As the Surf Club sat on the beach after the first day of class, we were all upset that summer was over. We reminisced about summer waves and bonded over the fact that that waves were flat. ‘Twas the summer of the foamie! No matter the size of wave, surfers frothing for a ride reached a big, buoyant foam surfboard. Colors galore, some were called Doyle, others Gnaraloo. One needn’t care the name; a nine-footer would do. Kooky? Maybe a bit, but who doesn’t love a nice foamie session?
If you work near the beach, or are lucky enough to work at the beach, foam boards are easily accessible and nearly guarantee surfers a nice easy ride. Junior student-surfer Tyler Sankey lived that very routine. “Teaching surf lessons, we use the beginner ‘foamie’ boards that are by far easier to surf on small summer slop. It was definitely the summer of the foamie because I road one pretty much every day,” said Sankey.
Surfers live for and worship waves. They are the source of memories that one will hold on to for years to come. Foam boards allow a surfer to exploit even the feeblest of waves. Not much can beat surfing a foamie on a warm day with your best friends in the water.
“It was so glassy and good one morning for my 8 AM lesson and the whole time, we were amping to surf,” said Sankey. “Right after my lesson, I grabbed a foamie and surfed for hours until I had another lesson.”
North of Sankey and only a stone’s throw from the Unviersity’s campus, student-surfer John Waldron was living it up his summer by surfing and working for Spellbinder’s surf shop. Waldron recalled his version of the perfect foamie session.
“This one little thigh-high shore break day, we were all pulling into these little barrels on foam boards and ending up on the sand,” Waldron said. “Summer waves can equal hours of fun when you have a foamie under your feet.”
But let’s get real: Waves have been scarce and that is an understatement. A surfer cannot simply live off of the stoke that a small wave provides, and at some point swell is necessary. Take a look at the ocean this week, it won’t be pretty.
The beautiful summer days we have experienced will be complimented by strong northeast winds and high seas. Surfers across the state are checking forecasts every hour on the hour because when those northeast winds turn into a faint breeze, it’s on.
Not World Surf League on. No, throw down your Chaka and forget about your Hawaiian shirt in your closet, because now it’s time to surf. No more reggae on the drive to the beach and if you are not playing Black Sabbath while banging your head on the steering wheel, your surfer status is in complete question. But hey, it’s still Jersey so we may never get waves. Keep checking in with Mother Ocean, even if there isn’t a wave. There are still ways to keep the stoke alive without swell.
Go find your foamie, find your stoke. Although it is no longer summer, Monmouth University is a great place to be in the fall, so enjoy it.
When it is finally on, look to see your fellow Monmouth Surf Club members out in the water. Being on the beach and sharing memories with your friends in and out of the water is pure, clean fun.
PHOTO COURTESY of Ryan Gallagher
