Mark Eldridge - Free Surfboard and Wetsuit Essay Contest Winner - 4/3 Men’s Hotline Wetsuit and Booties
Mark’s essay was another easy choice. While many were looking for gear for themselves (which is totally fine and some of them are essay winners) a few were asking not for themselves, but for others. Altruistic moves rate big in my book. His friend Jalen is also a worthy recipient as well. Now on to his winning essay.
Mark Eldridge, Winner of 4/3 Hotline Wetsuit and Booties
First off, I would just like to say thank you for putting this add on craigslist. In a world of selfishness and greed you offer a bit of hope…
I love going surfing, not just because catching waves is fun, nor because of the exercise you receive, nor because of the beauty of the surroundings, but because of the whole experience.
Usually it goes something like this:
• Get up at some ungodly hour
• crawl out of bed and into car
• Get out of the car at the beach
• Begin to freeze because of the fog and frigid wind
• Now that you are frozen, take off all your clothes
• Put on a cold wetsuit that is still wet from the previous days’ surf
• Get into ice cold water
• Pee on yourself just to keep from becoming hypothermic
Oh, but I forgot to mention that somewhere in the process you met some of your close friends and got to spend time together bonding over all these things, challenging each other to improve your abilities, congratulating one another when a new move is pulled off, sympathizing with another when you pearl, go over the falls, or get pounded in a close-out. The friendships that are formed and maintained around surfing are what I enjoy most about it.
Jalen, Receiver of 4/3 Hotline Wetsuit and Booties
This is why I am asking you today to consider my friend Jalen for a wetsuit and a pair of booties. Here is a bit of his story.
His mother became pregnant with him when she was only 18 years old. After her child was only 2 weeks old, the father was caught in the crossfire of a drive by shooting and was killed. Growing up without a father and a working mother was tough on him. He always prayed for a dad, but only had a grandpa and lots of autnies, until his mother was reunited with a man from high school. When Jalen was 9 years old they were married and he had that dad he had always prayed for. Unfortunately, though, his new dad is in also the Air Force and has to move around a lot and be gone from the family.
A few weeks ago Jalen found a surfboard in a trash pile next to his house… He was stoked! It’s a beat up 6″4″, but it floats and he spent the next week cleaning and waxing it up. I took him out last week and he had a blast. We were able to spend the day together and enjoy the waves and each others company. He was able to borrow a wetsuit that was a size small that didn’t quite fit him. He wants to keep surfing every week, but with the water being as cold as it is… He needs a new suit.
So, as you pour over the e-mail responses, remember Jalen and the positive impact that surfing could have on his life and how you can play a role in that.
Peace,
Mark E
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