From broken ribs to Ballsy Charger: Meet KC who doesn't know how to quit

👋 Howdy and aloha!

I’m KC and I LOVE SURFING! Duh….

I’ve been a water bug my entire life. Rivers, lakes and oceans are my favorite places to be bar none. I moved to Oahu Hawaii when I was 18 years old in the 80’s and somehow did not connect with surfing. What a bummer! I could be an amazing surfer by now but noooooo….this is not my reality. Sigh…

😬 First wipeout (and a pause)

A boogie boarding session in front of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (still my fave) that ended with me being ran over by a catamaran and sustaining multiple broken ribs kinda put the brakes on my water activities other than body surfing at Sandy’s for a long time.

🌪️ Fast forward: Surfing in Santa Cruz

Fast forward 36 years (yeah, I am a 58 year old surf rat😂) and I had just recently moved to Santa Cruz CA when COVID hit. Life turned upside down and I was living alone and didn’t really know anyone etc…..

The county closed the beaches with an exception that you could cross the water to enter the ocean. Hmmmm….it was all of a sudden time to learn how to surf. I had to get in that water and find some way to enjoy this beautiful place I now called home.

🌀 Learning surfing the hard way

I was dating a lifelong surfer who took me up on my statement that I was a water lover and assumed that meant I knew how to read water….nope! But he exposed me to plenty of heavy breaks and inappropriate boards and a lot of confusion. 🎪

I decided to seek some lessons so I called around and found my guy. He answered the phone and I said I wanted to learn and his response was “F… yea—let’s hit the water”. So we did.

He pushed me in the sand while my back was turned to determine if I was goofy or regular….probably the first time I peed in my wetsuit….lol. I’m regular stance. 100%.

Took a handful of lessons in various spots and got my much needed and frequently used safety maneuvers dialed and just kept going.

👯‍♀️ Finding the crew

Found a great surf buddy through a post on Nextdoor since I didn’t know anyone and ended up finding a couple of gals!

One is my surf buddy to date (we have an injury and lessons learned list a mile long that includes stitches, black eyes, fin cuts, numerous bruises and a few torn ligaments and broken bones collectively) and the other is my hiking buddy.

I honestly have never been clumsy in life until this.

🏄‍♀️ Surf life now

I’ve now been surfing for 4 1/2 years—I am stoked to have an avid lifelong surfer for a partner and feel like I’m on the brink of a major breakthrough.

My style has been described by others as chill, relaxed, and even elegant. That one was from my surf instructor recently and meant the world to me.

My guy Warren has a place on Oahu so I’ve had plenty of time in the water sans wetsuit but here at home I wear a 5/4 hooded suit year-round.

I’ve broken 2 boards…both beautiful longboards…one in Hawaii at Diamond Head and one here in SC at Pleasure Point.

Swimming in with half a board is a lot harder than it sounds. Fiberglass is sharp…I don’t recommend it. LOL.

🐬 The wild things

All this drama and trauma and still I keep on paddling out. And will continue to as long as I can.

I adore seeing the wildlife. Otters, seals, dolphins, and pelicans….I can do without the sharks and sea lions.

I’ve evacuated breaks due to sightings in Hawaii. I have yet to see a shark and I’m good with that.

✨ Reflections and stoke

Anyway, that’s a lot about this 58 year old surf addict.

I’m sure this year will see us paddling out at some new spots and revisiting some favorites.

I love feeling strong. Longevity and healthy living are my focus in life overall and in the water. A good session after a strong yoga class is the best!

Always look over your shoulder one more time. Listen to your gut and know your limits. Push them a little but ease into it. Be the happy girl in the line up. Share the stoke. Always remember you were a beginner once upon a time too.

💥 My surf nickname

I have to finish by sharing that my surf buddy Kelly has nicknamed me BC. It stands for Ballsy Charger. 😂💙🙌

See you in the water! KC. aka BC @kcmiller_houslvr