I had come along way from Phoenix Arizona to catch a wave. I was now off the coast of Hawaii in one of the local spots. I was still pretty unsure of what to do but I was going to give it a try. Finding a board had also been a slight problem. I weigh 350 pounds and almost every board in the world will not support that weight. I’d ended up having it specially made by a shaper just off the beach I was now on. I’d originally come across Syd on e-bay. I’d been doing my research and found out that I’d have to have a custom board. Syd was selling custom boards. I’d emailed my needs and Syd put those into an auction. It turned out that I wasn’t the only big guy who wanted a board. Syd had received over twenty bids for this board and the final price had been staggering. After several more auctions Syd wrote me and told me that I was being gifted with a board. Syd had made so much money with these bigger boards that they were about to become a new line.
I gratefully accepted the board and when I asked Syd said there were conditions. I had to come to Lizard Point and pick up the board personally. I was also going to be taught how to use it. Syd gave me the date my board would be done and I dutifully got a couple weeks off from work to fly to Hawaii and learn to surf.
It took me awhile to find Lizard point. It’s a very secret beach and most island dwellers won’t show tourists to it. I’d wasted most of a day finding it. As I parked and walked out onto the beach I was met by a welcoming crew of four surfers. I was informed that this beach was for locals only. I admit I wasn’t really paying attention and just thanked the kid for telling me. He got my attention though as his fist crashed into my face. I was more surprised than hurt. The kid only weighed about 150 and there is only so much power a featherweight can put behind a punch. I weigh in as a heavyweight and 30 seconds later I resumed my hunt for Syd’s hut.
I found a hut a little way down the beach and there was a really beautiful Hawaiian girl waxing a board in the shade of the porch. I asked if this was Syd’s place and she looked me over carefully before telling me it was Syd’s place. I asked if Syd was home and she busted out laughing. I came to learn That while Syd was short for Sydney it was also a feminine name not just a masculine one.
Syd showed me to a back room and told me I was welcome to stay there. I tossed my warbags down and dug out my bathing suit. After I looked like I was ready to get wet I went to find Syd and get my first lesson. I was thinking I would just go down to the water and be off but that wasn’t the way it worked. Syd dragged me out onto the beach and made me go through the motions of surfing. I ended up being glad that I did. Jumping to your feet from your belly is a lot harder when your in my weight class. It took me awhile to get it down.
When I had mastered or at least come to grips with my board, Syd took me down to the water and had me watch how the waves came in and exactly where they broke. Some of the waves would break I the same spot time after time. I came to learn that this was caused by reefs and that these were spots to avoid. Syd had given me an old board to practice on but as I watched the watr she came out with the biggest surfboard I’d ever seen. It was done in Black and had a Purple Maltese cross in the middle. Just like I’d wanted. I spent the rest of the day watching the water and waxing my new board.
That night I have to admit I was a little curios. After all Syd was this beautiful Hawaiian goddess who had invited a mainlander to sleep in her place. I went to bed but there was no knock on the door and no companionship all night.
