Windsurfing Winner, page 2
CHAPTER 6
RIDE THE WIND
“I was about to give up on you,” Meiko said as Nick walked up to the surf shop. “I even brought you a wet suit!” she added.
She handed Nick a black suit. It had a zipper up the back and red stripes that went up the side.
“This is really cool,” Nick said. “Thanks. And I’m sorry I’m late. I wasn’t sure I’d be back. I guess I was pretty frustrated yesterday.”
Meiko nodded. “I understand,” she said. “But that was the first time you ever stood on the board! You’ll get better with practice, and the first time you succeed, you’ll forget about all of this.”
She smiled. Then she added, “Besides, you haven’t gotten to see how much fun windsurfing is yet!”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Nick said. “I never thought of it like that. The part about getting better, I mean.”
“Go put on your wetsuit,” Meiko said. “There are changing rooms around back. I’ll meet you down by the beach.”
* * *
The wetsuit made Nick feel like a superhero. But he didn’t think it would help him become a better windsurfer.
After they found a place on the beach that wasn’t full of swimmers or surfers, Meiko showed Nick how to drag the board and rig out to the water. They had to keep the sail down so the wind wouldn’t catch it on the beach.
“Okay,” Meiko said. “Now we have to check to see which direction the wind is going.”
Nick looked back at the palm trees closer to the hotels. They swayed back and forth in the wind. He couldn’t tell which direction the wind was coming from. It seemed like it was coming from all over.
“Here’s what I do,” Meiko said. She wet her fingertip on her tongue and then held it in the air. “You can feel which way the air’s coming from. Southwest winds. That’ll be perfect.”
Together, they slid the board and sail into the water. Meiko held it steady while Nick hopped up onto the board. He was about to slip his feet into the foot straps when Meiko stopped him. “Not yet,” she said. “You need to pull up the sail first.”
Nick followed her directions, carefully keeping his balance. He bent forward and grabbed the uphaul line. Little by little, he pulled the sail upright.
“As you bring it up, steer the board so the nose faces the water,” Meiko said. “It’s kind of tricky.”
Nick took small steps, and the board turned nice and slow. Once the sail was up, he held onto the boom.
“Like this?” Nick asked, looking down at Meiko, who stood in waist-deep water.
“Perfect,” she said.
Without warning, the wind picked up. It filled the sail. Nick quickly slipped his feet into the straps. Grasping the boom, he turned it toward the ocean.
“Hey!” Nick cried. “I’m surfing! I mean, windsurfing!”
Meiko cheered for him. Nick looked back in excitement, totally unprepared for the big wave rushing toward him. It struck the nose of the board hard, knocking Nick into the ocean.
CHAPTER 7
BACK ON BOARD
Nick was underwater for a moment. Water rushed into his nose. Then he felt a hand grab the back of his wetsuit and pull him up. Just as he popped out of the water, another wave hit him, filling his mouth with water. He almost went back under.
“Are you okay?” Meiko asked, treading water near him.
“Yeah,” Nick said, then coughed his throat clear. “I’m fine.”
“I’m sorry,” Meiko said. “I didn’t see the wave coming. If you want to stop or whatever —”
“Are you kidding?” Nick shouted. “That was awesome! I want to go again!”
The board and sail hadn’t drifted too far away. Nick swam over and climbed on. With Meiko’s help, he was ready for a second attempt.
“To make sharp turns, just hold the boom, keep your feet in the straps, and lean back,” Meiko said. “It’ll help you avoid waves.”
Nick nodded. He tried to lean back. It felt like he would tip over, but he didn’t. The board angled slightly, cutting into the water.
No more big waves for me, he thought.
The wind was calmer now. Nick skimmed across the water pretty easily. He watched the surfers farther down the beach. Every few seconds, one of them wiped out.
Nick angled himself out a bit farther and learned to turn the board as the bigger waves came. Instead of hitting them head on, he rode them back toward Meiko, who smiled proudly.
“You’re doing great,” Meiko said. “I’ve never taught anyone before!”
“Really?” Nick asked. “I kind of thought it was part of your job, like renting surfboards and selling swimsuits.”
“You’re my first student,” Meiko admitted. “I didn’t want to tell you before.”
“I’m impressed,” Nick told her. “Anyone who can get me to windsurf has to be good.”
“Yeah, next thing we know, you’ll be doing forward flips,” Meiko said, laughing.
Nick frowned. “What’s a forward flip?” he asked.
“Don’t worry,” Meiko said. “I don’t think I can teach you that. That’s a way more advanced trick. Let’s just focus on surfing for now.”
Nick practiced shifting the rig to catch the wind. Just when he thought the wind died, it picked up again. After only a few wipeouts, he was ripping back and forth along the waves.
They took a break, and Nick dragged the board and rig up onto the beach. Then he collapsed in the sand.
“I think I’m going to miss windsurfing when I get home,” Nick admitted.
“You don’t have to,” Meiko said. “If you’ve got lakes nearby, you can still windsurf. Of course, the waves aren’t the same.”
Nick laughed. “I’m not a fan of the big waves anyway,” he said.
