Beach
bodyboarding best by far – surf’s
up
Bradley
Zint
I’m
what they call a “sponger.” Funny
thing is, I don’t even use a sponge.
I don’t swab the decks or polish
tile, and yet this is the term someone
came up with for people like me. So what
exactly are “spongers,” anyway?
We’re bodyboarders and I proudly am one of them. I like to feel the ocean
winds brush against my face as they dance above the sand. I like the salty
smell of the air as I comfortably make my way to where the land ends and the
waves crash.
But more importantly, I like to harness the watery vigor that tumbles in from
behind, controlling its slippery mass to catch a swift ride. I try to catch
the wave at its perfect point, start kicking my fins and fall within it, all
the while lying down on the board and holding it tight.
Bodyboarding? Isn’t that boogie boarding? This is what most people ask
and the answer is no. No, it is not the same. So then, what’s the difference?
Boogie boarding is for little kids, tourists or people who can’t swim
well. Boogie boarding is when someone, in the spirit of fun, waits for a wave
to push them forward to the sand. Boogie boarding is amusing, offers mild thrills
at comfortable speeds and does not keep insecure swimmers from going where
it’s too deep to see or touch the bottom.
Kids partake in this activity because it allows them to enjoy the water. Tourists
rent a board and have at it because it gives them a small taste of Southern
California and requires practically no skill to catch a small wave, unlike
surfing. Non-swimmers check it out because they can enjoy the ocean without
fear of deeper waters.
Body-boarding, however, is best described as boogie boarding taken to the next
level. I define it as the activity for those who are more serious about the
sport, someone who kicked in a few coins to invest in a good board, fins and
wet suit or rash guard.
Bodyboarders are the ones who go out farther, where the larger waves break,
where the water is a little deeper and sometimes a little colder. This aquatic
end zone is the real deal.
We’re the ones who maneuver about along the waves, not simply wait for
them to push us forward.
Bodyboarding is definitely for me. I feel this place, this oceanic wilderness,
is where I belong. This is my element and I can’t imagine ever straying
too far from it for very long.
There are a lot of exhilarating things to do in life before we finally kick
the bucket and riding a wave is definitely one of them. Unlike a roller coaster,
you can intimately feel all aspects of the strength which moves you while riding
a wave.
You hear the thrashing of the wave above, below and beside you as it resonates
a deep, menacing hum in your ears. You can feel the water bitch-slap your face
causing temporarily blindness until you can brush it off.
You can breathe in the wind while propelling forward and though you’re
going only as fast as a 100-meter dash, each inch is an intense experience.
Of course, all the aforementioned can be applied to surfing as well. Both activities
are exhilarating but unfortunately for spongers, surfers don’t often
think too highly of their prone-positioned counterparts. They have good reason,
because some bodyboarders get in the way.
I know better and stick to my own turf. Getting hammered in the back by a surfboard
is the last thing I want.
However, I’m still bothered by the second-rate sport attitude surfers
often associate with bodyboarding.
Sure, we don’t stand up while riding but we can still do some pretty
damn cool tricks lying down. And though I don’t claim to do all of those
tricks yet, I know they exist. Some surfers should ease up on’the elitist
attitude and’respect all those craving fun in the water, standing or
otherwise.
Who wouldn’t crave the beauty of the ocean? This summer in my hometown
San Diego, my favorite activity was to hit the beach just before sunset. I’d
go out into the surf just as the sun was fading beneath the horizon when the
water turns an unforgettably beautiful color of black and purple that no newsprint
can fully describe. It was heaven.
My recommendation is that you too partake in an activity like bodyboarding,
surfing or just enjoying the ocean. Why? Because we can. The water is just
a short drive away.
Bradley Zint is junior journalism major and the Daily Forty-Niner opinion
editor.
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