What do you most like about surfing…???..
I enjoy surfing because… I get to be on my own and have fun. A little quiet time buoying what you live goes a long way.
Writing about surfing is not easy. Which is probably why we write about boards instead!
I guess what I most like about surfing is…the solitude. Even with other people around (and I never get to surf alone), even with friends around, surfing itself is a solitary pursuit, just one man or woman’s conversation with the planet.
-Rich
The thrill of riding a wave. Everything from the anticipation of the incoming set, to the excitment of paddling for it, the rush when you start dropping in and down the face, the forces you feel in every turn, and the satisfaction after a ride is complete.
The weightless feeling you get when you are going just as fast as you can flying along a fast breaking wave, making each turn to get maximum speed and distance to be able to get as far as you can possibly go. Sometimes I feel spent after a long ride.
The feeling that you get when you do a really hard re-direction turn, when you can feel intense g-forces, because you changed the direction you are heading in such a short space.
I like that it takes all your thought processes and all you think about is riding that wave, manuvering your board to get past everything along the way and placing the board in the right spot on the wave, the spot the wave wants you to be at.
Sometimes it’s like dancing with a partner, when you just flow along with it, sometimes it’s like fighting, like when you try to over power it with huge gouges.
It’s the ride, that’s all there is. It’s the same for life, it’s just a ride. Enjoy where it takes you, sharing time with those you meet along the way. I even enjoy riding behind others, keeps you on your toes trying to make your turns fit based on what happens in front, and always being ready to make a very quick turn. 2 people riding a wave in harmony is a beautiful thing to see.
its something to do, its something to love, its something to dream about. I think the best part is when you reach the “still” point where your thoughts are completely fluid and focused on the wave.
The shock when you first hit the water on a winter’s morning before dawn.
The glint as the sun clears the horizon and you’re still the only person out.
The burst of adrenalin as you paddle into the first wave of the day (and each ensuing wave).
The spray from a dolphin’s blowhole as it breaches next to you.
The view from the greenroom.
A barely heard hoot from the crew you’re leaving behind as you race down the wall of a set wave.
Finish sanding a newly shaped blank.
The smell of poly resin as you open the shed door.
The snapshot recollections of all the best waves you’ve ever caught, that come to you at random moments during the day.
Just doing it.
Mostly all of the above, I really like the small moments in each session where something just works be it timing a takeoff nicely or a surprise barrel etc. I like trying to figure out a break or a wave( taking in all the peripherals) like the tide, bottom contour and shifting conditions and then the riding of the wave just completes the experience for me:)
Walking up the beach afterwards paddle tired and satisfied…
Total escapism, Im regularly dumbfounded, when in the ocean, of the awesomeness (for lack of a better word) of what I’m doing. Riding Waves of Water…I must add, After 20 plus years of shaping I really don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse to make surfboards for a living. As im often way to focused on how the board is feeling rather then the pure joy riding???
All Good But.
Being outdoors, having fun, getting exercise… in a beautiful environment that allows us to be away from other people (if we’re lucky). No waving to strangers on the jogging path… no stinky swet smell at the gym… you don’t even have to look at anyone of you chose not to, and for the most part, nobody really wants to talk to you… which is awesome. And when your session is over, and you get out of the water and look back at the ocean, you thank God.
watching dolphins surf better than anybody…with pelicans a close second.
ad·dic·tion
/əˈdikSHən/NounThe fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity.
The whole zen thing, being in the moment, meditation while sitting out the back, the occaisional near death experience, the fear, the high from catching the wave of the day and it is better than mowing the lawns or painting the house.
The catchphrase is, "Just one more".
Always love your questions Paul. For me surfing is simply life’s greatest union of mind, body & spirit. It feeds several closely related things (all mentioned above):
- communing with nature
- quickly accessing true wildeness
- escaping humans and material pursuits
- a physical challenge that is never complete
- a mental / intellectual challenge that is never complete
Surfing defines who I am…
Hi Paul and thanks for all your posts over the years.
Surfing for me is many things but on the short list my favorite moments during a session has to be the 1st duck dive when I know all the cares of work, stress, etc are being washed away and that I will be communing with nature and appreciating Life on its on terms just man against the elements. Always great to paddle out with a good friend and share the experience as well. Keep Surfing and it will fuel the creativity and peace in your life, so many benefits.
i like the girls !
herb
Surfing provides the connection between you and the life you have chosen,
a unique front end filter through which all else must pass,
seperating the truths that work for you from all the background noise.
Surfing is also the mirror of our journey.
When younger surfing is pure desire and agression and joy.
In middle age surfing is accomplishment, satisfaction and joy.
In our later years surfing is contentment, connection and joy.
Surfing is fun. And life is short.
Surfing is a pretty bitchin way to enjoy the ride through it.
Hi Paul
Good question!
For me, it is the moment that i just stopped surfing, the realization of all that good surf stuff that just came to pass. Not even the surf moment itself, because i am too much in it, to be still/quiet enough to look at it happening.
And second best is if one of the garage projects surfs pretty good!
w
Ho w it brings the poet out in even the crustiest old resin hack.
Oh, and the girls too 
It’s all in the Waves or Wave, Spots or Spot, People, Boards and the people that build them. Yes there is escapism, communion with our Creator etc. It’s a lifestyle. Lowel
For me it's all about the water, the sky, the clouds, the birds, the fish, the whales and dolphins, the sand, the rocks, the seaweed, the sand crabs.... the COMMUNION WITH THE ELEMENTS, DUDE.
Seriously - are you kidding me?!............... It's all about the exact moment when I pee in my wetsuit.