Meiko glanced at her waterproof watch. “Oh, it’s almost one,” she said. “I need to get back. My dad is waiting for me to take the counter for a while.”
One o’clock? Nick couldn’t believe it. He was late for lunch!
CHAPTER 8
ISLAND TOUR
Eric was just finishing his burger when Nick arrived. Mom and Dad both looked a little upset.
“Where have you been?” Eric asked.
“We agreed we’d all check in at noon and eat together,” Dad said. “It’s almost one thirty!”
“Sorry, Dad,” Nick said. He couldn’t help but smile.
Getting in trouble was worth it. He’d finally found something he really liked to do. The best part? He wasn’t too bad at it!
“So?” Eric asked again. “Where were you?”
“Oh, you know,” Nick said, still smiling. “Surfing.”
“Yeah, right,” Eric muttered. Even though Eric kept asking questions, Nick wouldn’t tell him anything. It was fun to keep his older brother guessing.
* * *
After lunch, Nick’s family decided to tour the island together to see some of the sights. Dad wanted to drive up into the hills to take pictures. Mom wanted to go to the marketplaces to find souvenirs to take home.
Eric thought it would be cool to see the volcano. While Nick thought the sights were interesting, he just wanted to get back to the beach. He couldn’t wait to catch the wind and ride along the waves.
After sightseeing, they all went out to a fancy dinner. Nick couldn’t stop looking at his watch. It was getting darker outside, and he wondered if he’d be able to get back and windsurf again before it was too dark.
Once they were finally back at the hotel, the sun had almost sunk below the horizon. Mom, Dad, and Eric stayed in the room to watch a movie, but Nick had other plans. He zipped up his wetsuit and ran down to the beach, heading for the surf shop.
Once there, he saw Meiko’s dad locking up the front door.
“Hi,” Nick called. “Are you guys closed?”
Meiko’s dad nodded. He said, “Until tomorrow morning. Sorry.”
Nick’s heart sank. There were only a few more days left of vacation. As he turned to head back, Nick heard a familiar voice call, “Hey, Nick!”
Nick turned. It was Meiko. She had her wetsuit on and was dragging a board and rig toward the water.
“Grab yours,” she said. “Hurry! While there’s still light.”
While the sun set, Nick and Meiko windsurfed together across the bright orange and red waves. The sunset colors made it seem like they were sailing across a different world.
CHAPTER 9
LAST DAY
Before Nick knew it, it was his final day on the island. He was grateful to have spent a lot of time in the ocean, but sad he’d be leaving the next morning.
“You’re lucky,” Nick said to Meiko as they pulled their boards into the water that morning. “You get to live here.”
Meiko laughed. “Everyone thinks life is a vacation here,” she said. “But I still go to school and work, just like anywhere else.”
Nick squinted at Meiko. “Really? It’s not extra cool to live here?” he asked.
“Okay,” Meiko admitted. “It pretty much is the best place to live.”
The sky was cloudy, and the wind felt stronger. Nick was careful not to turn his sail so that the wind would be directly behind him. Even so, he tore along the water much faster.
Nick watched the surfers down the beach. He was glad he’d learned to windsurf. And mostly he was glad he hadn’t quit just because at first it had been hard.
* * *
After lunch that day, Nick went up to the hotel room and got his digital camera. He wanted a photo of himself windsurfing.
When Nick got back to the beach, Meiko was waiting for him. “Good news,” she said. “My dad gave me the rest of the day off. We can windsurf until you’re sick of it!”
“Not possible,” Nick said, smiling. “You know, I never did thank you for showing me how to do all this. I was ready to quit after that first day. Now, I can’t get enough!”
Meiko smiled. “No problem,” she said.
“Would you mind taking a few pictures of me out there?” Nick asked. “I want to prove to my friends that I actually windsurfed out here. They probably wouldn’t believe me otherwise.”
Meiko nodded and took the camera. As Nick pushed the board and rig out, a familiar person surfed toward him.
Eric, Nick thought. Great. That’s all I need. I’m not going to let him wreck my last run.
Nick climbed onto his board and pulled up the rig.
“Hey, Nick!” Eric called, shredding past. “Don’t fall!”
Nick ignored him and grabbed the boom. Just then, an insane wind blew out from the beach. Before he could do anything, Nick was cruising toward some choppy waves. Uh-oh, Nick thought. This doesn’t look good.
Nick held onto the boom as tight as he could. He tried to turn the sail but couldn’t. The wind rocketed him closer to the coming crests.
Great, Nick thought. Meiko will snap a picture of me crashing and looking dumb!
CHAPTER 10
PHOTO OP
At that moment, the nose of the board struck the wave hard. Nick braced for impact. He felt the hit in his arms, and his legs wavered. The entire board and rig flew into the air. The world spun upside down as he waited for the crash.
Nick knew what would happen. His mouth and nose would fill with water. The sea would smack against his skin.
And Eric and Meiko would laugh at him.
Nick closed his eyes, bracing for the impact. He tried to move his body so that the board would stay even.
When he opened them, the world was right-side up. The board slapped down on the water, and he was still sailing out.
