‘Love it!’ she said with enthusiasm as she fumbled around in the cupboards.
‘Can I help you find something?’
‘Yeah, I’m looking for the coffee.’
‘Freezer. Keeps it fresh.’
‘Aha! Thanks.’
I watched Kiko as she put the grinds and water into the coffee pot. Her long hair was straight and thick. She had chocolate brown eyes that matched the colour of her hair, and the most beautiful, flawless, caramel-coloured skin that didn’t display one blemish, which compared to my mishmash of tan lines was nothing short of amazing to me. For some reason, I felt kind of intimidated by her. She seemed extremely confident, like a force to be reckoned with. At least, this was my first impression.
She looked up at me once the coffee was brewing, ‘So what’s up with you? What are you doing up so early?’
‘Ah I dunno, too much on my mind, I guess.’ I turned my attention back to her, ‘What about you?’
‘We both have an early shift, but Sophie has us all doing a workout together before we start. It’s a new team-building and endurance training thing she’s trying out.’
‘Oh no way! She’s so awesome, isn’t she?’
‘The best, Zoe. For sure!’
Just then Sophie walked out of her room, all geared up and looking ready to get her workout on.
‘Morning, lovely!’ she practically yelled over at me.
‘Easy S, easy, I’m only five feet away. I can hear you loud and clear!’
She walked over to the kitchen and took over so that Kiko could go get changed. As she shut the bedroom door behind her, I looked up at S from my stool, ‘Um, I can see why you like her, Soph. Holy wow, she’s beautiful!’
‘Yeah, no kidding, right?’
‘Is she as awesome as she is gorgeous?’
‘You know it, dude!’ And she high-fived me. Ha! Sometimes I feel like we’re two bros, rather than two girlfriends.
As S got two travel mugs out of the cupboard and began to pour the coffee, I asked about the training.
‘Yeah, Zo, it’s a bit of an experiment, isn’t it? I’ve no clue how it’s going to turn out, but I wanted a way for us all to train and learn from one another at the same time.’
‘What do you mean?’ I asked, waking up with intrigue.
‘Oh my God, Zo! I have the best idea. Come train with us!’
‘Um, seriously?’
‘Hell yeah, babe! You’re a legend, Zozo! Everyone would love to have you join us.’
‘Oh man!’ I said. I wasn’t sure if she was for real so I tried to shrug it off as I stood up from the bar stool.
‘I’m serial, Z!’
‘You’re serial?’
We both started laughing and then Kiko came out, dressed and ready.
‘Keeks, Zoe’s going to train with us!’
‘Nice one!’
It was an interesting idea, and one that only required a few seconds for my mind to process.
Well, it’s not a bad idea, actually. I’ll get to train with some new and interesting people, at the beach, and I’ll probably learn a ton too. I was ready to start training again anyway, I suppose, but don’t have a plan as of yet, which was one of the concerns keeping me up this morning.
And then I heard a whisper in my ear:
‘Does it feel good?’
I looked around but nobody was there. This startled me, but only for a sec. Was it Teo? It had to be. Of course, it was. It eased my mind thinking this way. Was it odd that these other-worldly experiences were my new normal? Ha!
‘Zo? Zoe? Zoeeee!’ S was trying to bring me back from lala land.
‘Oh, ugh...’ I had to come back to earth and remember where I was and what we were talking about before responding. ‘Yes! Yes, S, it feels great. I mean, sounds great, actually!’
‘Sa-weeeet!’ S exclaimed!
‘Well, crap, I better get ready then.’
‘You’ve got three minutes, Zoe baby,’ S called after me as I ran past her.
I grabbed my workout clothes from the floor and threw them on. Phew! They were already a bit stinky, and even though I was put off by their moistness, I couldn’t be bothered to find something else. I found my backpack, threw in my towel, bikini, phone, wallet, water, a handful of granola bars, some socks and runners – just whatever I could see lying around that I thought I might need – and bolted out of my bedroom.
