Haven Wave
The first time out with my coach, Robbie Nelson, we were catching 2-to-3-foot waves in a place called “The Haven.” This place is known for offering the perfectly formed wave when the swell hits a certain size. We were there for smaller waves, but there was one wave that made the height requirement. Robbie looked at it with open-mouthed awe and stated, “Now, that’s a HAVEN WAVE.” For me it was a water wall of terror, but I remember thinking, “What would it be like to surf well enough to really ride one of those waves?” The distance between my surfing and the skill required to play on one of those waves was, as they say in surfing circles, EPIC! I had a long, easy-to-paddle board named Queen Mary, a wetsuit, excitement, and commitment. I was committed to competing some day, proving to myself and anyone who noticed that age is no excuse for not pursuing your goals. Given my ability at the time, competing was a “stretch goal.” If I could do one of those waves justice, I reasoned,