I’ve finally had a chance to take out my new board. I can’t tell you about the anticipation that’s been building ever since I’ve picked it up. With the past two months spent mostly on the road running around the southeast, I’ve severely neglected working out. I was dreading picking the board up off the floor and managing to get it over my head and on top of the car. But DAMN! This thing is light! or I’m not as out of shape as I thought. The Glider only weighs 20lbs so I can manage to lift it without a problem even after not managing a single push up for 8 weeks. Also the name Glider reminds me of a fun story so quick squirrel (non sequitur).

Once upon a time I used to be an avid runner, probably because I lived in Pittsburgh at the time which I pretty landlocked. I did mostly trail running so I wouldn’t get bored and always tried to look for new places to go. As one fateful afternoon would have it, I was out on a run, minding my own business when BAM! It came out of nowhere! The dreaded glider splider (because who says spider?). I had a face full of spider web and began vigorously running in every direction. About a quarter mile of flailing later I had removed most of the spider web and also realized I was lost. I pulled up my gps to retrace my steps and my map looked like something a toddler would draw you or a pile of yarn your grandmother forgot at the bottom of her knitting basket. Using the sun to navigate I found my way back… just kidding there was a road 100 yards away so I just jogged back to my car hoping no one knew I was the crazy lady screaming running through the woods.

Glider…glider splider… back to my story.

After loading the board I stick to tradition, grab a Red Bull and head to the beach with the windows down and music blasting. I walk down to the water and just stand there for a few minutes watching the bait fish jump and enjoying the simple pleasure of taking a deep breath and not immediately being sent into a coughing frenzy. Hurricane Michael might have had something to do with flushing the red tide out and now life is returning. The winds are low but the current is ripping, if I want to pull any line out of mangroves today I know it will be an interesting struggle. I start to spot lures right away and I’m happy to know that people are back out fishing, still losing their expensive lures, but fishing. A few hours paddling in and out of mangroves, maneuvering around docks and I’m in love with how my new board handles cutting through the current. And by the way, if you guessed ‘over 3 hooks,’ you were correct, 32 to be exact.