In my younger days, before I got my first horse in my mid-twenties (the stud paint pony my Dad bought me that tried to kill me when I was around ten really doesn't count), I was pretty avidly into another past-time that I really thought would be my life's avocation. Well, that didn't turn out to be the case but I still have fond memories. I think a lot of what I learned about nature and natural powers in the world from this has served me well in my horsemanship. There is a lot of adjusting to what comes your way when riding a wave and that adjustability is a cornerstone of good horsemanship. So here is a little pictorial trip into my past...

These pics were taken about 1974 while I was attending UCSB in Goleta, CA. I liked living there so much that my wife and I returned and lived there for about a year in 1980 when we first lived together, until the Wyoming bug drew us back to Sheridan and a job on the Goose Creek Ranch. That last move was about the end of my surfing days.

The next set of pics were taken nearer to my home in San Juan Capistrano after a semi-forced, early retirement from academia at UCSB (well, actually academic probation... the surf was too good and too near). The place is Salt Creek, near the closed, gated, secure and fortified community of Monarch Bay. I hear there is a Hilton or some other such behemoth hotel/resort on the bluffs now. Wonder how the Coastal Commission let that one get through?