Surfing vs Team Sports

I've found similar mental states can be achieved in surfing and martial arts, apparently I'm not the only one. I think they can both transcend the level of 'sport' and become a 'way'...idk man, if you really want to be on it, especially on the east coast, you have to go beyond the 'sport' thing, watching the weather and waiting for waves as we know can be all consuming. And unless you're right there doing it, nobody else gets it.

 

Sorry, one last post about the sport thing. Here's the definition of "sport".

"an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment."

This means that any individual activity done for recreational purposes is not a sport. Skiing, surfing, climbing, etc. when done for fun are not sports. That said, they turn into sports when done competitively. Cool.

Regarding the original post, I think it's more of an issue of motivation. I'd argue that most people are more motivated to improve when they're doing something individually. Any improvement in skill when you're part of a team is diluted by the performance of the whole team. For example, in baseball I could raise my batting average by 200pts and my team could end up losing more games. To me this reduces the drive & motivation to improve. In individual activities (not sports, of course) people are motivated by our natural drive to master that activity. Winning is not the motivation, it's mastery. The same is true about musicians. They master an instrument, which in just about every case requires hand-eye coordination, but they might totally suck at sports. To conclude, the difference between team sports and surfing is motivation to improve. End of sermon.

 

Surfing is a way of life or lifestyle. Actually I could care less how its classified. I don't play football, basketball, baseball, etc.... I and surely don't watch it on tv! Since I was little kid I have always found it strange that people find it entertaining watching other people "play"! Its like being grounded or disabled in that you love the sport but just can't physically do it. So all you can do is watch your friends have fun playing.

Have you ever noticed that of all the sports, hobbies, leisure activities etc... surfing is one of the only ones that encompasses all ages. I can paddle out on any given day and sit in the line-up with surfers ranging from 6 years old to 80! If you are a surfer you are literally a supreme human being. Not only are you in very good shape and have very high stamina but you also have way above average coordination.

 

There's really no answer for it I don't think. Everybody is different and we are all drawn to certain things. I grew up playing about every sport that was available to me. 1st I played baseball at a very young age and stuck with it up through high school then gave it up. During much of that time, I practiced and competed in Taekwondo, all the way up until it was time for my black belt and my Dad pulled me out of it for money reasons as well as he didn't think it was something I really cared about anymore (he was wrong).

I skateboarded from about age 8-18, both street and vert, was much better at street. I played organized football from age 10-18, was starting QB most of the time and when I blew out my shoulder I just gave it up. I was the only kid who brought my skateboard to football practice, I was just a different dude.

I picked up surfing around age 15, by 18 I was tired of all the injuries from skating and other sports that surfing became the only thing I cared about. What started out as a sport for me turned into a lifestyle, but it took years for me to get to that point. Now it's a part of my everyday life, even being inland, surfing is a focus of mine and I manage to surf very often despite my circumstances (i.e. geographical location). I really don't have an answer for you, but that's my story.

 

1) scoring is objective, you are either faster or slower
2) someone is trying to go faster
3) you are sweating
is a sport

 

Skiing is the same way. Kids can start skiing at 3 and it's common to see people on the slopes into their 80's. Like surfing, people who start young stay with it throughout their whole life and introduce it to their kids. What skiing doesn't have, however, is the over-sold attitude and lifestyle that surfing has, for better or worse.

 

Dude's it's a DISEASE!!!

 

I played D-1 college hoops and I get a bigger rush surfing good waves than I ever got in crowded stadiums. I'll take a barrel over a dunk anytime.

I love that there's no score in surfing, it's just a matter if how dedicated you want to be. I'm more fit as a surfer than I ever was as a ball player. All in all sport or not it's the best endeavor I have ever embarked upon.

