Nightglow Window

Beach Day!

Hannah and I were watching Singlefin: Yellow yesterday, and halfway through this surf flick she got really excited about waves and learning to surf.

I didn't think much about it, but today she's all fired up as we post up at T-Street in San Clemente. She grabs my old shorebreak bodyboard--which is now an unloved hunk of junk--and heads out.

I'm in the lineup myself. It's a small one- to three-foot, but wedging a bit at Cropley's. I spot Tom Prince and Jay Reale and we all yell greetings, shake hands.

Tom is pretty much the origin of the species. He's been at it as long as me, and that's saying something. Jay is still a really nice guy who happens to rip.

Scary, but the three of us have more than 75 years of bodyboarding experience among us--heck, Jay and Tom were sponsored pros back in the day. Jay still makes his living off the sport, with his very popular eBodyboarding.com web site.

It's been forever since I've talked to Jay, and my history with both these guys goes back to 1983.

So it's fun heckling each other and we scrounged for the occasional rideable wave.

I head in and see Hannah zipping in the whitewater and riding up onto the sand, a huge smile on her face. She's got the bug bad and is more stoked on her simple rides than any of us crusty blowhards—just as it should be.

She gets ride after ride after ride and she never stops smiling, even after wiping out.

I'm one proud papa.

Later we head to Grandpa J.P.'s for dinner and to celebrate Christy's sister Casey's birthday, who recently turned 34. It was a lot of fun, but we're all surfed out and begin to droop once the sun goes down.


My little surf chick.




Hannah caught about 30 waves today ...


... and rode them all right onto the sand.


Casey celebrates her 34th.


Sisters.


Synchronized strolling after dinner.