Sal: Surfing in Rockaway

A street sign pointing to Rockaway Beach. 
Photo Credit:  Sbazzone (Own work) [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons.  Picture located at
joedicondina.com.

Sal entered the year intending to continue studying the topic of his 10th grade Personal Project:  happiness.  Wishing to examine the intersection between joy and photography, he researched TED Talks on emotions, planned a test evaluating the aesthetic of happiness, and reflected upon his own pleasures:  his photography, his artistic influences (e.g., Darren Ankenman, Robert Mapplethorpe), and his drive to capture the mood of NYC through art.  Not long after declaring his topic, however, Sal waned in his effort.  He entered a period of indecision during which he occupied his attention with research into surfing.  He had long relished the ride and the codes of conduct for surfers, so he passed the time by exploring Rockaway Beach (located in Queens, NY), a shoreline boasting both a surfing subculture and Manhattanite values.

Soon Sal transformed the quasi-interest into his topic proper.   Almost overnight, for instance, the Edge Team discovered him spending the majority of his time in the campus's dark room with a worn surfboard.  When asked what he was doing, he replied that he wished to restore and plane the platform.  Sure enough, after a few days as well as mounting collections of styrofoam dust, the board began to boast meticulous curves and the outlines of slats.  Sal complemented his hands-on work, too, with comprehensive research.  He doubled his efforts to follow professionals such as Mick Fanning (@Mick_Fanning), and he constructed a timeline of board designs beginning in the 1960s.  He analyzed the literature, music, and art of surfing sub-cultures in California by reading William Finnegan's memoir, and he explored posts on surfers' social media profiles.  Finally, he channeled his writing and photography to reflect upon his evolving understanding of surfing.  Indeed, he applied these skills in a multimedia assignment that we share with you now. (NOTE:  In order to present Sal's words in their unadulterated form, we The Edge Team have not modified the piece beyond those revisions we conducted with him.)

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For a life long surfer, living in landlocked Amenia is hard, especially when Instagram is flooded with pictures of the north shore. But there is a ray of hope from 2:01 to 3:39, my Edge time. Edge is a program offered to 11th and 12th grade students that allows them the freedom to work independently on a topic of their choosing. I end my school day doing something I love, whether it’s reading surf articles or working on shaping my surfboard. For the last 2 periods I’m able to immerse myself in everything surfing (besides “really” surfing). I am hand-shaping a surfboard, with no real instruction, I use my sandpaper and a plainer, that's it. Going over the same spot by hand over and over trying to achieve the perfect board it's hard but extremely satisfying. Everyday I learn something new about surfing and everyday I look forward to 7th and 8th period Edge.

When I'm not caught up in my surfing, I'm looking at photography, a hobby I picked up when the waves were flat. Sadly, on the east coast, that is most of the time. I started taking pictures of what interests me, naturally the beach is one of my big interests but I also like to document the towns and neighborhoods that sit next to the beach.

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As we look back at his journey, we believe that Sal recognized - on some level - that the study of emotions proved too sterile for him.  He modified his pursuit, personalizing his investigation by asking himself the question that he wished to pose to others, "What causes you happiness?"  Such a step, bred from a moment of confusion and doubt, was all that he needed to begin to flourish.  We at Edge are grateful to have you as an Edge Maker, Sal, and we applaud your diligence in editing and helping us publish another student-led blog post!

Have a thought on Sal's journey? A resource for his investigation? Please post in the comments below!

Jacob Riis Park (Rockaway, Queens). 
Photo taken by Sal and shared
 with the Edge Team.

Block 148 (Rockaway, Queens).

Photo taken by Sal and shared with

the Edge Team.

Beach 148 (Rockaway, Queens). 
Photo taken by Sal and shared
with the Edge Team.