fandomhigh | Outdoor Adventure Time!, Tuesday, period 1

A ~~handwavy~~ email had gone out letting the students know to meet on the beach by the lighthouse. Eliot and Parker waited for them a little ways down, away from the boardwalk. Eliot was dressed for the location in a pair of cargo pants, a fishing vest, and a floppy brimmed hat. He was even barefoot, though that was mostly because he hated trying to get sand out of his boots.

Parker was wearing a wetsuit, and had a selection of them on a movable rack with her. Also a large selection of windsurfing boards behind her, and the excited look of someone who was about to do something dangerous. Or, you know. Just looking like Parker.

“Welcome to Outdoor Adventures!” Parker said, looking over the students, grinning at the familiar faces. “And Outdoor Chilling Out, with Eliot.”

Eliot sighed. "Not everyone is an adrenaline junkie. Which is fine. The whole point of this class is to get you all outside and exploring. Whether that's by jumping off things, or by chilling out. Parker's terrible at the low-key stuff, so we're splitting the load a little." He clapped his hands together. "First thing's first, which around here is apparently introductions. Like we said, I'm Eliot, she's Parker. Some of you'll insist on 'Mr. Spencer' and 'Ms. Parker' --" He totally wasn't eying Kathy when he said that, "-- which is up to you, but honestly, it's the summer. Eliot and Parker works just fine."

“So yes, tell us what you want to be called. It doesn’t have to be your real name,” Parker added. “But it’s what I’ll call you for the rest of the term, so don’t pick something you hate. And then we wind-surf!” EEEEEEEEEE.

"Or fish," Eliot said. "Or go lookin' for shells and rocks and things." He jerked his thumb towards a set of fishing poles and tackle set up down the beach a little ways. "Fishing will happen upwind of surfing. You do not want to catch your classmates instead of a fish. Or shark or sea monster or whatever's lurking out here."

Eliot's options would not quite be entirely free of adrenaline, no.

“Pick an option, give us a name, and get started!” Parker paused, and added, “The wet suit is not optional if you’re going in the waves. Our boyfriend totally ended up with pneumonia when he thought he could go swimming in cold water.”

Eliot managed not to twitch visibly at the mention of their 'boyfriend'. That was still a new term for him, okay? "Yeah, you all aren't invulnerable. Or if you are, we don't wanna hear about it, and you have to wear one, anyway. So. Tell us your name and any other random fact you want us to know about you, and then let's have some fun."

“Kathy and Toby are our TA’s.” If you didn’t know that before, guys, now you do! “So if you need extra help or are afraid of Eliot, you can ask them questions.”

Eliot opened his mouth to point out that he wasn't doing the scary stuff, then just gave up. He pointed to one of the students. "You start."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There were cabanas to change into a wetsuit, if you didn't feel like just struggling into one right there on the beach.

Parker's demonstration included some of the basics (http://uswindsurfing.org/introduction-course-6/), how to get back up on the board in the water (http://www.riggeek.com/technique/2011-09-26-1), and how to stop (http://uswindsurfing.org/introduction-course-5/).

"These are all beginner boards! So pick one, and have fun. Yell if you're having problems."

Edited 2015-05-05 05:19 (UTC)

Like there was any question about which of these two activities that Kathy was going to enjoy. Sorry, Mr. Spe--sorry, Eliot, but how was sitting in one spot and hoping for fish to come bother you supposed to stand up to windsurfing?

Using a cabana to get changed, Kathy watched Parker's lectures and then eagerly set out with a board.

"WOOOOOOO!"

"Pull up! Pull up!" Parker called, then grinned. "Like that, yeah!"

Kathy pulled up, narrowly escaping a mishap, and then grinned over her shoulder at Parker. "We need more wind!" she called. "So we can go faster!"

They had plenty. Kathy was just used to ridiculous speeds.

"You'll get more air when the tide comes in," Parker called back. "Then you can start trying to do tricks and jumps!"

"You definitely need to show me how to do some tricks!" Kathy yelled, laughing. "It counts as extra credit if I stay after and learn some, right?"

"Sure!" That made total sense to Parker. Plus Kathy could help anyone else who wanted it too!

Edward was a bit wobbly in the water.

Well... a lot wobbly, at least to start with.

But he had excellent natural balance, and was too stubborn to ask for help, so by the end of the class he had it down just fine. He was enjoying himself. You could tell by the grinning.

"Doing okay?" Parker called, as she scooted by on her board, slowing a bit to pace Edward. "If you need a break, just let me know."

"Nah, think I've almost got a handle on it," Edward assured her. Sort of. He'd only fallen twice in the last five minutes. "Just got to master the balance, that's all."

"And watch the wind," she agreed, carefully turning the sail to catch some more. "Okay, have fun, don't drown, yell if you need help!"

"Will do!" Edward called after her, laughing.

He was having the time of his life already.

Alana put on the wetsuit, thankful it was stretchy enough to go over her wings, and then went back onto the beach to watch Parker's demonstration.

She fell off into the water a few times, but once she had her balance she felt pretty good about what she was doing. This was definitely an adrenaline rush.

"You can try doing flips, if you're feeling confident enough," Parker told her.

Parker, no. Beginners! Beginner surfers!

She managed - not a flip, but to catch some serious air on a wave as it rolled in.

Ringo was pretty uncertain about the whole thing as she climbed onto the board for the first time. It seemed big and bulky, which meant not as maneuverable as she preferred. Also, she'd never been on one before, and there was a chance that she'd fall off!

It turned out, though, that at least some of her AT skills carried over to this. Feeling and reading the wind, balance, and that sense of speed. Especially once she figured out how to set the sail just so to catch the wind.

She was grinning madly as she sped along when it suddenly occurred to her to wonder how she was going to get back where she had come from. After all, the wind only blew in one direction...

"You need any help, Ringo?" Parker called from her nearby board.

"Um... how do I turn around?" Ringo called. She wasn't precisely worried, but her voice was definitely a bit uncomfortable.

"Crouch down a bit, and draw in the sail so it's getting less wind," Parker said. "Then turn -- carefully!"

Ringo got to the crouching down part, and figured out how to draw the sail in, but then. "Turn around?" That part sounded nice and easy, but somehow she was kind of stuck on it.

"Not all the way around. Lean so your board kind of turns perpendicular to the wind," Parker called. Ringo should have slowed down enough by now to make that at least possible.

With the sail reduced, Ringo's speed had fallen off, but not so much that leaning didn't turn her. It wasn't that different from AT riding. Actually, that wasn't so hard!

"It's working!" Ringo exclaimed in excitement.

"Er. Now what?"

Re: Windsurf/fish/beachcomb

whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com - 2015-05-06 02:06 (UTC) - Expand

soniaroadsqueen - 2015-05-06 02:11 (UTC) - Expand

whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com - 2015-05-06 02:17 (UTC) - Expand

Vider was definitely trying out the windsurfing. She wasn't that great at it, and kept falling in, but that wasn't the point.

Parker grinned as she scooted by. "You good with getting up in the water again?" The wind was blowing enough that it shouldn't be too hard, as long as she had the sail flipped the right way.

Alex had never done wind surfing before and it looked like fun, so once she had on her wetsuit she decided to give it a try. She wasn't very good at it and fell in a few times but she kept giving it a go.

Kaylin was definitely using a cabana so people wouldn't see the runes all over her body and then she was heading out to try this thing. Undoubtedly she'd take a few tumbles, but she was pretty good at the whole balance-y thing.