May 30th 2017: Expectant

You have to love how surfing attracts so many characters. People from all walks of life stumble across the thrill of racing down the face of a wave on some type of surfboard and very soon they're addicted. That's the hook that makes the fabric of surf culture such a vibrant weave.

I was fortunate this week to spend a morning with Tom and Keara Brownlie, their dogs Rabbit and Grub and Keara's bump, Daisy. Keara's only a few weeks away from the birth of their baby girl, Daisy, and she looks like a couple pieces of string tied together with a basketball in the centre. The third trimester of her pregnancy hasn't stopped her surfing. Although she has had to switch over to the SUP because she can't really paddle her shortboard or mal in her current shape. She's been managing a swim or a surf whenever she gets a chance and was keen to get out for the early with Tom and her spaniels Rabbit and Grub. They're pampered pooches and so they should be – Tom and Keara are both animal health professionals. 

It was a real highlight to watch two surfers enjoying the freedom of a dawnie – a whole beach to themselves – not one other soul in sight on a perfect Brighton morning. Keara managed to slide into wave after wave, with her beaming smile. I wondered how Daisy might interpret each wave and the paddle back out through the lineup. She probably doesn't realise that her life is going to be a charmed one with parents like hers.

And for Tom and Keara, it's that magic moment when it's just two people on the adventure of life together about to take a step into the unknown, a new fork in the road.

Just before the end of our dawnie Keara stops to float on her back, staring up into the perfect blue sky. It's the most comfortable she has been for the past few months: immersed in the ocean and completely weigthless. Complete freedom ... the calm before Daisy brings the storm.

See you at the beach ... Derek

PS Ski season is nearly upon us with Treble Cone's open day scheduled for June 22. Time to get the boards and skis prepped. Here's the full calendar of events at TC this season.