By Dallas Taylor
Hello all! My name is Dallas Taylor and as a newcomer to the surfing world I must admit, I am absolutely hooked. I was born and raised on a small peninsula in San Diego called Coronado and have been around the surf culture my whole life, yet I never decided to pick up a board and give it a shot. I am 19 years old and currently attend school in San Francisco at San Francisco State University where a friend of mine convinced me to save up for a surfboard rather than buying a long board skateboard.
I surfed for about a little over a month and a half in the treacherous waters of San Francisco where my progress was limited due to the harsh conditions. I attempted the paddle out to the lineup only four or five times and failed each time, so I spent all of my time in the white wash just getting familiar with my board. I am extremely glad that I stuck with learning the basics, such as paddling and the pop up, because now I am back home in San Diego and have been shredding the gnarly 2-3 footers with ease.
I have made it my goal to surf every day this summer and I’ve been doing so for the 2 weeks I’ve been back, and man can I notice myself getting better and better each time. One thing that I’ve also picked up from surfing is that surfing is so much more than just catching waves; I’d say just floating out in the ocean is in itself a very rewarding experience. Why just the other day while I was sitting on my board letting the waves roll right under me, I spotted a sweet wave to far out to catch, but through the beautiful sea-green color of the wave, I was blessed to have witnessed two dolphins tearing that wave up…it had to be one of the greatest experiences of my life, and it all came from surfing.
I have only just begun my surfing “career” if you will, but I am able to say that surfing has been the most intrinsically rewarding activity that I have ever picked up, and, like everyone, have been through about a million different phases. I am glad that surfing found its way into my life and every time I’m out there I remember one of Gerry Lopez’s rules of surfing; the best surfer in the water is the one who is having the most fun. Stay stoked!
