selected.
Ace and I clapped and cheered as Micki stepped
forward.
As Shyan and Jake told us the rules for the relay, I
watched the back of Kia's head nod and shake with
each instruction. How had I been friends with her all
this time yet never known how capable she was of
being cruel – really cruel. A sour taste tingled on the tip
of my tongue.
'We'll be keeping track of your scores during these
formal surf sessions,' Jake explained. 'So every wave
counts. The selections are not dependent on the final
day contest. Look at the next two and a half weeks as
one big competition, not just the final day. I want you
to get used to that pressure. This camp is as much
about learning to deal with that pressure as it is about
improving your techniques.'
Pressure! For me today wasn't about pressure. Today
was about revenge.
'When the siren goes it's the captains in first,'
Shyan continued. 'They will select the take-off zone
for you and that's where you all go from and paddle
back to.'
'Pressure or what?' Jaime groaned.
'You'll be right,' Ace said.
'I'd pick that left peak,' I whispered to Jaime. 'Trust
me, I found out the hard way. That's where all the
choice is.'
'The captains finish off the relay,' Shyan added.
'So they get two scores then,' Megan piped up.
'Yeah, but they have to do two sessions,' Ace called
back.
'You'll all have a go at being a captain,' Jake
explained. 'As captain you'll be scored on other things
too. Choice of take-off zone, capability with team
members and your fitness level in that second heat.'
He threw each team a rash vest. 'Red for Jaime,
yellow for Natasha and green for Kia's team.'
After a bit of stretching, the siren blasted and we
were off.
My choice of the left peak was a ripper. I knew Kia'd
want that as her take-off zone too, but Jaime was a
strong paddler and got there first. Now it was ours! The
three of them began to carve it up while the rest of the
beach watched us as we cheered and screamed.
'Take a picture, it lasts longer!' Megan screamed at
the spectators. 'How cool is this, being over here while
they're all over there?'
'How embarrassing,' Micki said, and hid her face
against my back. 'I wish Megan would stop it. They're
all going to think we're so up ourselves.'
The extra foot or two on that left peak had Jaime
looking the goods from the beach.
She came in just as the siren blew. I was next.
'It's a beauty,' Jaime panted at me. 'Good choice.
Thanks for that.'
'No worries,' I called back as I ran down the beach.
The rip pulled me out and I was at our take-off zone
first and on the inside.
All the techniques my coach, Steve, had taught me
were charging through my head, like it was a proper
contest. I watched the waves in my head, watched how
I was going to tackle them and what moves I would
make.
I started paddling. I needed to be fast to pick off this
set. My arms felt strong as I chased and hunted.
Drive , I said to myself as I executed a quality bottom
turn, once, then twice. The wave had everything I
loved. It was clean and hollow, sectioning up beautifully,
and was fast. If I could just keep my focus I could
really carve this up.
Lean, look back, keep low – low target, low target , my
head instructed.
I twisted, lifting my arms, and snap! What a cutback!
It was strong and precise. It felt good. I heard Ace
cheering from the beach.
Megan wasn't having much fun with Kia's take-off
zone. There was only time for her to manoeuvre a half
turn before it closed out in the next section. She was
now just wasting waves, hunting them and not getting
anywhere. She was looking pissed off and I imagined
on the beach, Kia was looking even more pissed off.
But I didn't have time to focus on Kia and her hangups.
I got out of the water and ran down the beach, just
like Jake had told me I should've in my video analysis
session. I dived back in at the rip and paddled back out
to our take-off zone. Everything was working. I was
almost having fun.
If there'd been any doubt Kia
Ace and I clapped and cheered as Micki stepped
forward.
As Shyan and Jake told us the rules for the relay, I
watched the back of Kia's head nod and shake with
each instruction. How had I been friends with her all
this time yet never known how capable she was of
being cruel – really cruel. A sour taste tingled on the tip
of my tongue.
'We'll be keeping track of your scores during these
formal surf sessions,' Jake explained. 'So every wave
counts. The selections are not dependent on the final
day contest. Look at the next two and a half weeks as
one big competition, not just the final day. I want you
to get used to that pressure. This camp is as much
about learning to deal with that pressure as it is about
improving your techniques.'
Pressure! For me today wasn't about pressure. Today
was about revenge.
'When the siren goes it's the captains in first,'
Shyan continued. 'They will select the take-off zone
for you and that's where you all go from and paddle
back to.'
'Pressure or what?' Jaime groaned.
'You'll be right,' Ace said.
'I'd pick that left peak,' I whispered to Jaime. 'Trust
me, I found out the hard way. That's where all the
choice is.'
'The captains finish off the relay,' Shyan added.
'So they get two scores then,' Megan piped up.
'Yeah, but they have to do two sessions,' Ace called
back.
'You'll all have a go at being a captain,' Jake
explained. 'As captain you'll be scored on other things
too. Choice of take-off zone, capability with team
members and your fitness level in that second heat.'
He threw each team a rash vest. 'Red for Jaime,
yellow for Natasha and green for Kia's team.'
After a bit of stretching, the siren blasted and we
were off.
My choice of the left peak was a ripper. I knew Kia'd
want that as her take-off zone too, but Jaime was a
strong paddler and got there first. Now it was ours! The
three of them began to carve it up while the rest of the
beach watched us as we cheered and screamed.
'Take a picture, it lasts longer!' Megan screamed at
the spectators. 'How cool is this, being over here while
they're all over there?'
'How embarrassing,' Micki said, and hid her face
against my back. 'I wish Megan would stop it. They're
all going to think we're so up ourselves.'
The extra foot or two on that left peak had Jaime
looking the goods from the beach.
She came in just as the siren blew. I was next.
'It's a beauty,' Jaime panted at me. 'Good choice.
Thanks for that.'
'No worries,' I called back as I ran down the beach.
The rip pulled me out and I was at our take-off zone
first and on the inside.
All the techniques my coach, Steve, had taught me
were charging through my head, like it was a proper
contest. I watched the waves in my head, watched how
I was going to tackle them and what moves I would
make.
I started paddling. I needed to be fast to pick off this
set. My arms felt strong as I chased and hunted.
Drive , I said to myself as I executed a quality bottom
turn, once, then twice. The wave had everything I
loved. It was clean and hollow, sectioning up beautifully,
and was fast. If I could just keep my focus I could
really carve this up.
Lean, look back, keep low – low target, low target , my
head instructed.
I twisted, lifting my arms, and snap! What a cutback!
It was strong and precise. It felt good. I heard Ace
cheering from the beach.
Megan wasn't having much fun with Kia's take-off
zone. There was only time for her to manoeuvre a half
turn before it closed out in the next section. She was
now just wasting waves, hunting them and not getting
anywhere. She was looking pissed off and I imagined
on the beach, Kia was looking even more pissed off.
But I didn't have time to focus on Kia and her hangups.
I got out of the water and ran down the beach, just
like Jake had told me I should've in my video analysis
session. I dived back in at the rip and paddled back out
to our take-off zone. Everything was working. I was
almost having fun.
If there'd been any doubt Kia
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