Having read some of the recent Blog posts of my fellow stoke-mates down in SOCAL, I am left with a question that I myself have wondered about for some time now: Do we "experienced" surfers become more and more jaded, or selfish, with the sharing of stoke as we become more adapt at seeking it?
I can remember that it took me about 2 years before I even thought of surfing a well-known NORCAL point-break, as I remained too intimidated to venture into the more arduous and crowded area. I guess I enjoyed the lame, but uncrowded re-forms of the beach break more than the spotlight of a performance driven, but easily accessed wave.
Additionally, you could say that my actions allowed me a non-embarrassing environment within which to hone my skills, to better prepare myself for that day upon which I would commit to charging into the more demanding NORCAL waves with no concern for my abilities, having already perfected my wipeout. ;-p
In fact, I have learned a lot about surfing since then, and know that I still have a lot more to learn. However, I too find it difficult to adjust to the notion of trying to surf within the crowded, and many a time, uneducated line-ups that can dominate the summer surf.
In fact, I have experienced first-hand the problematic situation within the SOCAL summer surf, having lived in the area while attending UCLA. Moreover, surfing in SOCAL taught me how to safely surf within a crowded line-up, while creating within me a more appreciative and desperate need for uncrowded surf that would help connect me to the gift of a great session filled with uninhibited stoke and uncrowded waves.
Therefore, today, as I return to my favorite NORCAL breaks from my year-long exile, I'm still focused on trying to find that lonely peak...an A-frame of clean glass and easy moving beauty against a soft, mellow off-shore breeze, that finds me first in and on it before anyone else, though most of the time it's not that perfect, or uncrowded.
Apparently, I've become so accustomed to seeking the solace of alone time in the surf, that I will go out of my way to paddle out earlier and further away from anyone else within the area, as this is the realm within which I find the peace and stoke that I seek.
And thus I must ask myself this...Are my actions a sign of greediness, a product my own selfish emotions that have no place within the line-up, and should not be apart of the stoke that is bestowed within the watery realm?
Moreover, should I learn to share the waves with a community of like-minded and supportive surf enthusiasts within whom the very act of celebrating stoke is communal, not singular?
Yet, I'm a realist, because I know that there will always be a problem with over-crowded breaks filled with the kookiness of those that do not yet understand the complexity and uniqueness of surfing. But then again, I guess it has something that we all want in our lives: FUN in the sun....and Fun can be VERY addictive...I aught to know, having limited my own access to it for the past year! :-)
I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to get away from people. It's easy to forget that surfing is a competitive sport. On a good day here in L.A. we might see 20 waves in an hour. If there are twenty guys out and no one drops in and everyone shares, well, that's one wave per guy per hour.
ReplyDeleteThat's awful!
I think this breeds an aggressive attitude where people have to scratch, battle and intimidate our way into waves. I really hate that.
Like you, I am happiest when I find a little waist to chest high peak where I can just lay it down. It's not about being anti-social, it's more about getting some much-needed peace of mind and stoke.
PS: Even better than having a peak to myself is enjoying that peak with some friends. Nothing beats dropping in on one another, hurling insults, laughing and making fun of one another when a buddy stacks.
ReplyDeleteYeah...I can sympathize wit ya Christian, having done my 'BU and BCB time. That's why I enjoy the harsh waters of NORCAL...no spring suits here! Helps keep the crowd to a minimum, though it is beginning to get crowded.
ReplyDeleteI completely concur about surfing with yer mates...that's the one time in which you'll excuse idiocy in the surf! :-)
In the crowd, we all need to be more patient and good natured. Shit happens. We need to be more cautious and/or skilled to keep shit from happening.
ReplyDeleteI'm three years into this obsession. Gaining skill, but also still a danger to myself and others. When I look over and see someone on my wave--whether I've dropped in on them accidentally, or they dropped in on me, or we're really just sharing a wave--I usually f up.
So I guess it's about sharing the break and giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.
Not many people are prepared to do that.
I love my winter dawn patrol. 0600-0630, before the surf class from the local middle school gets onto it. That's where I got my first real wave, where I figured things out the hard way and where I meditate the best.
I just wish it didn't interfere with two of my other loves -- staying up late and sleeping in.