A Meaningful Connection

Sent in by Kevin Cummins,

The sight of this balsa wood board brought tears of gratitude and sentimentally to my wife and her mom. Here is a picture of my wife, “R.d.”, her mom Lee Ann and my kids holding the balsa board.


Everyone knows R.d. from surfing Swamis [a fine pointbreak in Encinitas, California]. The local old timers might remember Lee Ann from surfing Stone Steps [a local beachbreak], because she was a Stone Steps Pioneer. Lee Ann lived on Neptune Ave. right next to Stone Steps and later moved to Kauai with her husband Skip Harmon.

Skip was a surfer/shaper. When R.d. was young, her father Skip died abruptly. The whole family had been on an extended trip to India when it happened. It was so devastating that Lee Ann quickly moved back to Encinitas.

When the family went on their trip to India a trusted friend helped take care of their home and their farm animals. He was a good enough friend of the family to help keep R.d.’s cows milked. I can not begin explain how much R.d. adored her cows and I am certain that R.d. even as an 11 year old would never be comfortable leaving her animals with someone who didn’t have a huge heart. The name of their friend was Norm Smith. (Here is a picture of R.d. with her sister and her cows.)

When R.d.’s family moved back to Encinitas they lost contact with Norm. Norm surfed Kauai and bought boards from R.d.’s dad, including one of her dad’s personal balsa wood guns. After Skip died and the family moved back to the mainland, Norm held on to that balsa wood gun.

Knowing that this hand crafted board represented a meaningful connection to the lost surfer/shaper/father, Norm kept the board around and planned on returning it to its family of origin.

Skip died over 20 years ago. In that time Norm moved to Oregon and still surfs. After all these years, he was recently able to track down R.d.’s family. He got their address, packed the board, and shipped it to them. It was a type of gesture you find at the end of a good novel.

We should all be lucky to have friends like Norm.

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6 Comments
  • The Justin
    November 29, 2008

    Rad story! Can i ride that at swami this winter RD, Keven???

  • malbertoni
    November 29, 2008

    Touching reminder of how important personal conncetions can be.

  • Mitch
    November 29, 2008

    great story…thanks for sharing at a time when we can get caught up in the holiday rush and forget what it is all about…family, friends and surfing.

  • Kevin C.
    November 29, 2008

    Justin you have to be kidding me! You don’t even have to ask 🙂

    They haven’t committed to riding it yet, but I’m sure Rd and her brother will end up riding it at least a couple times. Boards are meant to be ridden! Her Dad built it because he wanted some one to ride it and I’m super sure he would be stoked that his children ended up surfing his boards.

    When they take it out I’ll make sure to call you so you can join in.

  • Anonymous
    December 1, 2008

    the justin has spoken.

    great story by the way.

  • Anonymous
    December 5, 2008

    Coolest thing that’s ever been posted on this blog.