Fort Lauderdale Surfer Boy True Story by Anthony

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I'm not much of a story writer, but I'll give this a go. This is a follow up of sorts to a story I posted a couple years back about my first head shave. It had been three years since my first head shave and I had a pretty impressive mop, probably close to a foot long. I was 15 years old and living within walking distance of the Lauderdale by the Sea pier. Other than competitive swimming, I had really gotten in to surfing. During the school year there was a daily group of kids that met up after school almost every day. During the summers we pretty much lived there from sun up to sundown.

I had never forgotten how awesome it was having a shaved head. It was something that I had fully fetishized by that point in time, but I just didn't have to balls to do it again. There was an old school barber shop in the little strip a block off the beach that I passed twice a day going to and from the beach. I always made a point to slow my roll so I could take a peek at any haircut action. Mostly older retired folks getting boring cuts, but once in awhile I'd see someone getting a crewcut or flattop, nothing too extreme. There was a Bressler's ice cream shop next door, so sometimes I'd stop and get something so I had an excuse to sit on a bench outside the shop and watch. I was always fantasizing about walking into the shop and getting shaved again.

One cloudy afternoon I decided to head home before the rain rolled in. Just me with my surfboard under my arm wearing a pair of surf shorts, no shirt, no shoes. Just my shorts and a nylon/velcro beach wallet with a soggy $20 bill in it. I never bothered to even comb my hair, just get out of the water and shake it like a dog, that was it. I was seriously considering walking in to the shop for a haircut. At the beginning of summer a few guys had gotten buzzcuts, probably something like a #4 guard. It wasn't shaved, but it still got me excited thinking about it.

I ended up stopping at the ice cream place and getting myself a limeade, so I could hang out for a bit in front of the barber shop without looking like a total stalker. I'm sure a lot here can relate, I had the head spinning anxiety taking over. I may have hung out for a half hour or so until I saw a guy get a pretty short buzz cut. I kind of went on autopilot at that point. When the guy walked out of the barber shop, I leaned my board against the wall and walked in.

I have no idea what the barber was thinking, but he asked me what I wanted. Probably expects guys to at least have flip flops and a t shirt on. I told him I wanted a haircut and he said get in the seat. He wasn't too friendly to be honest. He may have been disgusted with the mop on my head, who knows. After getting the tissue and cape situated, he asked me what I wanted. I had every intention of asking for a crewcut, but that's not what came of of my mouth. I said "I want my head shaved." He suggested a buzzcut but I said again that I wanted my head shaved. He shows me the palm of his hand, points at it and says "as smooth as this?" I said yes, shaved slick. He said he'd be glad to do it, but didn't want some pissed off parent coming to his shop asking what he did to their kid. I told him I'd had my head shaved before while with my dad, that it would be totally fine.

He didn't waste anytime with the clippers. Sixty seconds and the mop was half on the floor and half in my lap. The shave wasn't like the first time. No hot towels, no hot foam, no straight razor. This barber used a can of foam and disposable razor, like a cheap Bic with the orange handle. I guess at that point in time (1981) they probably didn't do lather/razor edges. He did lather and shave my head twice, and rubbed my head looking for rough patches. Shined it up with something that I think might have been aloe vera gel. Anyway it reflected the florescent lights like a mirror.

This time I wasn't as shocked seeing myself bald, I'd seen that before. What was shocking was my stark white head against my deep dark tan. I felt totally exposed by that while walking home. A few high school kids saw me walking as they drove by and started yelling "baldy baldy baldy" whatever.

This time I kept it buzzed off for the rest of summer. I got a cheap clipper set from Sears and used that every few days. It looked pretty awesome once my tan evened out and I got a lot of complements. I think more than a few friends envied me for doing it. I let it grow some towards the beginning of the school year and eventually went back to the barber. Kept up with a #4 top #2 sides for awhile and then regrew the surfer mop, going two years without so much as a trim. Two years would pass before I ended up back in the chair.

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