Board Sports

Growing up in Pittsburgh, I spent my days looking for hills. I wanted any hill I could find, big or small, it didn’t matter, as long as it had a bump it meant I could go speeding down it; and luckily for me, they weren’t hard to find. When I got my first skateboard, I ran to the top of my street and excitedly pushed off to start my descent. I don’t think I made it quite halfway down the hill before I realized that in one-on-one the asphalt will always win. Even after learning that lesson, I didn’t care. I loved it! I loved the speed, the thrill, the skill it took to learn how to navigate my way down. That was it for me, any chance I could have to get on a board, I was game. In the winter my feet were strapped to a board, whether it was on skis or a snowboard, every weekend.

Then I started spending my summers lifeguarding in Delaware. I fell in love with it here, and decided I couldn’t keep leaving for the winter. I found a job at East of Maui. I knew that I loved surfing the few times I got to do it, and I wanted more. I was able to get out on the water much more than I ever had before, and this is where I learned that here in Delware, there is a board sport for any type of day. I fell in love with Stand Up Paddle Boarding when there are no waves. When the wind comes, it’s time to break out the kites…and if all else fails , throw a tow line on the back of a jet ski and get a little wakeboarding in!

Board sports are vibrant. They have flash. People who watch others doing them are drawn to it, they want to look like that, to feel like that. However, they can also be intimidating to learn. There’s a learning curve you can’t escape. You’re going to look wacky before you look good…and even when you know what you’re doing, you’re going to fall on your face sometimes. It can be even more intimidating to be a female in a sea of men. Do it anyway. It’s worth it. During these sections, I’ll share anything I can about the feeling of euphoria that comes with being at the mercy of nature and a board. To connect the people who know this feeling well, and to inspire those who are still waiting to feel it.

Lexi Oleynik