Waking up this morning the weather wasn't very promising...no wind, cloudy, and cooler. But that didn't stop Sally from taking the chance to take us surfing! We were all so excited on the van ride to the Conway Centre ready to give surfing a chance. We gathered our gear hurrying to beat the high tide so we could check for waves at the beaches. We drove about 30 minutes to Rhosneigr on Anglesey and checked out three different beaches there for the best waves, finally parking at Broad Beach where the waves were about 1-2 feet tall. We carried our surfboards to the beach, set up our wind breaker for our supplies and during lunch. We immediately began our surfing adventure, first learning how to lay on the board, about the center so that the front wouldn't nose dive and the back wouldn't sink. Before hitting the water Sally had us stand up on our board with one foot straight forward and one sideways in the back. As soon as we were ready we raced into the water excited to test our new techniques. We had to get past the bigger waves and wait for a break, which Sally informed us was about every seven waves. As I turned my board to face the shore I paddled as hard and fast as I could and took two big strokes just as the wave began to carry me and lifted up with my arms, surfing the wave! I was really proud of myself for successfully riding the wave and being confident in my ability to do it. The next couple attempts to surf I was trashed by the waves, swallowing a lot of salt water along the way. It scared me going under the water for that short time and not knowing where I was going to end up, but Sally taught us to hold tight to our boards because they were our main buoyancy aid. I learned to keep my mouth closed when the waves came and blow out of my nose to avoid that awful experience again. Before long I was able to ride the waves on my knees, working my way to being able to stand up. I didn't want to stop, I was having so much fun, even after crashing multiple times, I wanted to keep trying until I got it. It was great seeing all the other team members successfully riding the waves, a couple even standing up already! We were all so cheerful of one another, encouraging each other even after a bad crash, making the experience so much better. I had a lot of close attempts to stand up on my board, but all of them ended with me falling over. It was frustrating at times not being able to stand up when it seemed that everyone else was having no problem. I knew that if I was patient enough and had the confidence to do it I could stand. But it would have to be after lunch since it was that time to reenergize our bodies.
None of us realized how hungry we were until we bit into our sandwiches. We were just having so much fun we didn't want to take a break. After lunch we were feeling much colder now that we had stopped exercising so we played a couple games to warm ourselves up. Sally entered us in a Winter Olympics Game testing our skills by cross country skiing, speed skating, snowboarding, bobsledding, and even curling! It was great fun and helped get our blood flowing. We continued playing games that included making a HUGE pizza together and bum wrestling. By the end of our activities we were ready to head back into the water to continue our surfing skills. By this time the tide had gotten much lower, revealing more than twice as much of the sand than when we first got to the beach. This time around I was determined to stand up on my board. After countless failed attempts but still having fun learning I finally stood on my board! It was the best feeling being able to stand after all the hard work and determination I put into it. Sally cheered me on from the beach and I couldn't help but smile at my accomplishment. The rest of us continued to catch waves, struggling as the day went on since the tide was so low and the waves weren't as big. I didn't want the day to end but Sally soon called us into the shore. She gave us a couple buddy challenges to do on the surf boards so Elliot and I choose to be partners. Our first challenge was to ride a wave together on the surf board. It took many of us several attempts, but Elliot and I finally caught a wave both staying on the board. The next challenges consisted of standing on the board, doing a headstand, and somersault on the surf board while the other partner held the board. Last but not least we tried flipping our boards upside down, under water and flipping it right side up again, a helpful technique if one's board were to flip. After the activities everyone was pretty sore and weak after surfing all day and getting beat up by the waves. I had the greatest time surfing and would have never imagined myself being able to surf, let alone stand up on the board! I can't wait to try this activity again someday. This summer or spring break next year possible?
Other exciting news...this last Tuesday Elliot, Molly, Sarah, Annie and I walked down to the Bangor University Business Building because the Queen was coming to visit there. Yes...the Queen of England! We were within feet of her as she was sitting in the backseat of a car that took her to the building. She waved at all of the viewers in her bright pink matching coat and skirt outfit. It was so exciting to see the Queen in Bangor at our University! We caught more glimpses of her as she passed from one building to the next and got a couple pictures to prove it. This week was definitely filled with exciting, eventful things=)
None of us realized how hungry we were until we bit into our sandwiches. We were just having so much fun we didn't want to take a break. After lunch we were feeling much colder now that we had stopped exercising so we played a couple games to warm ourselves up. Sally entered us in a Winter Olympics Game testing our skills by cross country skiing, speed skating, snowboarding, bobsledding, and even curling! It was great fun and helped get our blood flowing. We continued playing games that included making a HUGE pizza together and bum wrestling. By the end of our activities we were ready to head back into the water to continue our surfing skills. By this time the tide had gotten much lower, revealing more than twice as much of the sand than when we first got to the beach. This time around I was determined to stand up on my board. After countless failed attempts but still having fun learning I finally stood on my board! It was the best feeling being able to stand after all the hard work and determination I put into it. Sally cheered me on from the beach and I couldn't help but smile at my accomplishment. The rest of us continued to catch waves, struggling as the day went on since the tide was so low and the waves weren't as big. I didn't want the day to end but Sally soon called us into the shore. She gave us a couple buddy challenges to do on the surf boards so Elliot and I choose to be partners. Our first challenge was to ride a wave together on the surf board. It took many of us several attempts, but Elliot and I finally caught a wave both staying on the board. The next challenges consisted of standing on the board, doing a headstand, and somersault on the surf board while the other partner held the board. Last but not least we tried flipping our boards upside down, under water and flipping it right side up again, a helpful technique if one's board were to flip. After the activities everyone was pretty sore and weak after surfing all day and getting beat up by the waves. I had the greatest time surfing and would have never imagined myself being able to surf, let alone stand up on the board! I can't wait to try this activity again someday. This summer or spring break next year possible?
Other exciting news...this last Tuesday Elliot, Molly, Sarah, Annie and I walked down to the Bangor University Business Building because the Queen was coming to visit there. Yes...the Queen of England! We were within feet of her as she was sitting in the backseat of a car that took her to the building. She waved at all of the viewers in her bright pink matching coat and skirt outfit. It was so exciting to see the Queen in Bangor at our University! We caught more glimpses of her as she passed from one building to the next and got a couple pictures to prove it. This week was definitely filled with exciting, eventful things=)
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