I'd guess that everyone that surfs in a crowded lineup or even in a not so crowded lineup have had accidents, the kind that boards get dinged and people get aggravated. For some unknown reason a few of my personal lineup incidences have come to memory lately.

For as much as I surf the number of times that I've had a bad experience is really pretty small.... considering. But this one time I was surfing the Fair Grounds, probably around 9 or 10 on a  sunny Saturday morning. The surf was maybe waist high, clean but not real exciting.

I was surfing my high bred machine... also known as the '67. I take off on a wave turn and step to the nose. As I'm sliding down the line.. on the nose there is this kid all of maybe 8 or 9 years old paddling out and moving right into my line. As I reach the kid I back peddle and straighten out so as not to run him over. The kid freaks as I'm coming down on his position and bails his board just as I making my turn, as he bails his board gets pushed into the nose my mine cracks the nose open and peels the fiberglass off the bottom of my board about 18 inches or so.

I fall... of course, and catch my board, the kid, who wasn't hit or hurt pops out of the water after ditching his board looking a little rattled. If he would have just kept paddling  nothing would have happened but now my board is messed up. I say 'geez kid...'  just when I hear this voice screaming... 'what the f'... are you doing? you #$%&#, you almost ran over my son! 

Turns out the kids dad watched the whole thing as he was entering the water with his own surfboard a half minute after he sent his kid out.   "What... I was in total control,  you have no business bringing your kid to a place like this to learn to surf" I say.  Bla, Bla Bla, back and forth as I'm walking away with my bust up board.

What made this mishap more memorable is later that day I went back for another go out, with another board, and saw the dad in the water. Should I have been surprised the guy was dropping in on guys?

D.R.