VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — While most people were gathered around the Thanksgiving table, a few braved chilly winds and crashing waves at Virginia Beach’s Rudee Inlet, finding gratitude in the ocean, not the oven.
Logan Gay, a local surfer who has called the area home for years, was one of them. His holiday plans didn’t involve turkey or crowds.
“I just wanted to get out. I figured there wouldn't be a whole lot of people out today,” Gay shared.
For Logan, surfing on Thanksgiving is almost a spiritual experience.
“I feel like I'm more connected to God and nature, and it's peaceful. It’s like just playing as an adult, pretty much.”
Not everyone on the beach was there for solitude. Professional surfer Parker Johnson saw Thanksgiving as the perfect opportunity to train harder, while most people watched football and ate dessert.
“I like to take every opportunity when people are out partying, maybe sleeping late at night, early in the morning, to get ahead. I use that for my competition advantage,” said Johnson.
Both surfers agreed that braving freezing temperatures wasn’t crazy. It was a sign of their commitment to surfing and to their community.
After a morning on the waves, Logan said his Thanksgiving plans were simple.
“Probably go home and eat some frozen pizza and go to bed. Nothing crazy,” he laughed.
So while families wrapped up dinner and dessert, a few locals were out catching waves, celebrating Thanksgiving with salt, sand, and a whole lot of heart.
