Surfing is as much about passion as it is about any one emotion. Certainly, there is the love of the sport which begins as respect for the mere physical act. There is the adulation experienced when catching a nice wave and riding it successfully. Often times there is the excited burst of energy that comes from being in the ocean, much like a feeling of contented bliss. Of course there is the awe that the ocean inspires … but even though these are all real emotions associated with surfing, passion is what drives the surfer’s engine.

What else would enable a surfer to commit to the art of surfing given the challenges associated with it? In order to maintain the life of a surfer it is ever important that the passion be fueled. This devotion is due in part to the fact that surfers are plugged into a source greater than themselves, which is the ocean, but that is fodder for further exploration another time.

The Fuel for the Fire
So what is a person supposed to do when they feel the fire inside of them begin to die? There are certainly things a person can do to cultivate this passion … one of them is what you are doing now, and that is to read about the sport. It is equally important that you discuss surfing with other surfers. It is important that fellow surfers help keep the passion alive for one another through the down times, the flat spells, injuries and the times where access to the ocean is just not happening.

One of the last, and most productive things a surfer can do is to “mind surf” a wave.

Yeah, exactly like it sounds … when you are unable to get on the real deal, you can just sit back and imagine yourself dropping in. Look for the sweet spot in the photograph and picture the line you would draw. Are you hanging back and waiting for the barrel to overrun you or are you looking for a place to ride high? I suppose it does not matter much, as long as you fan that flickering flame before it sputters out completely.