grandpa poised himself for action. While he knew Casey was the most qualified surf instructor, he left nothing to chance. If needed, Grandpa knew what to do. He was a former lifeguard. Sure it was forty-five years ago, but he still had it, or at least hoped he did.
Casey followed Kimberly as she made her way out to deeper water. Casey told her exactly what to do and when to do it. He held the back of the board while she got on. She lay on her stomach.
“Okay, Kimberly, when we catch a wave, I will hold the back of the board to keep it steady. As we start to move, get up in a kneeling positon like you practiced on the beach. Once you feel comfortable, try to stand.”
Kimberly was so excited. A small wave came. Casey said, “Let try this one.”
Lying on her stomach, Kimberly could feel the board moving as she paddled with her arms. Casey held it steady. They moved forward.
“Time to stand up,” Casey said. Kimberly tried her best, but fell to the side off the board and crashed into the sea. She quickly got up and back on the board. After three more attempts, she got up and rode the wave toward shore only to fall flat, a total wipeout. The same thing happened the next eight tries.
Casey offered words of encouragement. He told her that she was doing well for her first experience on a surfboard, but Kimberly thought differently.
About thirty minutes into the lesson, Kimberly could not stay on. She could get up, but that was about it. She felt really bad and somewhat stupid. She didn’t want to keep falling.
“Casey, can I take a break and go see my grandfather?” she asked. “I’ll be right back.”
Grandpa got concerned when he saw Kimberly coming over to him with a sad look on her face.
“What’s wrong, Kimberly? He asked gently
“Grandpa, I can’t do this. I thought I could, but I can’t stay up,” she said with tears dropping from her eyes.
“Sure you can. You just started, honey. Your dad was the same way. It takes quite a few times before you can ride one of those waves. Don’t give up or you will never try it again. You waited a whole year for this. We have a tradition in our family of people who never give up. You can do this. You are strong. All you have to do is know you can do it. I am absolutely confident,” Grandpa told Kimberly.
She smiled with a renewed confidence.
“Besides, I am a war baby. I spent a lot of money for this lesson. You don’t want me to have to go out there and show you how it’s done, do you?” he said with a wide grin.
“Oh no! Not that, Grandpa,” Kimberly laughed and headed back to the lesson.
With Casey’s excellent instruction and each new wave, Kimberly’s confidence grew. About ten minutes after Grandpa’s pep talk, Kimberly rode her first wave all the way in. She casually stepped off the board amid roaring cheers from Grandpa on the beach.
Grandpa was now out of his chair and barreling toward Kimberly at the water’s edge.
“I knew you could do it! I knew you could do it!” he yelled.
Kimberly couldn’t contain herself. She ran to her grandpa’s outstretched arms.
She hugged her grandpa so tight his bad knee went out and they crashed into the water laughing and knowing that Kimberly never gave up.
