Back to the beginning...

Eric Cedeno at Knob Hill: Photo by Shell Shott Photography

It was back in the summer of 1990 and I wasn't looking forward to starting the seventh grade when school started up again in the fall.  The Dude opened up his cluttered garage and pulled out a seven foot Gerry Lopez (a classic 70's surfboard) off the rack mounted to the wall. He passed the board to me and told me about a famous surfer- Gerry Lopez. He said that this board was special and to take care of it. It barely fit under my arm when I carried it and it was a few feet taller than I was at the time.  I've always said it's an orange colored board but all my friends still disagree and say it's yellow. It has red lightning bolts on the rails and a single green fin with a hole in it that a was attached to a leash that was probably older than me. I weighed maybe 90 pounds, skinny, but physically fit and really stoked about learning how to surf.  We stripped the ancient blackened wax and put on a fresh coat.  We always used Bubble Gum surf wax back then, a pinkish-orange color that still smells like surfing to me.

The next morning I had the car loaded up by seven and waited patiently for the Dude to get out up so we could go.  We cruised the surf route and met up with every one at Pearl's Point (across the street from Critter's bar in Hermosa beach). All of them had been surfing for many years, and it showed.  There was Marti and Hog, Leis and the Dude and me. They all rode longboards, I rode a seven footer that seemed to work like a longboard to me, since I was only four foot and some inches back then.

The surf was not that big, but for me they always seemed over-head.  We walked to the shore line and I waxed up the Lopez for the hundredth time.  That's when the Dude said, "This is how you surf.  Paddle out. When you see a wave coming,  turn your board towards shore -and paddle real hard.  When you feel the wave pick you up arch your back -bring your knee's up to your chest and stand up, cover your head when you eat it. See ya!" Then he paddled out and was catching waves with the gang.

Eric Cedeno working on the new "Carpe Diem" (Seize the Day)

I paddled out as best I could until I thought I was out far enough, of course I wasn't.  All morning I kept trying to catch a wave on my own or just sit on my board without it flipping over on me. This really scared my mom, since I could not swim very well.  I could tread water for a few seconds, and that was long enough for me to grab onto my leash and get back on my board. Usually I would only surf for an hour or so, mainly due to the fact that I get cold easy.  I would get out, dry off and watch the gang catch waves.

Every weekend for those first few months I would come home with a giant smile on my face and a new cut or bruise on me somewhere from getting banged up by my board. The water started getting cooler and I was getting closer to riding my own wave.  I could catch waves now but I would either pearl-it or eat-it one way or the other. Till the day came.

We all cruised up to El Porto and decided to go out.  The water was getting colder now and I didn't have a wet suit. I paddled out rather quickly, having lots of practice paddling out but not standing up.  I was catching a few but eating it as usual.  Then I saw it and just knew that was the one.  I paddled for it and the guys cheered me on. The wave picked me up and I pushed off my board and stood up hoping I would not pearl like always. I held my breath as my board made its way down the face of the wave. I made that wave and rode it straight in since I did not know how to turn yet. I was so stoked! I was laughing and hooting all the way back to the line up and all the guys congratulated me on my excellent ride. I was hooked.

I'm still hooked today. I still have the Lopez, but it's been retired and hasn't been ridden for a few years now. I recently made up my mind to have a new seven foot Lopez board made, but with a few small changes; Tri fin instead of a single fin, a smoother nose and I wanted to add some art on it. It's got the same familiar rails and flotation. It's like being able to drive your first car again and you already know what to expect from it- lots of fun seizing the day.

Eric Cedeno at El Porto 1-20-12: Photo by Shell Shott Photography