The following is a guest post by Mary Mills (Surfsister) Surfer, Skater, Mom and Pistachio addict. Read her every move each Tuesday in her new weekly column. This week she’s back with ‘My Quiver is Never Static.’
This was one of the things I listed a few years ago on one of those memes where you tell the internet a bunch of random things about yourself. In fact, I answered that meme in early 2009.
I’m going to guess that I’ve bought and sold about seven boards since that time. So I suppose saying my quiver isn’t static is a bit of an understatement.
In the last three months alone, I’ve acquired two new boards and unloaded one I no longer deemed . . . useful.
Hi, my name is Mary and I’m a surfboard junkie. In case you didn’t know, I mainly ride longboards. There’s something about the finding of trim and enjoying the glide. What I love even more is the boards themselves.
I view longboards, particularly those that are hand-shaped by men and women who love their craft, as something special. If I was independently wealthy and had room to store all of the boards that catch my fancy, there’s no telling how large my quiver would be.
I am not, however, a member of the monied class. In fact, I’m not even sure I’m still a member of America’s middle class.
Nevertheless, what little money I manage to save that doesn’t go toward the bills is spent on my beloved surfboards. Why? Well, some people collect and admire the works of folks like Warhol, Hockney, Van Gogh and Pollock.
I collect and admire surfboards—longboards, hulls, alaias, mid-length beauties or what have you. I love surfboards. I love everything about surfboards. This is why one surfboard is never enough for me.
Someone once told me that he doesn’t like it when people drop in on him because he sees each wave as a blank piece of paper on which you figuratively write your name when you ride the wave. I always liked that approach to the philosophical aspect of surfing.
Nonetheless, I see surfing in a different vein. The way I see it, surfboards are instruments. We surfers are all essentially playing the same song, but our instruments allow us to express different interpretations of that song. I believe this is the most beautiful song in the world, one I want to hear every day.
Still, I don’t want to hear it played on the piano each day. I’d rather hear it on the piano one day, the guitar another day, the sitar the next day and so on.
My quiver of 10 boards allows me to hear that song, in all of its glory, in 10 different ways. My quiver makes me happy. Isn’t that all that matters?
longboards, quiver, surfboards
