AT THE BEACH | John Rance discovers abundant blessing of the big blue

I am old enough to enjoy some of my surfing vicariously now. I do not need to catch every wave anymore. If you catch the wave of your life in front of me, I can share some of your joy.

When I see local surfers like Vaughn Driesel, Bonny Hanafey or Taralyn Mclean break through to new levels, I am nearly just as thrilled as they are. Thus it is that I am greatly entertained by new grommet John Rance discovering surfing for the first time at the tender age of 47. As part of the Rance Timber Group, he has reasonable access to resources.

He can engage in pretty much any sport that he would care to, but his current thrill is the simple act of going surfing, especially with his family. I can remember my grom days. The giant excitement of beginning to understand the waves, the water, boards, wetsuits, wind and weather, and piecing it all together to feel that surge from behind, the tail of the board and feet lifted up, the nose of the board dropping down the face and the beginning of the slide.

[paywall]

Rance is a great outdoorsman, and the church of the blue open sky is where he loves to be after a hard week in the office. The thrill for Rance is only partly the hunt but mostly the entire gamut of sunrise or sunset, bush, forest, earth, sky, plants, rocks, trees, ocean, birds, animals and insects, and he appreciates life of every sort and form As a professional hunter/guide, he spends some time in the bush with guests, responsible for their safety and success, sometimes under the pressure of big game like buffalo. He is no stranger to calculated risk and high responsibility. On other occasions, he might take friends out deep-sea fishing.

[/paywall]