Subject: Malibu!I was nervous going out there. I mean it's the 'Bu, a world-class, world-famous spot, often crowded with highly talented & famous surfers. What right does a kook like me have to be out there, getting in people's way, doing dumb shit and ruining people's waves, not on purpose but because I'm a spaz who can barely control her board. I told myself I'd just watch from the beach at first, or if I even went in the water, I'd hang out over to the side and watch from there, hoping to eventually pick up a sloppy second after all the famous surfers flew by on their famous, world-class waves. And then hope to not get yelled at or coldly vibed out for doing so.
But my very first time surfing in LA turned out to be eye of the tiger. I'd driven up the PCH and along the way both Sunset and Topanga looked good, but somewhat crowded. I couldn't believe I was going to Malibu, and I couldn't tell whether I was more excited or more nervous. The deal breaker was when I saw that there weren't that many people out. The board came right out of the van and the clothes came right off of the booty.
The people there looked like the surfers you see in the magazines, it was funny. Almost half were women, a very good sign. Some even smiled, nodded or said hi. So much for my assumptions. Most of them were hanging in the middle/inside areas, so I decided to paddle out past them to the outside to sit and wait and watch. Oh my god, the way the waves peeled off of the point! It was incredible. And there was room out there, too. Room for even me. Within a few minutes, something told me to just go, so I went. An hour and a half later, I'd had the longest waves I'd ever had.