"Storm Rider"
Storm Rider
by Ellen Rice
As far back as I can remember, I've loved watching storms over the ocean. People who haven't experienced a coastal storm here near Bethany Beach, Delaware, will think the painting above couldn't be of this area. They'd be wrong. This wave was one of many crashing in after Hurricane Isabelle. The waves were among the largest and yet smoothest I've seen here. Usually they're moe choppy.
There is a cove of sorts near the old Addy Sea. It's a favorite spot for surfers when conditions are right. When I drove into the Addy's parking lot, I saw people gathering on the dune walkways watching something. The sun had come out and as it got lower in the sky lent peach tones to the clouds and the waves. The colors drew my attention from an artistic standpoint, but what people were watching was the action on the other side of the dunes. Surfers and immense sets of waves.
Most of the surfers were in wet suits, bobbing up and down on their boards, waiting for the perfect swell while one daredevil kept paddling toward biggest swells, turning and catching the waves perfectly. He was an artist the way he danced on the board, riding it almost to the shore before turning around, bucking surf and getting in position for the next big one. The others mostly continued to watch and hang back. I can see why.
The size of the wave in the painting is not exaggerated. Waves like this one were coming in sets, one after the other, one bigger than the next. You wouldn't want to be in the path of one crashing. Only a few tried to ride them, their boards often flying high over their ducking heads. It's fun to watch but seriously risky business. That one guy kept catching them. I wish I knew who he was.
The two best places to watch surfers in Delaware are between Garfield Parkway and Pennsylvania Ave. in Bethany and on the north side of Indian River Inlet at "The Cove," otherwise known as "Coin Beach."
Surfing isn't for everyone. I tried very, very briefly (one afternoon) on the north side of the inlet and provided my late husband and his best friend a lot of amusement. I'm a very good swimmer and I rarely use the word "never," but me surfing? Never again! I'll stick to conquering waves with a paint brush! : )
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