Jim closed his eyes. His hair whipped about his face, something sharp nicked his cheek. The warmth of the sun kissed his face, his legs, his back, his neck, his face again. Air howled past his ears as his body cut through it, splitting through nothing towards solid ground as he pivoted from a flip into a dive.
Space, air, wind, gravity, danger.
Freedom.
It had been far too long since he felt like this.
The marshy ground wouldn't kill him on impact, but it certainly would hurt. He'd learned that from experience decades ago. But he wasn't about to wander down that branch of memory lane today.
At the last moment he pulled up sharply and skimmed past the marshmallow and cattails. The long stalks bobbed and weaved in his wake.
"Oh come on, dad! That was hardly a trick. You said you'd show me something impressive!"
Jim just laughed. He pulled his board back up and around, floating over to hover beside the impatient youth. Their home made boards hummed softly, the carefully stitched sails rippling as they absorbed the power of the sun. He knew that young impatience quite well.
"Hold your horses, kiddo. I haven't been on one of these boards since before you were born! Your old man just needed a warm up. Come on then, hit the skies. I'll show you what real solar surfing looks like!"