My First Surfing Competition

Over the weekend I was a contestant in the Haunted Heats surfing competition that was hosted by ZJ Boarding House in Santa Monica. This was the first of what is planned to be an annual occurrence.

This was also the first time I entered a surfing competition of any kind. In spite of surfing for most of my life I am definitely not a pro. I also discovered that longer heats would really be very beneficial for my performance. A ten minute rest between catching waves would be great. It's a drag to realize that I'm not in optimal shape.

And no - I didn't win any of the awards. The viking was best costume, the Teletubbies were best surfing interpretation of their costumes, and the tiger shark was best overall. I did, however, score a very sweet swag bag from ZJ, make some new friends, and get some great pictures. In addition, how often do I get to have a group of friends come watch me act like a complete dork while I surf in a costume? I can't wait until next year.

ZJ has a flickr album with more event pictures and you can also follow them on Twitter. The shop also has a fan page and profile on Facebook as well. I also discovered a blog from another contestant that had a great costume!

This competition brought me to the realization that I need to be a bit more serious about my workout routine. I've slipped a bit lately. Although I spend several hours in the water every weekend it is not constant activity. When I am not being timed I sit on my board and catch my breath when I am tired. I'll chat with others while waiting for sets and just chill. Usually, a wave every 20 minutes is good for me. I need to step that up because spending time on the driving range and playing a round of golf every so often isn't contributing to my cause. Sure, I have great upper body strength but I really need to work on endurance!

What will I do? Well, to start I've got an elliptical trainer here at the house that is missing me quite a bit. We used to have a standing date at least 4 mornings a week. That starts again today. Wish me luck.

Oh, and what is my costume? Well, I called it the "undead ballerina". I had a lot of great suggestions and decided that I would go it on my own. The dress was something I picked up at a vintage shop that would not fall off since it was one piece. The gloves stayed on with the help of some bands. My makeup didn't budge since it was colored zinc oxide sunblock.

So who won my contest? Well, the suggestions were Burger King, Gorilla, baseball player, pink Power Ranger, gorilla, squirrel, dog, and a football. At the contest there was a gorilla (mask only with wetsuit) and the King. I have to give the best idea to the King because it was really funny to watch him surf! Congratulations Vince! Shoot me a note and let me know where to send your prize.