Surfing

This passage describes a boy's ride out on his surfboard.

Lexile Level: 1200L

Categories: Sports & Health Adventure

It is Ian's first day on a surfboard. Even with his chest rubbed raw and red, he is exhilarated. He knows that surfing will be a part of his life for a long time. Unformed swells lift him gently and then roll toward shore as he waits for his next ride. In the shadows of the water below him, he makes out a barracuda, its pipe-like body hovering nearly motionless. Ian knows that barracuda take occasional nips at surfers, but today he is not afraid, not of the barracuda, not of the older surfers, and not of the old cranky fishermen who cast their lines in his direction when he drifts too close to the pier. Today his complete focus is on the waves, the rhythm of the ocean, and the gift of speed and flight it offers when board, body, and wave come together just right.