In the past, I’ve alluded to the fact that, as surfers go, the word that best describes me is “polite”. I tend to follow the rules, give up waves, smile, hoot for other people and try keep the tone in the water mellow. I was not that person today. I take that back. I showed [...]
“For me, why you surf is more important than how you surf” – Nathan Oldfield, Seaworthy. I think about the reef and how the wave forms a bowl over and around it. I know where to sit on my board and wait, taking my bearing from the sucky rock. Sections close fast going right at [...]
Surfing has been mythologized in many cultures, and with good reason. From an athleticism standpoint, it’s an incredibly difficult sport and requires someone to be in pretty decent shape just to learn. To be truly good at surfing one has to be in peak athletic condition, and to do it as much as possible. It’s [...]
They may be trapped in Gaza, but riding the waves seems like the great escape.
I’ve always wondered how you quit surfing. I know it’s possible; I just don’t think I could do it. I’ve seen others drop the sport without much struggle, yet I’m not sure I quite understand the circumstances or physiology required to walk away from the ocean. In Steven Kotler’s West Of Jesus: Surfing, Science and [...]
Aikido, as Pat Cockett, a waterman from Kauai, writes, “is the art of directed motion within a stream of energy.” If one were to substitute as a training partner, instead of a 200 pound man, 10,000 tons of moving water, then the strategy of blending with and using the energy at hand makes a great [...]
This year’s extreme heat is putting the world’s coral reefs under such severe stress that scientists fear widespread die-offs, endangering not only the richest ecosystems in the ocean but also associated fisheries that feed millions of people. From Thailand to Texas, corals are reacting to the heat stress by bleaching, or shedding their color and [...]
As I thought about it more, I noticed there were correlations between surfing and blogging that I wanted to point out and hopefully allow up and coming bloggers to benefit from the power of catching their first “wave”. So without further ado, here is my 6 step guide for getting up on your board. Enjoy! [...]
When the wind dies down, the crowds disappear and you have this aquatic playground all to yourself, you know it’s going to be a good day. Every single wave is yours for the taking. The waves aren’t perfect, but if they were there’s no way you’d be the only one out there. The mention of [...]
Like most things we do, I find surfing to be a terrific mirror for how one leads their life. You can either ride on the shoulder of the wave, cruising along at a safe distance, at an easy pace, always staying ahead of the danger. You could ride behind the peak, in the wash, always [...]
1. It’s long… The State of Hawaii maybe invisible on most globes but the little bits of rock which stick up above sea level to make the islands and the reefs of the most famous surfing real estate in the world are part of a mammoth geographical feature. 132 islands, reefs and shoals stretch over [...]
The top 5 surf songs by surfers
When it comes to surfing, you either do or you don’t. There is no in between. But what is it about surfing that causes such reckless devotion to the sport? I think there are a number of reasons, and I’ll try to explain it as I see it. 1) Conditioning: Surfers know the term “surf [...]
FOR 25 years, Dr. Warren M. Patch has kept regular office hours. Mornings, the 55-year-old chiropractor sees patients from 9 to noon; afternoons, from 3 to 6. And noon to 3? “Doc Patch is gone surfing,” said Scott Harrison, 52, a computer network engineer and surfer himself, who comes to Doc for the chronic upper back [...]
I suppose they are really not secrets, but surviving the locals and big surf that the Hawaiian Islands has to offer can be quite a chore. First off I would say always use common sense when you are thinking about surfing a new surf break. If you are a beginning surfer, and you think you [...]
