Women’s Health & Fitness Magazine/ April 2005
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The waves are rolling in about 10 seconds apart. They loom overhead, seemingly 30 feet tall. Okay, maybe they’re not 30 feet, but that’s how I see them as I’m bobbing around in the Pacific Ocean, waiting for “my” wave to swell.

I’ve been an ocean lover for as long as I can remember. As a 5-year-old living in Hawaii, I learned to boogie board by jumping on my dad’s back as he rode by on big fluffy, foamy waves. When my swimming strengthened, I learned to body surf in the powerful Pacific waves along the Southern California coast. But learning to surf — to really surf — has always been a dream of mine.

I found the Surf Diva website several years ago while (pardon the pun) surfing the Web and was intrigued by the school’s format. Founders and twin sisters Izzy and Coco Tihanyi, rad surfers themselves, wanted a comfortable place where girls could learn to surf without the competition and machismo that often develops when guys are involved. Surf Diva opened in 1996.

“Surfing is spiritual, emotional and physical,” Izzy explains. “We want our students to enjoy the entire experience, not just the final goal.”

After reading more about Surf Diva, I decided that it was time to learn to surf, California-style. And so it was that I surfed over to San Diego — via a plane on the jet stream, of course — to take my first lesson.

The song goes, “It never rains in Southern California.” Well, the song was wrong this early Saturday morning. I awoke to gray skies and a drizzle that reminded me of winter in the northeast. My spirits were certainly dampened, but I pulled on my bathing suit in any case and headed to La Jolla Shores with my friend Traci. We were determined to hang 10.

The women at Surf Diva were upbeat and positive that we would surf that day. After signing our consent forms, Traci and I made our way to the beach with the 30 or so other students, ages almost 8 to over 50, including a bachelorette party from Colorado. The golden sand was slightly dampened from the drizzle, but all of our spirits were quickly rising. We were going to learn to surf!

“Welcome to La Jolla and Surf Diva,” our group of instructors greeted us. “It’s time to go over a few basics.”

After about 20 minutes of learning about safety, surf lingo and techniques from the instructors, we were ready to practice our own moves. We broke into groups of five and practiced sliding onto our surfboards and pop ups. Our instructor, Bekah, coached us until we got it right. I was amazed that so many of the moves I learned in yoga came into play in surfing — cobra, plank, forward lunge and warrior all are key when it comes to standing up on a surfboard.

“Okay, let’s hit the water,” Bekah exclaimed. “It’s time to surf!”

With that, Traci and I grabbed our nine-foot foam boards, joined the others in our group of five and headed into the water. The freezing water. Our body-hugging wetsuits warmed us somewhat, but it was cold. Definitely not the warm Gulf water I’m used to in Florida.

There wasn’t much time to think about the chill, though, as the waves started rolling in and breaking. Controlling a nine-foot surfboard leashed to your ankle isn’t as easy as it may seem. Especially when you have to keep the surfboard next to you when buoying over 30-foot swells. Okay, not 30-foot. Maybe six feet or so.

“I’m kind of tired of Mother Nature smacking me around,” I said, laughing as I got slapped in the face by yet another wave. “But this sure is fun!”

One by one, each of us caught her first wave, and one by one we each rode them to the shore on our stomachs boogie board-style. We just weren’t ready to take that final step and stand up.

“Paddle! Paddle! Paddle! Pop up!” we all encouraged each other when we’d take off on a wave. “You can do it!”

The first to get up in our group was Traci. On her second wave she popped up into a classic stance and glided away toward the beach. Behind her, we all whooped and hollered and cheered her on. After about 10 waves and just as many wipeouts, I finally popped up and rode a wave in. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t graceful. But I did it! The feel of the power of the ocean moving under my feet, propelling me forward, was awesome. A huge smile broke across my face as I threw my arms overhead in a moment of triumph. After what seemed to be a ride hours and miles long, I fell off of my board and back into the Pacific.

That was it. That one wave, that one ride, and I’m addicted. I can’t wait until the next time I don a wetsuit (how often do you hear that?), grab a board and make my way into the breaks and the swells of the ocean. In my dreams I hear “Paddle! Paddle! Paddle! Pop up!” I am a surf diva.

So you want to be a surf diva …

Surf Diva teaches surfing year-round in weekend clinics, surf camps and private lessons. All

classes are girls only, unless you opt for a private lesson, in which case you can bring a guy along. (2160 Avenida de la Playa, La Jolla; 858-454-8273; www.surfdiva.com)

Get your grub on, dudette …

All of that surfing is sure going to make you hungry. Check out these popular San Diego spots to fill up before or after catching some waves:

The Big Kitchen: Judy the Beauty welcomes everyone with a bright smile and warm cup of coffee in this Golden Hills neighborhood breakfast spot. Be sure to bring your appetite, because the kitchen isn’t the only thing that’s big — the portions are HUGE! ( 3003 Grape Street, San Diego; 619-234-5789; www.bigkitchencafe.com)

Wahoo’s Fish Tacos: Izzy suggested we try Wahoo’s in La Jolla, and are we ever glad we did! Wahoo’s has perfected the fish taco with Brazillian and Asian flavors, and the dining room is packed full of surf swag. Try the blackened fish in any of the combo platters and you can’t go wrong. ( 637 Pearl Street, La Jolla; 858-459-0027; www.wahoos.com)

Croce’s: To celebrate a successful day of surfing, feast on a sumptuous meal at Croce’s in the Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego. Choose a delicious seafood or steak dinner — they’re known for both — and sip a savory glass of wine from the extensive wine list. Afterwards, stick around for incredible live music.

