Editor’s Note: Beyond the surf and sand

In the video of my son Ben catching his very first wave on Oahu’s North Shore, me screaming “Oh my God, he’s standing up!” drowns out every other sound, even the loud crash of the waves to the shore.
I mean, c’mon, it’s exciting to see your 9-year-old “baby” grow into a surfer right before your eyes. It’s completely appropriate, even necessary, to scream … right?
Like every Orange County kid, Ben has grown up with the Pacific as the ba