It was a beautiful Summer day in Canterlot City. The sun was up in the skies and not a single cloud was in sight. It was the perfect day for joyriding, taking strolls through the city or going to the beach, although the beach wasn't this crowded today.
Fluttershy was on the beach right now, laying on a beach lounger, in her wetsuit, without her flip-flops on. Next to her was a white surfboard with blue lining and a pink butterfly on it. It was a birthday gift from her brother, Zephyr Breeze, hoping he might learn something from her. However, Fluttershy also didn't know how to surf. But, Zephyr insisted that she might show him some tricks someday. And now, her vision flew over the clear blue skies, thinking about what she could do with that surfboard now, and what to tell her brother...
Near the beach, a dark grey Corvette with black stripes parked. On the rear, there was a trailer, with a jet-ski on it. Getting out of the car was none other than the best race driver on this side of the planet, Rushing Wind. He wore a life vest over his summer outfit, and also, black, waterproof shoes.
After he locked up his car, he grabbed his jet-ski and carried it over to the beach. Not too soon, he spotted Fluttershy and walked over to her.
"Hey, Fluttershy. I didn't expect to see you here today.", Rushing Wind said.
"Oh, hi, Rushing Wind. Nice to see you too. Isn't it beautiful weather today?", Fluttershy said.
"Sure is.", Rushing Wind said, "The perfect day to go to the beach."
"Mm-hm. That's true.", Fluttershy said and looked up into the skies again.
Rushing Wind noticed the surfboard next to Fluttershy, and asked: "Nice surfboard. Where did you get that from?"
Fluttershy's eyes narrowed, and she became nervous. "Oh, um... I... it's... a gift... from my brother...", she stammered.
Rushing Wind knew that something was wrong. "Something on your mind, Fluttershy?", he asked.
"Um... do... do you know how to surf?", Fluttershy asked, a bit unsure.
Rushing Wind looked at Fluttershy. "Surfing? No, no, I'm not the guy for surfing. I prefer riding a jet-ski. Why are you asking?"
"Well, you're not gonna believe this, but... My brother gave me this surfboard on my birthday so I can show him some tricks and moves someday... And the thing is, my brother is awful at surfing. How am I gonna teach him to surf when I don't know how to surf myself?"
"How did your brother get into surfing in the first place?", Rushing Wind asked.
"You know why. He wanted to impress Rainbow Dash once again, and by that time, he wanted to impress her with surfing. And as dumb as he was, I guess you know how it went down. He wiped out almost instantly, and Rainbow and Applejack had to knock some sense into his mind. Rainbow Dash also wanted to show him some tricks someday, but she never got around to do that...", Fluttershy explained.
Rushing Wind looked out to the sea and saw waves coming every now and then. "Hmmm, if your brother says you might show him something sometime... Have you ever tried surfing yourself?"
"No! I told you, I don't know how to surf!", Fluttershy said, becoming more anxious.
"You know what I say - if you don't try it, you don't know if you can.", Rushing Wind said.
"Oh... alright..." Fluttershy got up and grabbed her surfboard. Together, the two walked to the shore.
"You know, since I had such a growing interest in water sports, I also looked up how to surf. But even if I'd try, I couldn't do it myself. So I can only tell you what I know.", Rushing Wind said.
"Okay... So, what do I have to do first?", Fluttershy asked.
"Now, first up, jump into the water with the board under you. But make sure that this shark fin is going underwater. That way, it will help you to maintain your balance.", Rushing Wind said.
Fluttershy tried it. She took a bit of a run-up, held the board tightly in her hands, and jumped into the water. Surprisingly, she got the jump down on the first shot.
"Whoa... I... I did it! I actually did it!", Fluttershy said in excitement.
Rushing Wind followed her into the water on his jet-ski. "Yeah. Good job, Fluttershy. But that was just the beginning.", he said, looking out into the sea. "Next, you need to know how to move forward. Paddle forward with your arms. Slow, flowing movements."
Fluttershy tried it. However, she used both of her arms to do it.
"No, no, not like this. Use only one arm to paddle forward, and make sure that your other arm is up front when your first arm went through the cycle. And make sure to put your arms deep underwater and paddle forward with all your power. The more power, the faster you'll speed up.", Rushing Wind explained.
Fluttershy did what Rushing Wind told her. Over time, she started to build up a feeling for it and got better and better. "Yes... yes... yes! I'm doing it!", Fluttershy said loudly. She became more and more excited.
"Great. For turning, put one of your arms in the water and keep paddling with the other.", Rushing Wind said.
Fluttershy tried it, into both directions, and it actually worked. Her excitement built up even more, and she started to smile, seeing a ray of hope in this dark tunnel...
"Alright. And now comes the hard part..." Rushing Wind points out into the open sea. A wave was inbound. "If you turn around and paddle, you can get a start-up before you hit the wave. Once you're on it, stand up!"
"But... But how do I keep my balance when I try to stand up?", Fluttershy asked, now becoming nervous again.
"You'll get used to it! Just try it!"
