Happiness - lessons of 2012

Surfer:Antonio Acuna - Photographer: Michele Del Duca

This past fall of 2012 has been quite interesting for me. I have been surfing few times throughout the season sometimes missing out on some good storms. This happened because of University and certain responsibilities at home. Work has not been a very big obstacle for me. It gets me really tired every single night that I work, but if there is surf in the morning most times I am up and ready to go – right Larry? I might be a bit sleepy on the way there but once I get in the water I recharge immediately! – right Tim? Sleepy enough sometimes to leave the car keys inside the car with auto lock and get locked out for about 3 hours in the middle of nowhere right in January with nothing else but our wetsuits on…but hey it is all part of the adventure, right guys!?

Surfer: Larry Cavero Owner of 'Surf Dreams Canada'

 There have been some really nice days of surfing for me I won’t deny it. During the Sandy storm we all went out to the Cove expecting it to be super awesome and well…truth is that it wasn’t quite as good as we had expected. Mainly due to the lower water levels, choppiness and unorganized waves rolling in. Nevertheless, for about an hour or so the rights at The Cove started firing some large waves with large barrels. We all looked skeptical at the first 2 or 3 waves barreling on the other side of The Cove. It didn’t take much for most of us to start paddling like a child runs after a chocolate bar! We were so excited about seeing big barrels at this spot. You could definitely get inside and stay in the barrel for a few seconds and try to come out. I managed to catch three of the best waves I have surfed at this spot. Nice steep drops where I was pretty much standing with both feet on the tail of my board to keep the nose from sinking and had my butt against the wall of the wave trying to slow down the drop. Picture a Peruvian Kelly Slater at The Cove ;) – that’s what I picture anyway…. Once I hit the bottom of that wave and looked down the line I saw several faces of astonishment, some others were yelling out of excitement and maybe one or two right in front of me were freaking out – right Elias? …the wall of the wave was getting bigger and bigger and after the bottom turn I made it into the barrel of the wave. Everything went silent and I knew I was inside the barrel. This lasted a few seconds before I got pulled under and got rocked! I was able with some patience and good wave selection to repeat this same scene two more times. Every single time it was better and lasted longer inside the barrel. 

Some of you might have seen me or remember that day. I know two people saw me getting shacked on my third and last wave of the day. After a long ride dealing with tricky sections of the wave and speeding down the line some of these surfers thought I was coming out from deep inside the barrel – right @Adam Shepperdley. I thought at one point the same thing until I felt I was losing speed as I was getting caught up by the foam inside the barrel. All of a sudden I could see the light at the end of the tunnel become more and more distant from me. I knew I wasn’t going to make it. Honestly though, who cares about making it out?! In a place where it is hard to catch barrels where you can stand in and fit your whole body inside, I was more than pleased I was delighted by being able to catch these three beautiful waves and get shacked!!! I did not make it out the barrel but the feeling is unique and only some of you know it!

Now, waves keep coming and going and I have learned that there is time to do everything; time for surfing, time for studying and time for the family and loved ones. It is small things that make our life a rich one. Our happiness can be found not on material things or secret spots, but on sharing these material things and secret spots with others. Sharing anything we have with others is the essence of happiness. In my experience, if I don’t tell about what I have done or about what I have to someone else I notice I am not fully happy about it. I’m not talking about bragging but about truly sharing what you have with a loved one. And this is exactly why I wrote today this post. I wanted to share with all of you the truth that I have come to learn by surfing the Great Lakes with some really good surfers and people. Share what you have to enjoy it even more. Holding on to things thinking you will be the only one to ever possess them is not only foolish but it keeps you from truly enjoying it to the fullest. And that my friend is what humble surfers and people do: Enjoy to the fullest!

Hope to see you all out in the water tomorrow Wednesday, January 8, 2013!!! Looks like an Epic day for some Lighthouse maybe?! Larry and I will be there for sure!

Surfer:Antonio Acuna - Photographer: Michele Del Duca