Category: Portugal

• Baleal Surfing Camp: Day 2
• Weather: 72 degrees, blue skies with clouds

Morning Lesson: After practicing pop-ups on our boards, albeit boards resting on the sand, we took to the water.

The three instructors are amazing. Each instructor has his style of communicating. No sooner do you return from one ride then they position you for the next wave. Head teacher Dorion speaks with facial and hand expression as only the French can do. He requests, “Would you please hop on.” French civility. His coaching style reminds me of an MBA coach on the sideline. He is openly thrilled with our successes and openly crushed with our failures. He reminds us we must ride waves over and over to create muscle memory. Failures lead to success. New Zealander Jimmy always says, “Get on the board.” In his casual and relaxed attitude, his positive coaching tips are appreciated. Brazilian Junior has the shortest one-liner, “Let’s go” and we pop-up on the board. All agree Junior is the most enthusiastic of our successes. He whistles and shouts like a cowboy at a championship rodeo at our successes.

Yesterday’s failures have been mended by today’s successes. My right leg no longer seems paralyzed. I can lift the right leg forward. I got up and rode the waves a few times…albeit for a few seconds. I mostly tumbles off the board. It’s amazing how much fun failures can be.

Afternoon Lesson: More pop-ups. Eyes forward and not on feet.

With better surfing conditions on the other side of the small peninsula, we made the 15-minutes walk to a new beach. Surf boards can be unwieldy and heavy to carry. An ocean breezes can catch the nose of the board causing it to turn and twist. Jimmy and Junior often carried my board. Students quickly learned two people in tandem can more easily carry two surf boards, one carrying the nose and the other the tail. For me, I could help carry one board in tandem.

My initial thoughts of buying a surf board are absolutely ludicrous.

• Baleal Surfing Camp: Day 1
• Weather: 70 degrees, overcast with a short rain sprinkle while surfing

Baleal Surfing Camp is in the heart of Peniche, Portugal’s world famous surfing beaches. Our instructors come from France, New Zealand, Brazil, and Africa. The 15 students from Luxembourg, Germany, India, China, Ukraine, Poland, Russia, USA.

Morning Lesson: Safety, centering on board, straight arm position, paddling, pop-up (standing on board).

Moans and groans were the collective sound as we squirmed into our wetsuits. It felt like putting a square peg in round hole. With top halves of our suits dangling from hips, the instructors moved about helping us. Their exposed arms and shoulders spoke of the strength needed for surfing. These men were ripped.

Stressing the importance of waterproof sunscreen can’t be overstated. Instructor Dorian had his face totally masked in vivid blue appearing like a character from Braveheart. He held up EQ Stick Soliare waterproof sunscreen, an essential under intense Portugal sun. The vivid blue color was optional.

Morning classes went so well I contemplated where I could keep my own surf board…in basement, in the garage.

Afternoon Lesson: Pop-up

Like Geisha women, Elsa and Yuchen arrived for afternoon class with their faces completely masked white with sunscreen. Each cheek was finished with whimsical turquoise circles. They could have easily passed as mime entertainers.

Afternoon class dissolved all the successes of morning’s class. How hard could a three step to pop-up be? First, hands on board. Second, łeft foot on board. Three, swing right foot forward on board. My right leg would not move forward onto the board. Mentally I could isolate the hip flexor but it wasn’t receiving the brain waves to move. It was as if the leg became paralyzed. With each attempt to get on the board, I tumbled in the water.

All thoughts of a surf board standing in my basement dissolved. Have I peeked out after the first lesson?

PS

I literally ran into Radoslav in LIsbon. I recognized his profile from his surfing past me so many times. Serendipity.