So if you've kept up with my last two posts, you'll know that I recently competed in The Coquina Jam, an all-female surf competition held at the Jersey shore. Loaded with worry and self-doubt, I almost pulled out. Luckily, I stuck it out and experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

The Conditions: Small waves. Not so good for a surfer like me, who excels on bigger waves. But real skill can be shown on small waves and I was determined to adjust.

My Partner: Calla, a sweet but nervous 15-year old girl. We decided early on that I would be "The Punisher" and she would be "The Performer." I'd grab any wave and be all aggro and she would be the balletic beauty, looking dancerly and graceful. She and I kept trying to "high five" for good luck but we kept missing.


My Protoge: I spent the better part of the summer training my friend's daughter, Emma. I've watched her go from being a cautious and nervous surfer to a confident athlete surfing substantial waves. Very gratifying. On some levels, I was more nervous about her competing.



The Competition: Surf competitions are loaded with politics: nepotism, favoritism, sexism and probably a few other isms. So I wasn't thrilled about the whole scene. One woman was considered  the favorite - a serious competitor who is semi-pro. We had to hear about it from the second the loud speaker announcements began until the very end. Very annoying but whaddya do?

The Rules: You and your partner try to score the highest points possible. The total score dictates whether you'll move to the second heat. It's not about the number of waves you take or the length of the ride. Instead, it is based on style - what you do with the wave, how you maneuver.

Me: Nervous but focused. My partner and I were the first up that day, competing against two other women. When I heard the airhorn blow, I charged out to the ocean like a...something that charges hard. Maybe a bull? Sure a bull. I charged the ocean like a bull with a board.


I felt good and I did very well the first heat. The waves were small but I tried to maximize what Mother Nature was kicking up. I took a bunch of waves and took them solidly. I left the water feeling confident and good. It was if all of those insecurities I felt just stayed at the waterside and watched me kick ass.

My partner did beautifully as well. Graceful and lean and confident. Funny, she appeared so nervous oceanside as well. None of it showed, that's for sure.

The Verdict: We advanced to the second heat (there are only three heats.) The third heat is a competition in October, where you surf with the men. They only want the best female surfers to compete with the guys, which is a little sexist. It's a screening technique. There is no screening process for the men. So there will be about 100+ men competing in October and six women. Hello, unbalanced!

The Second Heat: Calla and I decided to up our strategy. We were so nervous and adrenaline-pumped the first heat, we decided to focus a bit more the second heat. We would play to the audience a bit more. Use our "showmanship skills a bit more - play outwardly. We rocked though the waves were so small as the tide got increasingly lower. Leaving the water after our 15-minute heat, I felt confident that we won the heat...easily. I didn't even see our competitors catch any waves. But apparently they did. Because they won!

There was a collective "huh?" but I didn't care. All I knew was that my partner and I did the best we could. We really did. I went up to her and she was still in shock. "I don't understand. We did better than them, didn't we?" Yes, we did. Or I think we did. But who cares? We rocked. She agreed. We high fived and finally connected, making a resounding sound that could be heard around the world.