What do windy, crappy surf sessions have to do with Indo?
So I go for a surf yesterday out front at 17th Street. It was the first session I had on a thruster in a long time and I figured I better be getting as much time in the water on thrusters as that's primarily what I'll be surfing on my trip. It was maybe shoulder/head high but the wind was putting some not-so-fun surface texture on it and the shape seemed to disappear by the minute. By the time I got out it had become an overcast, cold and lumpy low-tide mess. I still caught waves and a few memorable ones, to boot, but it certainly wasn't in the top 50 sessions of the year. What does this ho-hum session have to do with the Mentawai's and my trip? Everything.
See, it's like this a lot here and I go out pretty much every day no matter if it's epic or a lake. I always find a way to have fun even if I'm not catching waves; I consider myself to be a very fortunate and blessed person to have the ocean in my backyard and to be a surfer and I know that most everyone in the world will never have the opportunity to ride waves and experience that magical feeling I get every time I paddle out so it makes my sessions that more special and meaningful, to me. I feel that I owe it to all the people that can't/don't surf to enjoy my time surfing as much as possible and not complain because I'm being given the chance to go out and do something that they may never get to do and I consider it to be one of the most beautiful and amazing things on earth.
This trip is happening because of all the cold, windy, lumpy days I've surfed that have helped me gain a great deal of appreciation and respect and stoke for surfing. Without days like yesterday and the countless other days that were just as marginal or worse I'd never have learned to love surfing like I do nor plant the seeds of imagination and desire to visit places like Indonesia. Hell, I never would have known the Mentawai islands existed without putting in my time surfing on the good and the bad days and learning something about surfing and myself in the process. See, for me, surfing all the time isn't just about building up my skill level and becoming proficient at the act of surfing, it's way more than that; it gives me clarity and focus and an appreciation for everything around me. Not to get all philosophical on you here, but I've found surfing to almost be a religion for me. It has taught me more about myself, my limits, my joys, my pains, my goals, my disappointments, the world around me and some of the most wonderful individuals that have ever lived, moreso than anything else I can recall and it's not just about surfing; it affects everything in my life. It's good stuff that feeds my soul every day, even the ho-hum days that would be considered sub-standard by the surfing community. Of course, the super bitchen, unbelievable days every now and then don't hurt, either... ;)
So, I ended yesterday's session with a smile on my face knowing that days like that are making trips like my 1st trip to the Mentawai's possible and will continue to open doors for me throughout my life!
See, it's like this a lot here and I go out pretty much every day no matter if it's epic or a lake. I always find a way to have fun even if I'm not catching waves; I consider myself to be a very fortunate and blessed person to have the ocean in my backyard and to be a surfer and I know that most everyone in the world will never have the opportunity to ride waves and experience that magical feeling I get every time I paddle out so it makes my sessions that more special and meaningful, to me. I feel that I owe it to all the people that can't/don't surf to enjoy my time surfing as much as possible and not complain because I'm being given the chance to go out and do something that they may never get to do and I consider it to be one of the most beautiful and amazing things on earth.
This trip is happening because of all the cold, windy, lumpy days I've surfed that have helped me gain a great deal of appreciation and respect and stoke for surfing. Without days like yesterday and the countless other days that were just as marginal or worse I'd never have learned to love surfing like I do nor plant the seeds of imagination and desire to visit places like Indonesia. Hell, I never would have known the Mentawai islands existed without putting in my time surfing on the good and the bad days and learning something about surfing and myself in the process. See, for me, surfing all the time isn't just about building up my skill level and becoming proficient at the act of surfing, it's way more than that; it gives me clarity and focus and an appreciation for everything around me. Not to get all philosophical on you here, but I've found surfing to almost be a religion for me. It has taught me more about myself, my limits, my joys, my pains, my goals, my disappointments, the world around me and some of the most wonderful individuals that have ever lived, moreso than anything else I can recall and it's not just about surfing; it affects everything in my life. It's good stuff that feeds my soul every day, even the ho-hum days that would be considered sub-standard by the surfing community. Of course, the super bitchen, unbelievable days every now and then don't hurt, either... ;)
So, I ended yesterday's session with a smile on my face knowing that days like that are making trips like my 1st trip to the Mentawai's possible and will continue to open doors for me throughout my life!
posted by Bryan at
12:53 PM
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