I slipped on my flip-flops as Soph walked by me with my board. ‘You could go surf afterwards, Z!’ she suggested, not pausing for an answer. She made her way through the house and Kiko emerged from the kitchen with three delicious-smelling coffees. Thank God!
I shut the door behind me, wondering what the hell had just happened. Not 30 minutes ago, I’d been worrying about the day, and now I was off on a new adventure!
Thanks Teo, I thought to myself as I hopped in the back seat, acknowledging him for what had to be his doing.
CHAPTER
25
Including Kiko, there were four lifeguards on shift and ready for training that morning. With me and Soph, that made six in total. Everyone was a wee bit groggy considering it was only 5:30 in the morning and the sun had barely risen over the horizon. S, on the other hand, had her metaphorical enthusiasm hat on, and was working hard to get everyone else as excited as she was.
‘Everyone! This, as you likely already know, is the legendary Zoe Smith. She’s going to train with us this morning, and hopefully for the next…’ she paused and looked over at me, ‘Zoe, when’s your first event?’
‘Ergh, about eight weeks I think?’
‘Righto gang, so hopefully she’ll stick around for the next eight weeks and we can kick her butt into shape, yeah?’
She was right. I did need my butt kicked into shape, and fast. Two months was not long, and I had a lot of work to do if I wanted to feel prepared for the season.
Two of the lifeguards were men, the other two women. They all looked over at me and smiled, and I was self-conscious as to whether or not they were stoked or bummed to have me join them. But since I was there and it was already happening, and since I had to focus on positive self-talk, the only thing left to do was believe they were stoked.
We did our entire workout barefoot, jogging about a kilometre up the beach where we stopped and did a series of sit-ups, push-ups, and stretches before jogging back to the main lifeguard tower. There, S had us work in teams and do some agility training. I paired up with this guy named Tyler, an older blonde guy maybe in his mid-thirties, who was super fit. He was genuinely nice but also pushed me to my limits, given what I thought my capabilities were. I was able to keep up with everyone, but it wasn’t easy. In fact, I was totally knackered by the end of it all, 90 minutes later.
‘Alright guys, nice job!’ Sophie congratulated us as we collapsed in the sand.
‘As you know, my goal is that we learn from one another in these sessions, so I’ve put up a list of dates and times, and I want each one of you to sign up and lead us through training at least twice.’
One of the girls I hadn’t met yet chimed in, ‘What if we don’t know how to train other people?’
S, with her always-positive mindset was quick to reply, ‘It doesn’t have to be something like we did this morning. You can show us anything you like to do. If yoga’s your game, lead us in yoga. If it’s swimming, or sprints, or dance... whatever you fancy. It’s not a test, it’s a team-building experiment. You are all exceptional people, not just lifeguards, and I want you to demonstrate what you’ve got. But if you want, I’m also okay if you want to team up with someone else for the first session. Got it?’
I leaned over to Tyler and said, ‘Is she always this onto it? This...’ I searched for the word to express how in awe I was of my friend, seeing her in this light.
‘Yeah, I know, right? She’s a
legend.’ Tyler said easily, not seeming winded at all. I was still ridiculously out of breath compared to everyone else.
‘Right,’ she continued, ‘Take a break, hydrate, and eat something before your shift starts.’
As we both got up, Tyler asked, ‘How do you know Sophie, anyway?’
I answered in breathless spurts.
‘Oh we go... way back... actually. She was my… first… friend... when my dad and I moved here when I was 11. She... taught me how to surf, in fact!’
‘Did she? Hey cool...’
I was still too out of breath to give him more of the story, so instead I passed the convo back over to him.
‘When did you become a lifeguard?’ I asked, while wiping the hair from my face. I had started out with a tight ponytail, but summer on the Goldy was hot and humid, so by the time our workout was finished, stray hairs were sticking to my sweaty face and neck.
‘Well,’ he began slowly, in a contemplative manner, ‘I was 10 when I decided I wanted to be a lifeguard, right after I watched one save my dad’s life when we were swimming at the beach.’