“Whoa,” Nick gasped.
He leaned back and turned the board around, cutting into another wave. Readjusting his rig, he rode it back toward the beach.
He splashed past Eric, who had wiped out in the wave. Eric treaded water next to his board. His mouth hung open as Nick slid by. “How did you do that?” Eric asked.
“Do what?” Nick said. He shrugged and closed in on the beach. There, people clapped and ran toward him.
Meiko was jumping up and down. “My star student!” she yelled, waving the camera above her head. When Nick hopped off the board, she gave him a hug. “That was incredible!” Meiko shrieked.
“I don’t even know what happened,” Nick admitted. “I thought I was going to bite it.”
Meiko pushed some buttons on the camera to display the pictures she’d taken. “Look at this,” she said, showing Nick one of the photos.
In the photo, Nick was flipping over.
“I did a forward loop?” Nick cried.
He couldn’t believe it. But there it was, in digital color.
* * *
Back at the hotel room, Nick put the last of his clothes in the suitcase. He’d gotten Meiko’s e-mail address and promised to write.
She also made him promise he’d keep windsurfing, even if it was on the lakes back home.
As Nick zipped his suitcase closed, Eric came in from the hallway.
“Hey, bro,” Eric said. “Got something for you.”
Eric threw a framed picture on the bed. It was the photo of Nick on his windsurfing board, flipped upside down in mid-air.
It was like an action shot from a movie. Nick couldn’t help but smile.
“Thanks, Eric,” Nick said.
“Yeah, well, I’m proud of you,” Eric said, nodding. “You stuck with it, and look what happened. You’re like a legend around here now.”
Nah, Nick thought. I’m just not a quitter. Not anymore.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thomas Kingsley Troupe is a freelance writer, filmmaker, and firefighter/EMT. He is the author of many books for kids of all ages, and he’s worked on the visual effects crews of numerous feature movies. His love of action and adventure is often reflected in his stories and films. Thomas lives in Minnesota with his wife and young sons.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
When Sean Tiffany was growing up, he lived on a small island off the coast of Maine. Every day until he graduated from high school, he had to take a boat to get to school! Sean has a pet cactus named Jim.
GLOSSARY
ADVANCED (ad-VANST)—difficult
COMPLICATED (KOM-pli-kay-tid)—difficult to do or understand
DISASTER (duh-ZASS-tur)—something that has turned out completely wrong
IMPRESSED (im-PRESST)—wowed or surprised
LEGEND (LEJ-uhnd)—an extremely famous person
NATURAL (NACH-ur-uhl)—good at something because of a special talent or ability
POLICY (POL-uh-see)—a rule
REFUNDS (RI-fuhndz)—money given back to the person who paid it
RENT (RENT)—pay money to borrow something
SUCCEED (suhk-SEED)—to do well at something
SYNCHRONIZED (SING-kruh-nized)—done at the same time
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Why didn’t Nick want to learn how to surf?
Was it wrong for Nick to not tell his family what he was doing while he was learning to windsurf? Why or why not?
Do you think Nick will continue to windsurf when he gets home from Hawaii? Explain your answer.
WRITING PROMPTS
Pretend you’re Nick. Write a letter to a friend at home, telling them about your vacation to Hawaii.
At the end of this book, Nick is leaving Hawaii. What do you think happens next? Write a chapter that extends the story.
Nick’s family is vacationing in Hawaii. Where would you go if you could travel anywhere? What would you do and see there? Write about it.
WINDSURFING WORDS YOU SHOULD KNOW
BOOM (BOOM)—a piece of equipment that attaches to the mast and provides support for the sail
FOOT STRAPS (FUT STRAPS)—pieces of material that help secure a foot to a windsurfing board
FORWARD LOOP (FOR-wurd LOOP)—a flip in which the windsurfer flips forward in the air
GOGGLES (GOG-uhlz)—special glasses that fit tightly around the eyes to protect them
GUST (GUHST)—a strong, sudden blast of wind
LEASH (LEESH)—a strap or cord that connects the board to the surfer
LIFE VEST (LIFE VEST)—a special vest designed to keep the person wearing it afloat in the water if they fall in
MAST (MAST)—the tall upright post that holds the sail
RIG (RIG)—the arrangement of sails on a sailing vessel or board
SAIL (SAYL)—a large sheet of strong cloth that makes a board, boat, or ship move when it catches the wind
STANCE (STANSS)—the way a person stands
UPHAUL (UP-hawl)—the line or rope that raises the sail
WETSUIT (WET-soot)—an item of clothing worn while surfing or swimming
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Jake Maddox books are published by Stone Arch Books
A Capstone Imprint
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North Mankato, Minnesota 56003
www.capstonepub.com
Copyright © 2011 by Stone Arch Books
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on the Library of Congress website.
ISBN: 978-1-4342-2535-1 (library binding)
ISBN: 978-1-4342-8890-5 (ebook)
Summary: Nick gives up everything he tries. So when he’s on vacation, he tries surfing. He doesn’t like it, so he quits. A friendly girl helps him learn to windsurf. But will he quit that if he can’t do it?
