Aloha All,
Below are some surf thoughts.
Sometimes theres a lot swirling around in my head. Other times, often in the middle of the night 2-3am, I get single thoughts, or realizations, that stand out.
As soon as I open my computer to write the thoughts down, I immedialty get temptations to check my email or write down a list of what I need to do, and in doing so, begin to bury that beautiful thought.
So let me get straight to it.
I feel like we’re all so lucky to be alive. Most of us are so blessed and we’re walking aounnd bored or jaded, or complaining about something or other.
In the Hawaii Surf Scene we’ll be surfing the most beautiful waves and often everyone this vibe like it’s no big deal. Meanwhile we’re surfing literally the most consistent, radical and diverse surf conditions in the world. With Waves somewhere on the island every day-some waves providing rides over a hundred yards.
I am thankful for:
my beautiful wife, and beautiful two sons.
My ability to surf - The aspect that I don’t have to think anymore, only do what I can. It’s plenty enough to be able to surf safe and slide behind a curtain of water every now and then.
I am thankful for realizing that
You can only surf whatever is happening to the wave. You cannot surf what you think the wave will do, but only what the wave is actually doing in that moment.
Once you see how the wave is transforming before your eyes, you can begin to understand how it is breaking and make adjustments to your movement while the wave make’s it’s adjustments right before your eyes. While it flows its movements,
Your body and board must flow with it, and after a while you understand that there are many different ways to flow with a wave, many different lines you can carve successfully. Some take more radical curvy lines. While others go straight on a straight diagonal. I prefer the wavy lines riding as many sections of the wave as I can Surf every morsel- the bottom of wave, the top, and the very top off the for a floater, the inside of the barrel, up and down and all around.
I think time is best experienced slowly, savoring an appreciating every morsal of millisecond where 3 -4 seconds is detailed memorable experience.
Most of the time we fly by hours of time without consciousness or steady breath.
Slowed down time often occurs when we are experiencing a dangerous accident- where our senses are heightened, like on Sunday evening I went over the falls backwards and it seemed like a solid 3-4 seconds before I hit the water.
Or when I slid out on a hairpin turn fliying down a hill on amoped on the Amalfi Coast, Italy on my way back from Positano to Sorrento. I slid about 20-30 feet on my chest and pelvis. I thought I scraped off my private parts. When I got up I stuck my hand in my pants and everything was still there. I escaped that accident with only a few scratches. But I remember every millisecond the slide. I thougth, “Oh you’re a cool guy now aren’t you?” Your mean to your brother and father, what a jerk you are!!! You deserve this!!! I had a whole sequence of thoughts as I slid on my chest.
Boy that was a little Tangent eh?
But slowed down time also happens during extreme moments of joy, like when surfing a wave.
Last night I got barreled and I can still remember how I looked down the line and saw a surfer drop in too deep and how he didn’t make the section, and how it cleared up for me to take on the shoulder. As I bottom turned I remember the sight of the lip beginning to throw horizontally over my head, and how I made the choice to turn up the wave and go underneath its curtain, just before it water falled behind me and created a tube.and how I shot out clean in front of a bunch of people I knew. I was stoked or elated.
If we can experience most of our day more slowly and savor every millisecond of life, the more fulfilling it can be. There is nothing like the feeling of gratitude.
The feeling of extreme thankfulness for life. It makes us a humble and more compassionate towards other’s misfortune.
I am thankful for life.
