This past Saturday I had the privilege of competing in the Ed Perry Memorial Surf Racing Regatta. The event is a great little tune up for upcoming events and brings together a small but committed bunch of competitors who want to sharpen their skills and mix it up in the inevitably Thumping Venice Beach surf.

The event is held in memory of Ed, a former LA County lifeguard who retired in the mid 70’s and continued to live the simple, pure and passionate life of a waterman till he passed around 2000.

Some inspiring facts about Ed from those he inspired:

• After retiring from lifeguarding, Ed was on of the few people in the world who held a captain’s license for EVERY sized commercial vessel that existed at that time.
• Ed was NEVER lost or disoriented at sea. Wether on a dory going long shore in LA or captaining a massive corporate ocean liner, regardless of weather and compete lack of navigational instruments, he always had his bearings, down to small rock outcropping that most of his peers didn’t even know existed.
• He quit school at 13 to chase his dreams of being on the sea.
• He frequently rowed from Venice to Catalina and back, with only a meal n a short nap to break up the journey.
• He could identify which bakery was creating which delicious smells that wafted out on the water as he covered long sure ground up and down the strand.
• After retiring as a guard he would start and complete his mostly solo voyage workouts and be shaved, showered and have the tower mopped before the first shift of life savers arrived.

When you find out what that 1 thing is that makes you tick and moves your soul Never turn your back on it. It’s what you were put on the planet to do and from that will come all of the other important pieces of your life.

Friendship, Strength and Honor,

Coach Cris