GO Magazine (AirTran’s inflight magazine) / April/May 2005
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Though most famous for his circus, John Ringling was a man of many interests. Pass through the grand entryway into the Ringlings’ 66-acre waterfront estate in Sarasota, which incorporates the Museum of the Circus as well as the impressive Museum of Art, affiliated with Florida State University, and you’ll soon realize that the circus was just one part of who John Ringling was.

Under the Big Top

After a devastating hurricane hit the west coast of Florida in 1926, circus impresario Ringling decided to move the winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from Bridgeport, Connecticut to Sarasota to boost the local economy. Gone were the cold winter snows and Nor’easters. Instead, Sarasota offered balmy days and cool nights, waving palm trees and serene white-sand beaches. When Ringling coined the phrase, “Come spend a summer this winter in Sarasota,” he certainly knew what he was talking about.

When Ringling moved the circus’ winter quarters to Sarasota, many of the performers followed suit. As such, the area became rich with circus tradition. Over time, it became apparent that the colorful history of the circus should be documented. The Ringling Museum of the Circus fi rst opened its doors in 1948. Today, the museum holds one of the fi nest collections of circus memorabilia in the world, including rare handbills and art prints, wardrobes, performing props and intricately carved original parade wagons, recently restored to their original beauty.

Next door to the circus museum, one man has been working every day for nearly 50 years on what will be a fantastic addition to the museum. Since the age of 20, Howard Tibbals has spent at least a couple of hours a day working to realize his dream of building a “fairly exact replica of shows in the ’20s and ’30s, when work was done by muscle, both human and animal”—a tribute to the circus he remembers from his childhood.

Entering through the back door of the still-under-construction, 30,000-square-foot exhibition hall, I catch the skilled worker at his craft. At the moment, he’s painstakingly building a model railroad track that is but one of thousands of pieces of the finished product that will go on show when his dream is realized and the Tibbals Learning Center opens on the grounds of the John and Mable Ringling Museum in January 2006.

The main draw of the center will be the extensive scene depicting circus life in meticulous detail, with more than 80 train cars, exotic animals, performers, sideshows, spectators and 7,000 folding chairs, all intricately carved by Tibbals and a team of vo lunteers on a scale of one-sixteenth life-size. In addition to life under the big top, the center will house the extensive collection of circus art, posters and memorabilia that Tibbals has collected over the years. The exhibit will incorporate the extensive collection built by Tibbals’ mentor, Harold Dunn—a 148-foot-long parade of carved figurines and floats.

The Ringling Museum brings to life the magic of the circus and is a treat for young-at-heart circus fans of all ages.

Step into the Ringling Museum of Art, and you might feel you are stepping into a European museum. Designed by Ringling in the style of an Italian villa, with soaring ceilings and open spaces, the 21 galleries of the museum hold an impressive collection of European and American art. The first two galleries showcase the works of Rubens, which are among the most beautiful of those found in any museums in the US.

Proceed through the museum and you will find some fine examples of Baroque and Renaissance masterpieces by Velázquez, Poussin, Van Dyck and others. From 1925 through 1931, Ringling consulted with art dealers the world over to select the pieces that would hang in his museum. Today, visitors are encouraged to take a closer look at the techniques and subtleties used by these great masters. In addition to the permanent collection, traveling exhibits by the likes of photographer Ansel Adams (until April 10) are showcased in a separate wing of the gallery.

“John Ringling was someone who wanted to leave behind a legacy of art,” explained Dr. Aaron De Groft, curator of collections. “And above all else, he wanted to be remembered as a gentleman.”

Step onto the terrace of the museum and let your gaze rest upon the Venetian Gothic mansion overlooking Sarasota Bay. Cà d’Zan, meaning “House of John”, was built between 1924 and 1926 and is a testament to John and Mable Ringling’s love of art and architecture. The well-traveled couple decided to fashion their Florida home after the palaces and hotels found along the canals of Venice.

Throughout her extensive travels with her husband, Mable Ringling collected sketches, postcards and photos of the hotels, palaces and architecture that she and John so admired. When the time came to begin building their home in Sarasota, Mable met with architect Dwight James Baum. She worked closely with Baum and oversaw the construction of the house, down to the very last detail. In 1926, the Ringlings moved into their four-story, 32-room and 15-bathroom mansion.

In its heyday, Cà d’Zan welcomed many of the Ringlings’ family and friends. Guests stayed for weeks at a time, enjoying the beauty of the surroundings, from the views across the bay to Mable’s secret garden and the blooming rose garden. The size of the house could be a little daunting for some, as guest Will Rogers reportedly found for himself when he said to his host, “John, I got awfully hungry. It took me two weeks to fi nd the kitchen!”

During their journeys, the Ringlings collected furnishings and decorative objects from the 17th through to the 19th centuries. After extensive restoration and conservation, today’s visitors will fi nd the Cà d’Zan just as the Ringlings left it. Walk into the decadent dining room and imagine the feasts served to guests in decades past, watch the light play off the crystal chandelier from the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York and imagine the music that was played on the Aeolian organ, whose 2,289 pipes are hidden by tapestries on the second-fl oor balcony. When sunset nears, take a seat on the marble terrace and watch as the Cà d’Zan is bathed in golden light.

When you experience for yourself the opulence and beauty of The John and Mable Ringling Museum you will discover Ringling’s lasting legacy—that of a true gentleman.

For more information, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art—www.ringling.org

Sarasota —www.sarasotafl.org