‘Holy crap, what happened?’ I said as I pulled the elastic out of my hair and tried shoving it into a bun. Tyler continued.
‘Yeah, we were splashing around in the shore break, just a few feet out from the beach when he had a heart attack. I could tell that something was wrong because he just kind of froze and clutched his chest, but I had no idea what to do except for yell and wave for help. I tried to grab onto him so that he didn’t sink into the water, but he was just so much bigger than me that I was practically drowning myself. Luckily, two lifeguards got to us incredibly fast. It was amazing. Anyway, there’s lots more to it, but you get the idea. They saved his life, and that day I decided I wanted to be able to do that for others. As soon as I turned 17, I got all my qualifications, took the test, and have been a lifeguard ever since.’
‘Wow, that’s an incredible story, and awesome that it inspired you to become a lifeguard. Thanks for sharing.’
‘Yeah, no worries, Zoe. It was fun training with you!’ and he walked off in the opposite direction.
‘Thanks Tyler, I will!’
I headed back to the main building to grab my backpack and search for those energy bars. I noticed Sophie and Kiko, who were both standing at the side of the building not far from me, so I walked over to them. I handed one to Kiko, who smiled in thanks, and then I shoved one into S’s sports bra while she was busy posting the sign-up sheets to the wall.
She snatched it out and thanked me, ‘Now go get spanked for me!’
CHAPTER
26
What’s cool about Byron is that it’s the location of one of my favourite surf breaks: Spanky’s. Hence, S telling me to get spanked! With tired enthusiasm, I headed back to the car to drop off my stuff, change into my bikini, and hydrate. I fumbled around in my backpack, looking for a packet of emergen c to replenish my electrolytes. I always had packets of this stuff floating around in my bag, along with random tampons, coconut oil for my skin, and a much-needed leave-in conditioner for my post-surf hair.
‘Ugh! Where is it?’ I commented out loud. I continued to rummage for exactly five more seconds before giving up. Out of frustration, I leaned my head back on the headrest of the seat, closed my eyes, and tried to relax my mind.
‘Be calm, Zoe. Be cool. This is so not a big deal,’ I reminded myself, and began focusing on my breath. It took all of my concentration to pay attention to the sensation of the air as it entered my nostrils, and then left my body with the exhale.
My mind kept luring me away from my breath and latching onto a random assortment of thoughts instead. It became a game of mental tug-of-war, and it was beginning to drive me crazy.
What was I getting worked up for anyway? Never mind. Just breathe. Why is this irritating me? Argh! Breathe...
And then, another whisper floated into my ear:
‘Be still the mind.’
It happened too fast for me to react with fear. Instead, the words were insanely soothing; in an instant, I felt superbly calm, and as before, no other sound could be heard. No loud cars driving by, no people conversing, no dogs barking or birds chirping. Heck, even the noisy thoughts scattering around my brain like a pinball machine had evaporated into nothingness. It was like being in a vortex. Or maybe one of those sensory deprivation tanks?
And then the whisper came again:
‘Let the ocean move you.’
It was a strange yet exhilarating moment because it was completely out of my control, but also because all I felt was peace. And I’m sure you’d agree that feeling out of control doesn’t usually elicit a sense of peace, now does it? Not in my experience.
But I knew there was nothing to fear because it was the sound of Teo’s voice. By this point, I trusted him without question. In fact, this very moment solidified that trust. My eyes opened. I sat up and quickly looked to my left and then to my right, hoping that nobody was staring through my car window wondering if I was okay. Nope, all clear. And then the noisy streets of people and cars became obnoxiously loud once again.
The hustle and bustle of life, I thought with a sliver of disappointment as that sense of complete peace floated away. Wait, what did he just say? It was like a dream that’s so vivid but one you forget as soon as you wake up. I had to jog my memory quickly before my own thoughts interfered and blocked the message. But it was already too late. I had no idea what Teo had whispered. Sigh.
