From - Tue Sep 24 09:16:55 1996 Path: nntp.earthlink.net!nntp1.jpl.nasa.gov!news.uoregon.edu!enews.sgi.com!news.sgi.com!www.nntp.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!cpk-news-feed4.bbnplanet.com!dove.nist.gov!usenet From: Foondoggy Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: A very Ugly Scene. Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 10:55:57 -0400 Organization: nist Lines: 40 Message-ID: <3247F67D.287A@nist.gov> NNTP-Posting-Host: nov203e.nist.gov Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0 (Win16; U) Two weeks ago, while enjoying the fine conditions brought to us courtesy of Hortense, I was very aware of just how many really young surfers were sharing the juice. Many had already acquired the skills (and some, the attitude) of competent riders. I wound up in the lineup near two young boys (maybe 9 and 12) who were getting into a serious conflict over snaking one another. The older and bigger of the two was consistently cutting off the younger preventing him from getting any waves to himself. The younger was protesting this treatment very vocally, using some choice language to punctuate his unhappiness. All of a sudden, inside there erupted a very intense shouting slugfest as the two boys went at it in the shallows. Screams and solid punches could be heard all the way outside as the bigger of the two basically proceeded to beat the living crap out of the younger. The smaller boy was no match, but the kid could take a punch and when the opportunity came, landed a few of his own. This was no candyass slap fight, but no one seemed willing to step in and stop it. Finally I caught a wave in and tried to separate the boys. The smaller boy was half crying and screaming about the older boy's snaking him on every wave; that and the fact that he was getting his ass kicked. I directed the older boy to paddle down a break and surf there and to leave the younger boy alone. The big kid lipped off and said, "What if I don't?" I said, "I'll follow you, find your parents and tell them you beat up a kid half your size even though you were the one snaking." He laughed and muttered as he walked away, "Yeah, sure you will." But he did take his board and started walking down the beach. I turned to the smaller boy who was still sobbing and gasping for air. I said, "Are you alright, son?" Instead of acknowledging that I had just rescued him from a major whipping, he picked up his board and took off to follow the older boy. He looked back over his shoulder and snarled, "You leave my brother ALONE!" What is it they say about blood and water. Go figure. -Foondoggy "All happy families resemble one another; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." -Leo Tolstoy