Timothy Long

so, being the wave riding junkie that i am, i felt compelled to write about one of the coolest experiences i’ve had since i started surfing.

surfing salt creek on a regular basis, you are often privied to sharing lineups with your favorite pros. laguna beach is home to a huge number former (and current) top 44 guys: donavon frankenreiter, pat o’connell, mike parsons, mike losness to name a few. last night, a friend and i were trading waves on an empty peak on the south side of the beach, and over paddles tom curren; the most beloved surfer of all time, to sit next to us and share waves.

on a surfboard? no. he was on a boogie board. that’s right. a bright red, costco-made boogie board with a giant crease down the middle. no fins. i about died. the one guy who advocates “riding anything” and actually rides a boogie.

needless to say, i couldn’t take my eyes off of him. in the eyes of a surfer, tom curren is royalty. and to trade waves with a guy i’ve seen only in surf movies my entire life (at my home break, no less) was a dream come true.