User talk:Redboard99

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If I remember correctly, the line of fans on the Australian sand stretched from Point Danger to Snapper Rocks. The excited throng grew silent as the announcer yelled through his megaphone, “And now, seven time ASP World Tour champion, Kelly Slater.” The crowd erupted, beach balls were tossed across the audience, fireworks went off, and Slater, visibly shaken, emerged from the contestant’s tent. He walked slowly toward the judges’ table and had a short conversation with the officials. Then, the terrible words came over the speakers, “Unfortunately, Kelly’s one-of-a-kind custom surfboard cracked during the prelims, and he wont be able to surf this afternoon.” A wave of melancholy came over the fans, punctuated by a loud “Wait!” It was I who spoke, and into the silence I cried, “I can fix it!”

Alright, I admit that never happened, but if it did, I would be ready. I have been building surfboards as both a business and a hobby for three years, and it has taught me all about following a passion, overcoming challenges, and teaching others. My career was almost forced into early retirement when I was fifteen. As I surfer from my childhood days, I thought it would be “cool” to make my own surfboard. Naturally, I had no idea how much work was involved, nor did I have any clue what I was doing. I got most of my information from secondhand sources and the majority of my tools from a dusty bin in the garage, so, in retrospect, it was no surprise that my project ended in failure. The details are still a bit raw, but in short, my surfboard wasn’t pretty, and it didn’t float. I thought about quitting. I rationalized my goal as just a simple childhood fantasy, but after some thought, I convinced myself that dreams, however improbable, are worth pursuing.

A year later, my dreams were finally coming to fruition. After much practice and improvement, I had been commissioned by a friend to build a custom surfboard. While working on it in my open garage, I noticed that some younger kids from the neighborhood were spying on my project. I couldn’t turn down an audience, so I invited them inside to watch. Immediately, they bombarded me with questions; “Why are you doing that?” “Can I try this?” Their interest filled me with pride, and as I continued to interact with them, I began to understand the value and joy of teaching. Eventually, a kid with shaggy blond hair mustered the courage to ask, “Would you … uh … help me make my own board.” Bearing in mind what I had just learned about teaching, I happily obliged.

By the time Drew (blond kid) finished his project, I couldn’t wait to instruct others about my trade. Eventually, I came upon the idea of writing a guide, so I took pictures of the process and assembled them into a short pamphlet. Unhappy with my first attempt, I took more pictures, created some diagrams, and continued writing until I had a fifty page book compiled, which I soon had published. I have had the privilege of selling all over the world – from Italy to Australia, Spain to Réunion. I will be happy if just one of the hundreds who have purchased my book is inspired to take up my trade, and who knows, maybe that person will come to the rescue should tragedy ever befall Kelly Slater.

Steven Miller