Chris GunnBack when I started writing “The Outdoor Gunn,” I wrote one of my first columns on being courteous when surfing or engaging in water-sport activities.
I wrote it because I had been forced into a near confrontation after accidentally dropping in on another surfer during a session at the Pismo Pier.
At the time, I was a beginning surfer and was still developing basic skills and learning about courtesy while in the water. To say the least, I was shocked by the surfer’s reaction – after all, I preserved the coastline to be a huge playground with enough peaks for every surfer in the water.
For the last year, I have lived in this disillusioned mindset. That is until last week, when I was surfing a break close to Studio Drive in Cayucos and was virtually run over, and accosted by roughly nine kite boarders. We had been in the water for about an hour when the locusts descended upon our 200-yards of oceanfront and began to steal our waves and almost hit us.
At one point, one of the culprits even went as far as to steal my wave and stare me down. I have been surfing this particular spot for some time and have never experienced anything like it.
With miles of coastline to the south and at least a mile of coastline to the north, I couldn’t help but think that the kite boarders were flat out rude and disrespectful.
There are rules that all surfers and water-sports enthusiasts follow: simple things like don’t drop in on others; don’t paddle out to a nice break and take waves from experienced surfers, if you’re not capable of riding it, stick to the beach breaks; and just flat-out be respectful of other people in the water.
To the kite boarders from last week, you’re blacklisted, and I beg anyone else who is a kite boarder or is interested in kite boarding to have a great time surfing peaks away from known traditional surfing spots.
So in signing off for the last time as the Outdoor Gunn, thanks for reading, enjoy the outdoors and keep the peace.