The Graduation Board
My son recently graduated from high school. A milestone of sorts in most
peoples lives and worthy of recognition and perhaps a congratulatory
gift. Nothing sappy or sentimental but something useful that will cause
occasional reflection between bouts of thrills and fun. A new surfboard!
A longboard. Why? No matter what, at some time in any session we surf
together he comes over, shoves his chip my way and wants to slide a few
on my 9'6". I could kill two birds with one stone, the obligatory
graduation gift and he won't borrow my board any more, plus I'm sure
he'll let me ride it once he puts the first ding in it. It wasn't hard
to find out what he wanted in a board, I just asked what he would change
on mine if it were his.
After picking his brain (which at 17 didn't take alot of time or effort)
I had a pretty clear picture of what he wanted. I placed a call to
Harry's Surf Shop in San Diego and arranged for Hank Warner to shape a
new board based on the gathered information. I asked if Hank could hold
off sending the board to the glasser until I could compose a graduation
message to be penciled on the bottom. No problem. I kicked a few ideas
around and came up with the following lines: Graduation 1999-Donald, the
future is like a big blue rolling wave, sack up and drop in. Your in
control. Love Mom and Dad. Not sappy and just a bit reflective. Now the
problem was the surprise delivery.
We had gone over to San Diego a few days before the Memorial Day
weekend. The first am session was much colder and I had expected. The
long sleeve wet suit and trunks were not going to cut it. I had given my
full suit to a friend of my sons who was attending Stanford and
attempting to surf Santa Cruz in a 2/1 long sleeve spring suit. Grossly
under dressed for that party. Besides it was almost summer.....wrong.
Water temp at 62 or 63 was too cold for me. So, I sez " Donald, I gotta
go get a new suit wanna come with? Sure pops (god I hate that name) . So
off we go on the bikes. Working north on all the shops between south
Mission and PB. After failing to find the right suit ( and getting
sticker shock) we decided to split up, he was board and I was going on
up to Mitch's in La Jolla.
As we split up, after checking the South Coast shop on Felspar, I said
"Lets stop and say hi to Donna and Skip, I think they are going to be
closed this weekend" ( I'm playing the kid like a fiddle)
We stop in a Harrys," Hi , how's everything bla , bla, bla........""Hey
Donna, got any boards that aren't customers boards in in the rack?" (the
kid is looking at pictures on the wall, oblivious) I walk over and pull
his new board out of the rack. Do the usual site down the rail, flip it
over and look at the rocker, "Hey Donna, how long is this board?" " I
don't know but Hank puts the specs on the bottom back by the fin" I
check the message, it 's there as planned. "Donald, I don't have my
glasses (hey , I REALLY could read it) come over here and read the specs
of this board for me. "Sure pops, (you little bastard) he he he, (in his
beavis and butthead voice), your old"." Hey dad, this guy says sack up
like you do" "Did you read the whole thing" "Huh" "Did you read this
from the beginning?" "Hey, this has my name on it" Finally read the
whole message. He looks at me, at the board, back at me, back at the
board. At this his mom and sister step out from behind the curtain where
they had been hiding and watching. "Hey, what are you guys doing here"?
Looks at the board again. "Hey, this is MY board" Now we go into a
period of time where he just grins and looks around the room speechless.
I would say he was stoked.
We load the board in the truck. He rides the bike home to paddle out in
wind chop crud. I rolled north in search of a rubber suit.
Happy Graduation kid.