Fluttershy turned around on her surfboard, paddling away from the wave. Soon, she noticed that she elevates and she saw the wave around her, wherever she looked. Slowly but surely, she tried to stand up, but she lost the balance...
And wiped out.
When Fluttershy surfaced again, Rushing Wind came to her. "Are you okay, Fluttershy?", he asked in a slight worry.
"Yeah... I guess...", Fluttershy responded, a little quiet.
"You need to stand up faster. The faster you get to your feet, the faster you can respond to the wave.", Rushing Wind explained.
"This is ridiculous... Why can't I just tell Zephyr that if he wants to learn surfing, he should ask Rainbow Dash for advice?", Fluttershy asked.
"Because your brother believes in you, and from what I heard, Rainbow always keeps a fair distance to him. Also, once you mastered the art of surfing, you can show your friends what you can do.", Rushing Wind insisted, "Now, let's go again."
Very soon, another wave came, and Fluttershy now wanted to try to stand up faster, like Rushing Wind told her. On her first attempt, she had slight balancing issues, but got to her feet very quick.
"Nice! Now ride the wave!", Rushing Wind called out.
However, Fluttershy didn't know what's next. She was standing on her board, riding the wave... Now what?
"Try to turn! Lean in the direction you want to go!"
On Rushing Wind's call, Fluttershy tried to turn before she got too high up the wave. However, as she leaned into one direction, she lost control, shaking wildly on the board, trying to maintain control.
But in the end, she wiped out.
Fluttershy surfaced, and Rushing Wind came up again. "See? I can't do it...", Fluttershy said in defeat.
"Now, that's something I do not want to hear!", Rushing Wind said in a serious tone, "I have the feeling that you can do it, trust me."
"But how should I ride the wave when I can't even turn into it?", Fluttershy asked.
"The most important thing about leaning into a direction to turn is to maintain your balance. Try to become one with yourself, your board and the wave. Once that's done, you know how to turn.", Rushing Wind explained.
Fluttershy gave Rushing Wind a smile. Even with all her doubts about being able to surf, there still was one who believed in her, and she appreciated the help.
On the next wave, Fluttershy was able to stand up even faster, and now she tried to turn. She didn't lose control this time, but she still felt like the wave tried to keep her from doing that.
Trying to fight the wave for the balance, Fluttershy wiped out again, and again, and again. Up until Rushing Wind came up to her and said: "I don't think you're doing it right. You're fighting the waves, and that knocks you out of the loop."
"But what should I do once I'm riding the wave? I always feel like the wave applies pressure on me!", Fluttershy said, a little irritated.
"Just let the wave carry you, and ride with it. Don't fight the waves, you can not outweigh those big waves, Fluttershy. Just get into the wave, and roll with it.", Rushing Wind explained.
Fluttershy still was unsure. "I just can't tell how Rainbow and Applejack manage to do it. There's gotta be a secret trick to it...", she said.
Rushing Wind rolled his eyes, then, he got off his jet-ski, swam to Fluttershy and lifted her head, so that she looked him directly into the eyes. "There is no secret recipe to surfing. You simply learn it by doing it. Most surfers compare surfing with skateboarding, since it's similar. But in both cases, they felt the thrill."
Fluttershy knew what Rushing Wind was going to say.
"So feel the thrill...!"
The next wave, and Fluttershy now followed Rush's instructions while he was riding next to her on his jet-ski. She finally managed to stay stable on the board. Like Rushing Wind told her, she just needed to let the wave carry her, and all she needed to do was to stay in balance, which was now way easier when she knew how to do it.
Rushing Wind looked back, and he saw that the wave formed a tube. "Alright, Fluttershy. Let's pick up the pace!", he said.
He took off on his jet-ski, and once again, Fluttershy was clueless. But since she knew how to maintain her balance, she decided to try something of her own. She crouched and leaned forward. From what Rushing Wind told her, a streamlining shape on a vehicle reduces drag, increasing the speed nicely and giving better acceleration.
Fluttershy only needed to stay focused and maintain her balance to ride through the tube and get out in time.
"Come on, Fluttershy! You can do it!", she said to herself in determination. And then, her speed increased, and she saw herself ride to the end of the tube. And then...
"CHAAAAARGE!" With this wailing scream going into a loud laugh of euphoria, Fluttershy rushed out of the tube like an arrow shot from a fully drawn bow. She raced over the wave like a true pro surfer, and she felt so proud of herself, knowing that she pulled that off.
"Yeah! That was awesome, Fluttershy!", Rushing Wind cheered. He certainly was impressed to see Fluttershy ride the wave so fast.
Soon, the wave ended, and Fluttershy came to a stop. Rushing Wind came to her. "I must admit, you learned really quickly. And now, I witnessed the skill that you possess when it comes to surfing.", he praised her.
"Oh, thank you, Rush. You're far too kind.", Fluttershy said a bit shyly. Even though she managed to survive the tube ride, it certainly was a different feeling that one of her friends watched her. But knowing that she impressed him, she got filled with courage...
