When Mel went in to swap surfboards down from the funboard to the short board, which had a bit more control and was generally thought of as a 'skilled' board type, I paddled out a little farther and caught a strong wave in. Riding my longboard was the smoothest feeling in the world and I took pleasure in the easy turns I made, avoiding with ease a few other surfers who hadn't caught my wave, and I let the wave take me all the way in to shore, stepping off into the shallows as Mel jogged back down the beach to the surf.
"Wow," she said as the stopped with me, feet in the water. "Stephan, that was some great riding. You looked so sure of yourself out there. King of the ocean."
I smiled and ran a hand through my wet hair. "Thanks. It was a good wave."
"No," she said, leaning forward and wr
