Surfing is often depicted as high stakes: big drops, cavernous barrels, racing sections, heavy hold-downs and waves of consequence. But this is not my surfing world. My surfing life is far less extreme. Warm, clear water, fun right-hand point breaks, sandy white beaches, crowded lineups and sunny days year round. This is the subtropical world I grew up in, and I’ve never pretended otherwise.
Then a few years ago I moved to the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. It was another popular surfing town with busy point breaks, but this was no subtropical playground. Cold water, heavier waves. Surfing wise, I knew the move would present new challenges, but I looked forward to those challenges. I figured I’d learn to negotiate the bigger swells and, as someone from…