Dave Skelton took this photo of me on Pensacola Beach in 1975.
I was never a great surfer – the kind I dreamt of becoming, but I held my own. I had my moments.
But in a way, I really was a great surfer.
I gave surf lessons for a few years – part time – for Innerlight Surf Shop. At the start of each lesson I would ask the kids/adults who the best surfer is. They got quiet and a little confused on how to answer. It’s a trick question. “The best surfer is the one having the most fun”, I tell them.
Years ago, during Mark Foo’s brief time in Pensacola I told him I wasn’t sure if I liked a new board – if I was surfing that well on it. Mark was a thinker. So he asked me if I was having fun. I said yes. He responded, “Then you are surfing well”.
That was a great response. So with that in mind, I am, and have been, a great surfer for several decades! TH