OAHU, Hawaii – Maybe it was growing up with the music of the Beach
Boys. Maybe it was just the idea of getting a group of age 50-plus
girlfriends together to take surfing lessons. Regardless, going to
a surf/spa on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii, where you not only
learn to surf but also get facials and massages, was not to be
missed.
So, out went the e-mail with an invitation for a wild surfing
adventure at the Kelea Surf Spa in Haleiwa, Hawaii – women only.
Even though the notion of tempting fate by pairing our “mature”
bodies with 9-foot-long, unwieldy, surf boards was met with some
trepidation, we all thought the spa part was too hard to resist.
But we old friends are not shrinking violets. So off to Oahu we
went for a glorious week of punishment and pampering.
The two hostesses of the Kelea Surf Spa, Stephanie and Ellie, made
us feel as if the beautiful five-bedroom home – with plunge pool,
hot tub, outdoor shower and private, expansive grounds just steps
from the beach – was our personal oasis.
We settled in on Sunday evening, the last of our group arriving by
shuttle about 9 p.m. After a couple of hours of cacophonous
chatter, we collapsed into our comfortable rooms with the excited
yet uneasy feeling that the next morning would present the
challenge of our first surfing lesson.
When you watch surfers on TV, it all looks so easy. They paddle out
beyond the breakers and sit on their boards, feet dangling,
chatting easily with other surfers. Then, when just the right wave
comes along, they paddle after it, pop up on their feet and ride it
like the wind. Whoops!
Reality check. Did we say something about “popping up?” More like
groaning, pushing, lifting your youth-challenged body up to your
feet from your stomach on a board that is the size of John Boy’s
family kitchen table while it is speeding along in a wave and
wobbling on the water. Let’s just say it is extremely important to
actually enjoy repeated face plants into the sea from a gigantic
flying object which is, by the way, tethered to your ankle.
Let’s examine this “how to” process from the perspective of one
who’s been there and lived to tell about it. First, there’s the
paddling. The waves you will be attempting to ride aren’t exactly
breaking right there at the shore.
Nope. They are waaaaaayyyyyy out there, halfway to Japan. So you
have to heave yourself onto your Enormous Wobbling Thing, paddle
through the crashing waves and keep paddling until you’re past the
breakers where you can finally rest. No, your legs can’t help you;
they’re busy trying to balance your Enormous Wobbling Thing. It’s
all in the arms and shoulders.
Before you can even get into the water, there’s the part where you
have to transport your surfboard to the shore to do the paddling,
to catch the wave, to push yourself up, to plant your feet and to
(try) to stand for the precarious ride back into shore. Beginners
like us are not assigned those cute little boards that can be
carried under one arm. Our boards seemed to grow larger while we
slogged through the sand until they were the length and breadth of
California.
And the beach where we learned to surf was not quite lapping at the
edge of the property. No. The beautiful Pacific Ocean was just down
the path and one cove to the left of New Zealand.
So, here is how it goes, from the top. You carry your board to the
water’s edge, then paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle over, under,
around and through the waves to a calm spot just beyond the
breakers. Once there, and once you have worked out the kink in your
neck, cooled the pain in your arms and regained consciousness from
paddling headfirst through raging surf, you wait. Then, you hear
the command from the instructor: “Get ready, girlfriend, this next
wave is yours!” You turn your board so you are facing the shore (a
microscopic palm tree waves in the distance) and then, like a
greyhound (well, more like a tired ol’ sheep dog), out of the
blocks you paddle, paddle, paddle!
You fiercely dig into the water, feeling the wave pick you up and
catch your board. Instructions are racing through your head:
“Hands flat on the board next to your, uh, chest; toes curled
under; now PUSH your body UP, pull your left leg forward, plant
your foot and STAND.” Or not.
Um, this was a whole lot easier on the beach. Our first day surfing
was an hour’s exercise in pearl diving, or as our good-humored
instructors called it, “pearling,” since most of us ended up
careening off our boards and into the sea. Fortunately, our
teachers were skilled at instructing neophytes, encouraging and
assisting, pushing us into waves and then, after an hour, dragging
us, exhausted, back into shore.
By midweek, most of us were able to stand (even if just for a
nanosecond) and feel what it was like to really RIDE A WAVE. And it
was just like the song. When you “catch a wave,” you really are
“sittin’ on top of the world.” What a rush! Made every
excruciating paddle, push, pop and tumble worth it.
On Thursday, we drove to a different beach (thus sparing us the
long march with the surf boards), which, on this day, had the best
surf for us to show off for the professional photographer, Phil
Mislinski. That evening he posted our pictures on his website. We
finally had proof that we were indeed Babes (OK, you can call us
“Old Broads”) on Boards.
Aprs surfing, we were reading, hot tubbing, dipping in the pool,
showering in the fantastic outdoor shower, lounging in comfy chairs
under the breezy tropical foliage and salivating for lunch.
Ah, food. There is nothing like having your meals prepared by
someone else. It is even better when everything is fresh, delicious
(and, yikes!) healthy. From Monday through Saturday’s breakfast, we
were served three wonderful meals a day with fresh fruit, organic
greens, fish, herbs and even delicious desserts.
After lunch we went back to the beach, slept in the hammock, read
or drove into Haleiwa (a quaint historic town on Oahu’s North
Shore) to shop and enjoy a refreshing Hawaiian shave ice. Yoga
classes were held outside at 3 p.m., and the afternoon spa
treatments (massages and facials) were offered from 4:30 until
7:30. Dinner was at 7:45, and after some “Do you think any of us
will ever actually stand up on a board?” chatter, we happily
collapsed into bed by 9:30.
We loved our trip to the Kelea Surf Spa and recommend it to all
intrepid women who want a bit of an adventure with a fair amount of
pampering. There is nothing like sharing this experience with a
small group of gal pals who have a high tolerance for fun and a
willingness to attempt surfing, swim with Hawaiian green turtles,
snorkel and relish the good life with abandon.
For anyone who wants to “hang 10,” we recommend training for at
least six months before attempting the sport. The person who popped
up on her board and rode from day one was the one who regularly
practices yoga.
Most important, however, is the willingness to try something new
at the risk of looking (and actually being) wildly out of control.
So, c’mon girlfriends! “Let’s go surfin’ now, everybody’s learnin’
how …”
Linda J. Buch is a Denver ACE-certified fitness professional and
writes a health and fitness column for The Denver Post. M. Kay
Taylor, a longtime friend of Buch, lives in Aurora.
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If you go
Kelea Surf Spa features yoga, surfing, swimming, snorkeling, power
walking, hiking and kayaking, along with spa treatments.
Packages cost $1,350 for double shared room, or $1,550 for private
room, for five nights, including meals and all activities. Call
949-492-SAND, e-mail info@keleasurfspa.com or go to www.keleasurfspa.com.
