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"It floats lifelessly in the bath ... usually when I want to get in there." Sam's boyfriend's surfing passion isn't quite the lifestyle she hoped for.
Transcript
"I imagined Hawaii - golden beaches, bronzed beach bodies and a wild reckless carefree lifestyle. If I'm honest I imagined Keanu Reeves in 'Point Break'. I was not prepared for Porthcawl on a rainy Sunday in January - or for how obsessive Richard would be.
And then surfer Bob rode into my life - the first thing in a long line of surfing novelties. The bubble bath, the books, the videos, the smurf! It has to be admitted that Richard doesn't buy these himself - he was insistent I tell you that - they are convenient present ideas.
I haven't even started on the board yet, each one with its own use. The long board for more laid back surfing and smaller waves; the shorter board for bigger waves and a faster ride and the I-will-clean-this-up-and-repair-it-one-day-babe retro butterfly board. If I'm honest, this is my favourite.
The wetsuit. The item most certainly does not fit the most glamorous image of surfing. Its rubber, it smells and it floats lifelessly in my bath - usually when I want to get in there.
I can't arrange social events without consulting the surf forecast. I know more about pressure systems and isobars than Michael Fish.
"What about Paris, Rome, Prague?" I suggest.
"Mmm," he says, consulting the World Stormrider Guide, "not much surf there babe."
And then he offers me the possibility of some obscure insect infested island. For a split second I consider what such a trip would be like. The insects, the heat, the surfing! These trips are only lived out in Richard's head and our living room at the moment.So while he dreams on about the perfect wave and the perfect trip, I return to my dream of golden beaches and Keanu."
An interview with the author
Please tell us about yourself.
I teach English and Media Studies at local comprehensive school. I'm originally from Cardiff but I now live in Cwmbran. I'm approaching thirty - far too rapidly for my liking - and I live with my boyfriend Richard and our two cats.
What's your story about?
It's about my boyfriend and his obsession with surfing. Surfing has kind of taken over my life and it dictates what I can and can't do. Making this digital story is a way of getting my own back (affectionately). I wanted to tell something personal but light-hearted - this fitted the bill.
What did you find the most rewarding aspect of the workshop?
I loved spending time working with the students. It was a way of finding out a little about them and what they really think. As a teacher you don't always see this side of pupils... maybe that worked for them too! It was a great way of finding out about the software and how to use it. I don't think this will be the last digital story I make!
This was a school workshop run in collaboration with .
Your comments
"What a selfish girlfriend!! Great story, well made, funny!"
Surfer-101 - Cardiff.
