 |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mountain Man's UseNet ArchiveMemorial Service for Beth Pitt: | |||||
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia in the Southern Summer of 1995
 |
|
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mountain Man's UseNet ArchiveMemorial Service for Beth Pitt: | |||||
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia in the Southern Summer of 1995
|
It is difficult to approach the complex emotions which link life and death, and many turn away from these. However, when I read the following post I realised that I was looking at a spontaneous assesment of the day from the writer's perspective, and that the story the post told was one of community spirit of surfing and best described the concept of "Soul Surfing" ...
Date: Wed, 06 Dec 95 11:04:53 -0800
From: njtravis@cse.lbl.gov (Nancy Jean Travis)
News:49r24v$6it@overload.lbl.gov
To: alt.surfing
Subject: Santa Cruz Soul Surfing
Man, i'm stoked. I surfed Santa Cruz today, sharing a peak with just one mate right off Metal Man. Kinda small but glassy & sweet. I'd got there a few hours earlier than Beth Pitt's memorial service to steal some waves. After a few rides I noticed the peak was lined up exactly off St. Joseph's church. I could see his statue holding Baby Jesus peaking over the cliff. So I closed my eyes and said a prayer for Beth.
When I opened them this perfect 5 wave freak set was coming right at me. I got the second beauty, yipping halfway to Cowells. Stoked. Next thing ya know here comes Danny and his pals paddling out from Cowells cause they saw the WonderSet. It got pretty crowded then but it was almost time for the service so we all paddled in.
Never in my life have I experienced anything like the vibe that came over the Santa Crew. There must have been 500 surfers all paddling out from the beach together to form a circle to give their respects to Beth. Paddling out with this pack was amazing, about a quarter mile sprint with Santa Cruz' best, I didn't know there were this many surfers in town. Everyone I'd ever seen in the surf was there. Kelly, Zeuf, Sherry, Bob Pearson, Sims, Jerry, Karen, man too many to mention and heaps of women, almost as many women as men. Beth was well loved and respected. When the circle was formed and the crew began to hoot in unison it sent chills to the bone. The circle was so huge it seemed like we were blocking the swell and in the center littered with leis and floating flowers, they scattered her ashes.
The cliff, beach and pier were also lined with people, I can't even count em. Some of the boys told me she drowned, no head injury. So ironic for a lifeguard and talented waterwoman, the man next to me said she charged waves from behind the peak fearlessly.
After the ceremony I went in-- surfed (and paddled) out. I watched hundreds of surfers tackle the inside Cowells waves in unison and suddenly all the times I got pissed about snaking and wave hogs and priorities just paled and disintegrated. There must have been 20 surfers on each wave...it was as if they couldn't get enuff people on a wave. And I don't think they minded sharing what looked like the best Party Waves I've ever seen. Santa Cruz soul, I love it.
E-MAIL: Fang
WWW: @ La Jolla
|
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mountain Man's UseNet ArchiveMemorial Service for Beth Pitt: | |||||
Web Publication by Mountain Man Graphics, Australia in the Southern Summer of 1995
|