The Gwinners: Surfing update

Surfing is big here in Peru.

In fact, the world champion female surfer is Peruvian, though you might not guess that from her name, Sophia Malenovich.

Though he grew up in California, Britt never surfed as a kid. However, it was one of the first new things he wanted to try when he got here. So he signed us up for surfing classes.
Unfortunately, the adult classes started at 6 am. And getting there via taxi (since we didn't have a car for the longest time) was fairly complicated. So that limited the number of times we adults went out. Still, Britt really liked it, especially for the major workout it entails. Valerie had mixed results. She started out feeling very positive about surfing, but lost her enthusiasm for the sport one morning when the waves were especially tough. It's kind of like learning to ski; very exhilerating when you have a good run, but frustrating and exhausting when you don't. Plus, there's the risk of drowning. he he

For Addison, the set-up was easier. The kids' classes started later, and they provided a minibus pickup service. He was also able to take classes on Wednesday afternoon, when school lets out early, as well as on Saturday mornings. So he's by far the best surfer in the family.

Now, the Gwinners are a determined lot. Especially some of them. So, Britt and Addison went out and bought themselves wet suits and surf boards. And what about Valerie aka Roxy, the surfing chick of the family? Well, let's just say, she's waiting for warmer weather and less sinusitis.

So, on Saturday, we headed south along the coast to a beach town called San Bartholo. It's about a 45 minute drive south of Lima, and it is a favorite among surfers. Indeed, even though it's mid-winter here, there were plenty of other surfers there. The weather was very gray. The water was clearer and cleaner than in Lima (I guess that's not saying THAT much). And with a wetsuit it was bearable. The waves were pretty choppy, and there were lots of rocks and sea urchins. But, that did not deter our guys, including friend Dale who was still in town visiting and had tried surfing several years ago in Hawaii.

The results? Well, it was pretty rough out there. The guys gave it a good try. They felt pretty pumped and exhausted, if not triumphant about the outing. Still, it gave them a taste for more. So stay tuned...