It was starting to get pretty toasty in the car, so I chugged some water, stealthily put on my bikini, and hopped out to grab my board.
Spanky’s is a lefthand break, meaning that when you catch the wave you surf to the left. It works best at mid-to-high tide and is a hollow wave when the direction of the swell is right. On a more average day, it’s a fun wave that carries a good deal of speed, which means you have to be quick on the takeoff to get into the wave without going over the falls, kind of like The Point at Lennox, but not so intense.
I walked towards the beach with my board under my arm, unsuccessfully racking my brain to remember what Teo had said. My frustration (or desperation) had somehow escalated to an all-time high, and before I knew what I was doing, I looked up at the sky and yelled, ‘Teo! What did you say?’
Holy crap, I’m turning into a real nutter here! And not just because I was now talking to myself out loud in public, but because I was also talking to an angel!
As I walked past the main lifeguard building, a bright purple poster on the bulletin board grabbed my attention. It was a diagram to show people what to do when caught in a rip current. It gave two options:
Swim! - Swim parallel to the beach to escape them. Don’t try to swim directly back to shore because you’ll be swimming against the flow. Instead, get out of the rip by patiently swimming parallel to shore.
Float! – Give in and go with the flow. Most rips will circulate back to the beach, so relax, and let the ocean move you.
‘Wait a minute. That’s it! Let the ocean move you!’ I squealed with a scary amount of enthusiasm, which attracted some quizzical stares from a group mingling nearby.
Instinctively and in true Zoe fashion, I stared at my feet and sprinted straight to the edge of the water.
‘Let the ocean move you, let the ocean move you...’ I kept repeating to myself over and over so as not to let it out of my slippery brain ever again.
Okay, I’ve got it on lockdown for sure this time! I looked up and mentally thanked Teo for the reminder.
‘Let the ocean move you. I wonder what it means?’
I dug my feet into the sand and stared out at the wave about 30 feet from shore. From my count, there were 45 people out. Yeesh. It was a lot for that one peak. Nobody likes to fight for waves or deal with pecking orders, so the fewer people the better in my opinion. I put on my surf leash, tightened my ponytail
and launched into the ocean.
Paddling out, I noticed that my arms were sore and my legs were tired, a reiteration of the fact that the new workout had indeed kicked my ass. But at the same time, I felt a rising sense of energy with each duck dive. As the salt water washed over me, I became more and more rejuvenated, so by the time I joined the crowd in the line-up a few minutes later, I was feeling confident.
I felt a good vibe from the crowd, which was always a bonus, because sometimes you get a real douchebag or two who can kill the mood by being super aggressive and dropping in on people. I recognized the only other girl in the water but couldn’t remember how, or what her name was. She smiled and waved when she saw me, so I smiled back, but turned quickly and paddled further outside on seeing a big set on the horizon. It was a clean-up set, coming in big and breaking further outside from the normal sets, which generally meant it would land exactly where people were sitting. So either, you have to paddle your ass off and try to get over the top of it before it breaks, try to duck dive it (which can be a challenge), or ditch and dive (ditch your board and dive under the wave).
Option one is ideal. Option two is great if it works. If it doesn’t, option three comes into play, where you get dragged and thrown about, as the wave pulls you towards shore. You’ll have to take a few more on the head until the set is done too. In other words, a clean-up set takes people out, ‘cleaning up’ the takeoff zone, leaving unscathed the ones who were in a position to avoid it.
Luckily for me I was able to get out of the way without struggle. As the set passed, I looked to see who was left. Funnily enough, it was just me and – oh, what’s her name? – the other female.
‘Whew! That was a biggie!’ she said with excitement.
‘Totally! Has it been pretty consistent?’ I asked.
‘Not really, but every so often a big clean-up set like that comes through, so you gotta watch out, hey.’
‘Right on, right on,’ I said nonchalantly.
‘So how’s things on tour?’ she was super bubbly, and I still couldn’t place her.
Surfer Girls Kick Ass Page 12