 

I'm new on here and not trying to offend anyone, but this "what is a sport" argument is so tired and cliche. They have a dictionary for this type of thing and the same word in English often has multiple meanings. Webster has 3 definitions under noun for sport and recreational surfing would certainly qualify as a sport under the third definition:

2) sport noun
: a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other

: sports in general

: a physical activity (such as hunting, fishing, running, swimming, etc.) that is done for enjoyment

As for this idea that there is some connection between being good at surfing, and being bad at more traditional team sports, it is just not the case. Two examples off the top of my head... Rabbit Bartholomew got his name for being a very good and incredibly quick soccer player, and Junior Seau was supposedly a pretty good surfer. I would argue that being talented at one requires many of the same skills and abilities as being talented at the other (an awareness of what is happening around you, an ability to have an exacting control over what your body is doing in a dynamic situation, the ability to quickly read things on the field or in the water, etc.)

Although I suppose there is such a thing as a surfing savant.

 

John Wayne too! He walked away from a full ride at UCLA, for football no less, to spend his days surfing Malibu. Anyone who doesn't think it takes physical prowess to surf is insane! Then again, "the only true test of a surfer is to surf alone," and things like that. We all do it for our own reasons, but what always amazes me is the stoke I witness and the smiles I generate amongst the minions watching on the beach. That said, there is definitely an entertainment value to watching someone surf, especially if they surf artfully and well, just as there is a distinct reward gained from doing it, when time spent training and conditioning allows one to do it well. Add in overcoming injuries from physical exertion or impact with your surroundings/playing surface, noodle arms after paddling all day, the fact that my back looks like that of a linebacker, or that I can hold my breath while overcoming disorienting underwater conditions, and it really doesn't matter who thinks its a sport or not. For me its a great way to stay in shape, get outside, enjoy life, and let the stresses of the day go. Thus, it has purpose, even if it is an addiction or a disease. Lol!

 

I believe that being young and athletic in a variety of sports are aides in picking up surfing if the proper attitude and desire are there. What I sometimes see in young folks though is the defeatist mindset that if you can't be perfect or a star from the start, then there's no use trying. Some don't seem to understand the value of persistence, and that the pros had to be extremely dedicated and work very hard to reach the level they're at. Even they make mistakes and must practice.

 

Attitude, desire, and persistence.

 

Surfing for the first time, one gets hooked or not. Whether one does good or not doesn't matter. It's about having a great time, big or small. The whole martial art thing is great because it teaches balance n body awareness, plus ya get to kick Azz. Why ya see all thee surf camps having yoga, tai chi n such. Body awareness is a big thing in surfing. Kids should be able to choose their sport. Not the darn parents. I get tired of seeing this weekly. Athletic or not doesn't matter, except for paddling. What matters is about have a good time with like minded people. It's good your g kid did well n I hope ya told him that as well as the other g kids. Keep showing them some fun n ride on.

 

While it's certainly in the statistics and common knowledge of motor control that early onset of training in a specific physical domain will typically elicit the highest ceiling for potential, I laugh at the above statement. How about not playing in high school but being a collegiate star? It happens. Not often, but it happens. Commitment is a powerful thing.

 

Very good and accurate post, though it needs some emphasis. Those at the highest levels of their sport or any other non-athletic specialty for that matter, are by far the most committed and dedicated to their domain of all participants in it world-wide. It is well past the border of obsession. To be at the top of the food chain in anything, your entire daily purpose is centered around continued progression and your daily existence is very atypical from society's dawn til dusk routine.

Everyone is very talented at the highest levels of anything. Elite talent alone won't even get you a seat at the big table; it is so much more than that. The apex predator, or champion, is the one who stops at nothing to reach the pinnacle. You don't stumble upon greatness. You leave everything else behind and tread the path until you get there. Once you're at the top, staying there is just as hard, if not harder than the road to getting there to begin with.

 

I grew up playing team sports and surfing as a kid, and played rugby in college. As an old man, I still play pick up basketball. The one constant has been surfing though, as I never got sick of it. Just as stoked in my 40s as I was in my teens. I always enjoyed, and still do, being part of a team with one singular goal, but I also love that I can go surf by myself and have a blast.

As for the physical aspect, surfing definitely is a workout. I don't care if it is a sport or not, but I'd hate to see what kind of shape I'd be in if I didn't surf.

As for the mental, I truly think it is the only thing that keeps me sane. Surfing allows me to cut though all the clutter and chaos, prioritize what's important, and be grateful.