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New surfers hit waves as sport gains popularity By DESONTA HOLDER KRT CAMPUS MIAMI — “What’s nice about out there on the ocean is you’re out there with nature, you’re on your surfboard, you’re looking back at the beach. It’s a great feeling.” It’s what brings Geoffrey Schmidt back to the ocean. A surfer for 11 years, Schmidt has crafted a living with the wind at his back. As director of Florida Surf Lessons based in Jupiter, he has been teaching from Cocoa Beach to Miami Beach for six years. The first time humbled this former snowboarder from Boston. “I figured, ‘Hey, I’m a snowboarder so I can go out there and do the same thing.’ Heck, no! I could barely stay on the surfboard,” says Schmidt, 29. “The thing was slipping all underneath me. I’m grabbing the thing. I couldn’t even balance on the board. Because 1 was young and had a lot of pride, it took me three or six months to finally figure it out.” burring, which has been around for hundreds of years, has gained popularity thanks to movies like “Blue Crush,” video games like Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer and fashion statements like board shorts and bikini tops. If you’d like to give it a try, hiring an instructor will shorten the learning curve, Schmidt says. Most of his students are spring breakers and students out of school for the summer, but people of all ages can do it, he says. “We can have people standing and riding within one lesson.” After the first lesson, everything above your waist will be hurt — chest, back, abs, neck. It’s definitely a workout. To get in shape before you give it a try, sit-ups, push-ups and laps in the pool are ideal. Imagine lying on a board and paddling out to sea where the waves are. Sounds relaxing, but you have to work at it. You might last two hours if you’re not in great shape. “The more you do it, you gain more respect for the ocean,” JOE RIMKUS JR./KRT CAMPUS Surfer Jeff Schmidt hits the waves at Lauderdale by the Sea. He is one of many who have recently picked up the popular sport. Schmidt says. “When you do something wrong, you realize really quickly who is in control out there. You might think you got things figured out, but any time that ocean wants to knock you down, it can.” Take hurricane season, when powerful waves pound the beach. This is not a time for beginners or inexperienced surfers, Schmidt cautions. “We don’t like to bring students out into waves that are over three feet. “If you’re gonna start charging bigger waves, you got to be a good swimmer,” he says. “I’ve done 6-, 9-, 10-, 12-foot waves, and when you wipe out on a wave like that, it tends to hold you under. You gotta have lung capacity and know how to swim and stay calm in those situations. “In Hurricane Jeanne, I saw in South Beach about 100-plus surfers, and you had a cop bullhorning people in. The waves were one- to three-foot. They weren’t big, but there was a hurricane and they think there’s this crisis.” Hurricanes aside, surfing is “extremely relaxing; it’s spiritual... You’re on your surfboard riding some waves. What could be better than that?” New Music for the week of March 22 BLOC PARTY. “Silent Alarm” ; Bloc Party “B-Sides & Rarities” Nick Cave “Lullabies to Paralyze” / Queens of the Stone Age “Picaresque” The Decemberists “Strange & Beautiful” / Aqualung “Devil’s Playground’’ Billy Idol _ ■ VINYL Continued from page 8 “My plan is to find a neat way of framing them with mattes and ribbon,” Wilson said. “I don’t want to buy vinyl frames because they are really expensive. I want to make a border around the top of the room with them.” Wilson also plans to put what episode and scene the song was referenced in on the back of the album once she collects more. “When people come in from down the hall, I have to explain the method behind the madness,” Wilson said. Because “Family Guy” has taken on new heights after its cancellation, the Fox network has “uncancelled” the show, so there will be new episodes in May, which will give Wilson new material for her collection. “I’m really excited about the new season because I don’t know if they are going to reference old music or more ’90s music,” Wilson said. “It would be really cool if they referenced ’90s music because it would parallel my pop ™ culture, and I can pull out the vinyl and say ‘Oh, my gosh, I remember how old I was.’” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfcatures@gwm.sc.edu H It’s more than a job opportunity... It's an opportunity of a lifetime. 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