And also, the will to keep going.
"Is there something else that surfers do?", Fluttershy asked.
"Pro surfers sometimes jump off the wave showing off some nice tricks, or even grind it. About the tricks, you'd have to come up with some of your own, but the rest is fairly simple to master.", Rushing Wind explained, "Let's wait for the next wave, and then we try it out."
On the next wave, Fluttershy tried what Rushing Wind instructed her on grinding the wave. On her first shot, she didn't quite get the accuracy, but a second try was all that is needed in order to get it right. Fluttershy just needed to keep her balance in order to stay both on the wave and on her board. When she first stopped the grind, she had slight trouble keeping her balance, but she managed to stay in a stable stance on her board. The next few grinds as well as the descends down the wave went a lot smoother, and Fluttershy got better and better at it.
The wave ended, and Fluttershy felt like her heart would explode out of joy any moment now. "This... is... amazing!", she exclaimed loudly. In her heart, she felt more and more happiness every second, and on her face, a happy smile formed.
"Ha, I can tell you're enjoying yourself.", Rushing Wind said when he came to Fluttershy, "But now for the jumps off the wave. Just one tip, though: When you jump off the wave, make sure to grab your board. That way, you'll keep it on your feet, and if you perform a trick off the board, make sure to place it under your feet before you land back on the wave."
Rushing Wind's explanation sounded overly complicated, but on the next wave, she gave it a shot. She jumped, grabbed her board with one hand and made sure to stay as accurate as possible, with the front end pointing down as she came to a fall. The first landing was pretty sloppy, and she almost lost control, but she caught herself and kept going. Jumping up a second time, she even felt a bit braver and tried a trick. While holding her board, she put her other arm up, and stretched her legs forward, also making sure that she slightly spread them. She quickly put her feet back on the board before she landed back on the wave and made sure to stay as stable as possible.
This wave also came to an end, and Fluttershy felt her own heart literally flutter out of pure excitement. "I... I can't believe I just did that...! What a jump!", she thought, a smile building up on her face.
Rushing Wind came up to her. "Whoa! That second jump you took was truly awesome! What trick was that? One of your own?", he asked.
"Yes. I call it the 'Flutter Stretch'.", Fluttershy responded, certainly proud of the trick she came up with.
"Nicely done, I must say. And now, you're ready. Show me what you got!", Rushing Wind said.
Over the next few hours, Fluttershy showed Rushing Wind what she could do, improving her surfing even further. And Rushing Wind was heavily impressed with every wave Fluttershy rode. She has tried so many more jumping tricks and came up with more of her own.
Soon, a blue motorbike with rainbow-colored parts parked near the beach. Rainbow Dash, dressed in her beach attire, got off the bike, taking her surfboard with her. When she approached the shore, she saw...
"Whoa, Fluttershy! You're surfing!", she exclaimed.
"Yeah! Come ride with us!", Fluttershy called out.
Rainbow Dash kicked off her flip-flops and also came into the water to surf. Together, the two rode several waves, and Rainbow was always impressed about Fluttershy's sheer surfing skill.
"Wow, Fluttershy! I'd say you're even better than me! How did you learn to surf so good?", Rainbow Dash asked.
"Rush told me the basics, but I had to try it myself to get better at it.", Fluttershy responded. Then, the two rode more and more waves, up until the sun was setting.
As everyone got back on the shore, Rainbow Dash said to Fluttershy: "You know, I'm really impressed. I remember when I offered you to ride my board, but you declined. And now, you're even better at surfing than I am, and it only took you one day... I envy you."
"Aw, thank you, Rainbow. But back in the day, I really didn't know how to surf, and neither did my brother.", Fluttershy said.
"Yeah, surfing is not easy to master, but it's the perfect combination of beauty and danger. When people are watching, they'll always get the chills when they see their favorite surfer in the wave.", Rushing Wind said.
"Jeez, how do you know so much about water sports? I thought you were a guy for the road.", Rainbow Dash wondered.
"It's true, he loves racing. But that doesn't mean that he's restricted to roads or trails. I'm sure you can even race on water.", Fluttershy said.
"What she said. And yeah, I'll show my talent in the Great Jet-ski Race in two days.", Rushing Wind said, "Do you two want to watch me when the race begins?"
"Of course, Rush.", Fluttershy said.
"I'd love to!", Rainbow Dash said.
"Cool. Well, I gotta go. I'll see you two soon.", Rushing Wind said and put the jet-ski on the trailer before he got into his car and drove off.
"So, Rainbow. How about I come to visit you tomorrow? Then we could call our other friends and spend a nice day in the city", Fluttershy asked.
"Sure, sounds good. Alright, see ya.", Rainbow Dash said. She strapped her surfboard to her bike sat up on it, put her helmet on and also drove off. Fluttershy, who put her surfboard on her roof rack and got into her car, soon followed.
One thing was clear - now she could teach Zephyr to surf. She knew that it won't be easy, but when Rush can teach her, she can teach her brother too...