Going with the flow...

On Sunday morning at sunrise, a surfing sister came to collect me and we searched for perfection along the Surf Coast.  As we hugged the coast, we passed many spots, but our search ended at the famous Bells Beach and in particular, Winki.

Whilst staring out at this....



.... my brain was busy calculating the size of the waves, calculating how many people were in the water, calculating where I would paddle out... my surfing sister must have seen the steam coming from my brain because she jumped in with a piece of advice that quenched those fiery calculations. A piece of advice that has been quenching many other fires out of the water as well...

“Go with the flow, Áine!”

So when we paddled out along the rocks of Winki with large volumes of white water rolling towards me, many fiberglass boards aiming along my path to the back of the lineup, and neoprened warriors shouting out their right on the wave... I just went with the flow. I let the whitewater wash me to the left or to the right... I let go of the path of where I thought I should go and let the waves determine my direction.... I paddled and duckdived when the flow allowed it. And in no time, I was out the back! It wasn’t all sunshine out there though, Winki did conquer me many times that day getting smashed whilst trying to sneak a little wave on the inside or waiting on waves that weren’t going to break where I was sitting... but Winki and my surf sister taught me a valuable lesson that morning... Go With The Flow! Winki put on a show of flow for me on Sunday... lads getting barreled, pro surfers out in the water, sick turns and airs... but the most beautiful sight at Winki on Sunday morning was when my surf sister went with her own flow, charged a massive wave, out paddling men twice her size. As she carved her way past me, the smile on her face was brighter than the sun! Her flow had conquered Winki and gave me the hope that someday I shall too! Go with the flow..... xo

PS... if you find yourself down the Bellarine/Surf Coast and in need of an amazing surf coach... look no further than my surf sister: Jade Oglivie

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