The California Report: Autumn

Posted by Christie

Gap-toothed jack-o-lanterns still sit, grinning, at the bottom of my front porch steps, but I’ve taken out my vintage John Alden and Priscilla figurines. I’m the family’s Official Thanksgiving Hostess, so I’m making my lists in preparation. However, I’ve already had my quintessential California autumn experience.

Over the weekend I attended a two-day interscholastic surf competition. My friend from South Carolina thought I was kidding when I said Son 2 is on his school’s surf team. It’s no joke. He competed in the body board and long board categories for the first time last Saturday. The weather was incredible. 75+ degrees on the sand, water temp, 67.

Now, I’ve watched plenty of surfing, but this was my first competition. Each school had a tent with tables inside loaded with food and drinks. The federation has its own tents for judges and a PA system to broadcast announcements and results as well as to play music across the long stretch of sand they’d reserved. The song selections were everything from rap to rock and no one seemed concerned about the sometimes-questionable lyrics, but me. This is a laid back kind of crowd.

Competition occurred in 15-minute heats with up to six surfers on the waves. Judges awarded points to the competitors based on their two best rides. But I learned more about the surfing culture the hours I was there. Farther down the beach was the general surfing area and let me tell you—the girls are braver than the men out there. 67 degrees is pretty darn cold and most of the young women on the waves were in bikinis instead of wetsuits! Surfer Guy explained that surfer girls aren’t out on the water just to show off their moves. Those that were in wetsuits wore their hair loose and long…which seemed anti-athletic but awfully Ariel. Each one of them a mermaid of the Pacific.

On the second day I was strolling beside Son 2 toward our car. He’d just been shut out of the semi-finals, but he was smiling. Unlike summer, only the top quarter-inch of sand was warm and cool grains sifted through my Croc sandals, even though the sun was hot on my bare shoulders. We walked between the dozen beach volleyball courts where a Halloween tournament was in play. A young woman dressed in a mini-poodle skirt chased after a ball, almost plowing into a guy player dressed in janitor overalls.

Son 2 looked up, his smile going wider. “It’s been a good day, huh?”

Yeah, a very good, very California autumn day.

Have you had your quintessential autumn experience yet? Maybe it was just a smell or a shift in the light. I’d love to hear about it!