Read Online Catching Waves by Stephanie Peters - Free Book Online
Authors: Stephanie Peters
Ads: Link
1
K ai Ford stuck his surfboard into the sand, ran full speed into the ocean, and dove into a wave. The sound of rushing water
filled his ears. He broke the surface, tasting salt, and whipped his blond hair out of his eyes with a toss of his head. Then
he scanned the ocean horizon. What he saw made him grin. Good-sized waves were rolling in one after another, like lines of
soldiers marching toward shore.
Time to rock and roll
! He splashed out of the water and crossed the hot sand to his surfboard.
The board was a beauty. At seven feet long, it was known as a shortboard—the best length for doing tight maneuvers on a wave.
It was made of fiberglass, foam, and balsa wood. Except for the black rubber traction pad near the tail, the deck was covered
with bold graphics in neon colors. The underside was glossy white and sported three curved, triangular fins at the tail. The
board’s leash—a long urethane rope with an ankle strap at one end—was attached to the tail.
When Kai reached his board, he secured the strap around his ankle. Then he picked up his board and headed back into the ocean.
He floated the shortboard in front of him, pushing it along until the water reached his waist. With one smooth motion, he
slid facedown onto the center of the deck. He pulled his arms through the water in even strokes, paddling away from shore.
Kai was as comfortable in the sea as he was in his own bed. He’d grown up playing in the sand and surf of this stretch of
Southern California beach. Kai’s father had once been a professional surfer, and he made sure that his son respected the awesome
and unpredictable power of the sea. When Kai showed an interest in surfing, his dad had taught him the rules of safety before
they even began with the basics of the sport.
That was four years earlier, when Kai was ten. Since then, he had become as confident on his shortboard as other fourteen-year-old
boys were on skateboards and snowboards. He couldn’t imagine a life without surfing—and hoped he’d never have to.
Kai continued to pull himself along through the water. He wasn’t alone. Eleven other people were out surfing. Some sat ontheir boards, watching for a good wave. Others, like Kai, were paddling out to join the lineup—the place where surfers waited
their turn to surf. Only two people were actually standing on their boards and slicing their way back toward shore.
Kai reached the lineup and sat up. As he bobbed on the waves, a cool breeze blew across his face, arms, and chest. He adjusted
the neck of his long-sleeved rash guard shirt. He was glad he’d decided to wear the shirt instead of going bare chested. Not
only did the stretchy fabric keep his chest from being scraped by the board, it kept him warm!
Kai looked out to sea and spotted a decent swell. He glanced around. No one else was making a move to take it so he decided
to go for it.
He lay down on his board and strokedhard to stay ahead of the wave. Then he felt it—the moment the wave surged beneath him and started pushing him forward.
Now
! instinct told him.
In one explosive move, he shot from a prone to a standing position. His stance was practiced and sure: feet shoulder width
apart, left foot forward, right foot planted on the traction pad, and knees bent. He stretched his arms out and leaned forward
for balance.
He’d caught the peak of the wave perfectly. It was a “left,” a wave that broke from his left side toward his right. He rode
the swell frontside, with the white water boiling at his back and the crest rounding in front of him. The water beneath the
board was like a living thing, rippling and strong. He pumped the board, pushing it up and down with his feet, hoping to getenough speed to reverse direction and catch some air. When he didn’t, he rode the wave straight into shore instead.
Kai bailed when the water was a few feet deep. He pulled on the leash to bring the board back then returned to the
K ai Ford stuck his surfboard into the sand, ran full speed into the ocean, and dove into a wave. The sound of rushing water
filled his ears. He broke the surface, tasting salt, and whipped his blond hair out of his eyes with a toss of his head. Then
he scanned the ocean horizon. What he saw made him grin. Good-sized waves were rolling in one after another, like lines of
soldiers marching toward shore.
Time to rock and roll
! He splashed out of the water and crossed the hot sand to his surfboard.
The board was a beauty. At seven feet long, it was known as a shortboard—the best length for doing tight maneuvers on a wave.
It was made of fiberglass, foam, and balsa wood. Except for the black rubber traction pad near the tail, the deck was covered
with bold graphics in neon colors. The underside was glossy white and sported three curved, triangular fins at the tail. The
board’s leash—a long urethane rope with an ankle strap at one end—was attached to the tail.
When Kai reached his board, he secured the strap around his ankle. Then he picked up his board and headed back into the ocean.
He floated the shortboard in front of him, pushing it along until the water reached his waist. With one smooth motion, he
slid facedown onto the center of the deck. He pulled his arms through the water in even strokes, paddling away from shore.
Kai was as comfortable in the sea as he was in his own bed. He’d grown up playing in the sand and surf of this stretch of
Southern California beach. Kai’s father had once been a professional surfer, and he made sure that his son respected the awesome
and unpredictable power of the sea. When Kai showed an interest in surfing, his dad had taught him the rules of safety before
they even began with the basics of the sport.
That was four years earlier, when Kai was ten. Since then, he had become as confident on his shortboard as other fourteen-year-old
boys were on skateboards and snowboards. He couldn’t imagine a life without surfing—and hoped he’d never have to.
Kai continued to pull himself along through the water. He wasn’t alone. Eleven other people were out surfing. Some sat ontheir boards, watching for a good wave. Others, like Kai, were paddling out to join the lineup—the place where surfers waited
their turn to surf. Only two people were actually standing on their boards and slicing their way back toward shore.
Kai reached the lineup and sat up. As he bobbed on the waves, a cool breeze blew across his face, arms, and chest. He adjusted
the neck of his long-sleeved rash guard shirt. He was glad he’d decided to wear the shirt instead of going bare chested. Not
only did the stretchy fabric keep his chest from being scraped by the board, it kept him warm!
Kai looked out to sea and spotted a decent swell. He glanced around. No one else was making a move to take it so he decided
to go for it.
He lay down on his board and strokedhard to stay ahead of the wave. Then he felt it—the moment the wave surged beneath him and started pushing him forward.
Now
! instinct told him.
In one explosive move, he shot from a prone to a standing position. His stance was practiced and sure: feet shoulder width
apart, left foot forward, right foot planted on the traction pad, and knees bent. He stretched his arms out and leaned forward
for balance.
He’d caught the peak of the wave perfectly. It was a “left,” a wave that broke from his left side toward his right. He rode
the swell frontside, with the white water boiling at his back and the crest rounding in front of him. The water beneath the
board was like a living thing, rippling and strong. He pumped the board, pushing it up and down with his feet, hoping to getenough speed to reverse direction and catch some air. When he didn’t, he rode the wave straight into shore instead.
Kai bailed when the water was a few feet deep. He pulled on the leash to bring the board back then returned to the
Similar Books
