Two days before Christmas in 2020, I was planning to see the Australian Surf Movie Festival with a friend. I’d been looking forward to it for weeks, so I was pretty disappointed when, just a few days before the screening, the event was cancelled. I tried to arrange a plan B, but something came up for my friend, and I ended up with no plans at all that day.
The whole situation left me feeling a bit flat – and to top it off, I started feeling unwell. I stayed home for a couple of days, hoping to bounce back quickly. Not being able to see the ocean made my mood even worse. After some rest, I still wasn’t feeling 100% – mild fever, low energy – but I desperately needed some fresh air. I drove down to the beach, hoping it would lift my spirits. On the way, I noticed the sky was filled with beautifully shaped clouds, hinting at a potentially epic sunset.
When I got to the beach, I was stunned. Perfect barrelling waves – 4 to 5 feet tall – were rolling in, with an offshore wind grooming them into perfection. I couldn’t have imagined better conditions. Just like that, all my misery vanished. I pulled over, grabbed my gear, and within ten minutes I was racing across the sand and diving into the water.
Time seemed to stop. The waves kept coming. The sky began to shift. Everything was glowing in a deep scarlet hue. It felt surreal – like a dream. I was spinning around in awe. The ocean turned into liquid gold. It became one of the best sessions of my life.
This day will always remind me that not every cancelled plan is a loss. If that screening hadn’t been cancelled, I would’ve missed one of the most magical evenings I’ve ever experienced.
