Why do you surf

I surf because it's the quintessential metaphor for life: we started from the bottom now we here (at the peak). Then we get bored with the mountain top so we take a exciting trip down the decline if we are fortunate enough not to fall on our faces. If we've got enough composure to maintain momentum once back at the bottom, we can accelerate back to the top and celebrate with a cool little air dance then the whole cycle repeats. It's who can get knocked down and back up again that gets the most and best rides, yet we all have a sick tendency for the dramatic so we continue to take the plunge down the face of life once at the pinnacle.

Dude...all we are, is dust...in the wind...dude.

 

it's mind erase.
you see your wave, you paddle, look left, right,left, jump to your feet and go. for those 10-20 seconds it's the only thing on your mind.
it's natural, healthy and all is good.
the sessions gets stored in your memory bank to be pulled up as needed as reality of the world returns.
a little smile crosses your face.
sometimes a laugh escapes.
people wonder...I don't care.

 

Because that first step off into the void and push down under the soup feels like a jolt of energy up my spine.

 

you better come to VB, bro, they are about to build a huge muslem mosque. They are impacting the coast for Allah..

 

I surf so I can access nature/be human without other humans around. If I lived inland I'd paddle my canoes/kayaks around to access nature. It's an escape. I will probably never surf a "world class break" bc that will mean sharing said break with a lot of other people. not my bag

 

this was priceless! thanks FUNGUS!

 

I don't surf, I SPONGE. Hahaha Just kidding
B, B, A, C A because I want them to make me famous when I stomp a huge rotation in their face.

 

I surf because, "I love the smell of surf wax in the morning."

 

because here in NY it only happens oh so often, but when it does its special.

 

That's a pretty sanctimonious way of asking a simple question and that type of conceded attitude is just as bad any kook driving around for days with his board on his roof and dropping in on people left and right.

The magic in surfing is a personal experience of that individual surfer, does it matter why they do it? For the solitude? for the exercise? for the stoke after a great session it's all legit.

All this *****ing about novices, crowds, etc in this forum is boring and repetitive. Sounds like everyone thinks they have more of a right to be out there than the next guy. We were all novices once and we've all dropped in on someone, you gotta give to get, remember that.

As for surfing becoming mainstream you can thank the X Games, and the Quicksilvers, Hurleys, and Roxies of the world marketing their brand and selling surfing to the masses at the local mall. The birth of SUP has added bodies to the line up as well, as well as all the surf forecasts online that tell everyone when there are good waves. Accept and Adapt.

 

That and the gradually pussification of breaks. Where did all the enforcers go??

 

It's the "Pussification of America", but it's not just at the beach, look around you, they're EVERYWHERE! When I walk down the hall of my office building people stare at their phones as the walk, or they look at their own feet to avoid eye contact with another human.

Bump into someone and they just keep walking, nobody ever gets pissed for the shoulder bump anymore? It use to be if someone bumped shoulders with you it meant they wanted to throw down. Now it's, "Oh gee golly, I'm so sorry, oh are you ok, you're not going to sue me are you?" F'ing sissies HAHA

I kid I kid, no seriously, people are zombies now a days, just watch em as you drive by, aimless, mindless sheep. But hey, they got 1,239 "friends" on FB, or even better, they got 2,109 "FOLLOWERS" on Twitter.... really? Followers, I don't follow anybody, a man on my own mission, marching to the beat of my own drum, I could care less about smart phones, social media, American Idol, The X Factor, or anything else that promotes Pop Culture or this fantasy land that the majority of people are living in.

I have no idea why I went off on this rant, but there ya have it...

 

Because it's the next best thing to dropping acid and driving 100mph down a crowded road.

 

Hate to tell you guys this but our little SI community is social media and every rant you put up here is reaching for acceptance and respect. I do it too. I guess I'm doing it right now.

It's what our society is these days, I mean DP you've got nearly 2700 posts in less than 2 years. What's the difference between the guy that tweets vs. the guy with SI posts? I guess we're in our own cool little clique and that's what makes it cool.

When Kim Kardashian joins swellinfo I'm outta here.

 

Like This Guy....
http://www.google.com/imgres?client...184&tbnw=250&start=0&ndsp=23&tx=111&ty=85Like

 

...because is surfing is just like sex; it always feels good no matter how many times you've done it

 

Ah, ya got me Clemmy, so what's your Twitter handle? Maybe we can follow each other HAHA

 

...because it keeps my PTSD in check better the the va!

There have been countless times where people (horrible drivers, idiots at the bar, etc.) have escaped horrible beatings because surfing has calmed the demons. I welcome the gray windy big days when everyone else is waiting for the cleanup or looking for a popular jetty. Not cuz I'm hard or because I " rip" , it's because the fear of uncertainty in the ocean is the closest I can get to the rush of combat.

Someone said it causes them to forget for a minute while they catch a wave. It does that for me the moment I grab my gear till the smell of salt water comes out of the rope braclet my daughter made for me.