Surfing Soapbox: Bliss on the Mexican coast

The view from where I sit in this moment of bliss is unbelievable. Like a scene out of a Corona beer commercial, the palms scatter from the small slope in front of me almost to the water’s edge. There’s a light breeze leaving a soft texture on the ocean, like goose bumps on the skin of a woman who’s just been tickled. The sun has just crept up over the mountains behind me, sparkling with all of its joy across the big blue in an unveiling of morning-time magic.

To say it’s beautiful here would be an understatement. The emerald green with a hint of cobalt blue is now glistening under the warmth of the morning sun. Pelicans glide past, surfing through the sky without a footprint in the sand; soon, however, I plan on leaving mine.

Today is a big day, as I will be speaking at Costa Verda International School here in Sayulita, Mexico, known as Mexico’s first “green school,” committed to sustainability.

For the past couple of days the children have been passionately writing essays on the importance of caring for our ocean and beaches. I can’t wait to begin reading them.

Originally we were going to award a winner in a contest, with the winner going surfing with me for a day. Instead, the whole school is invited to a beach party after school.

I feel grateful for such an opportunity and look forward to learning from the essays. My belief is that it’s always more beneficial to look for better solutions to our environmental needs and find a happy medium of compromise.

I think we need to begin looking more closely at this in Laguna Beach.

First though, I’m going to go leave my mark on the beach below.

Peace.

JAMES PRIBRAM is a Laguna Beach native, professional surfer and John Kelly Environmental Award winner. His websites include AlohaSchoolofSurfing and ECOWarrior Surf.com. He can be reached at Jamo@Aloha SchoolofSurfing.com