My Minties Moment

 (For those who aren't familiar with Minties, they're a mint flavoured chewy candy, popular in NZ and Australia, with an advertising campaign that stresses 'when things go pear-shaped you need a Mintie to cheer you up' hence there catch phrase 'it's moments like these you need Minties')

About a fortnight ago I had a shocker. It was a beautiful warm spring day and there were waves out front. Ken gave me a call to give me the heads up and I was in my wettie and out the door in a flash. When I got down to Kakou, Ken and Shinya were standing on the beach after scoring the early with a great tide. Ken had to work, but Shinya was up for a second surf and we paddled out. Everything was sweet and we got a few good ones before the tide filled in and we called it a day. All good so far. However, on the way home I saw a couple of fun rights breaking at Seaside. I thought 'what the heck' and decided to go for a quick surf again. I got two long peeling rights to start then went left, did a turn or two then tried to squeeze a last one in at the end. Should have kicked out...what a nice thing hindsight is.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, my board bounced back off the impact, I put my hand out just in time to partially block it, broke my board, cut my hand open on the fiberglass, and whacked my nose (possibly broken, but it was still straightish so didn't go to the hospital to find out). Blood everywhere, shocked looks, laughs, the whole spectrum. Rather embarrassing and well worthy of a Mintie. It's healed up fine now thanks to these wonder Band-Aids by Johnson & Johnson and a few conciliatory Minties.