We have been continuing to get the power from the westerly direction in the past week. Over night, some shorter but sufficiently high swells started to fill in from WNW. This is a sign that the breaks will get possibly mushy and cause fair to poor surfing condition. If I am not so committed to do 250 sessions this year, I would have abandoned this morning's session. In fact, usually I don't do Mondays because I also need to stop by at Montara and Gray Whale Cove on the way to pick up water samples and drop them off at the county drop off point. That usually takes an hour away from my morning.
But even on those days, some good people are ripping on the outside. So again, I was humbled.
Surfing as a Lifestyle
I was thinking of this again this morning. Why do I go to all the trouble of surfing practically every day. Am I addicted to the sport? I actually have quite a bit of trouble when someone tells me that I am addicted to surfing. Actually, contrary to what many people might believe, there are some days and mornings that I do not want to go. The weather can be sucky, wind is howling and the waves are just a mess. If I don't surf, it is not such a big deal, because I know I can go another time and another place.
What I have chosen to do though, is to make surfing as a part of every day life and discipline, a way to maintain my health from physical, mental and spiritual sides. It is great because unlike running or gym routines, which by the way, I have not participated in my life, surfing provides so much variation and there is never really a dull moment. Small reward in all of this is a rare chance to actually ride on the board. It is rare, if you compare the time you spend on getting there; no more than a minute or two per hour of session standing on the board!
Now the spiritual side of it is kicking in to this whole thing, which has really started to add yet another dimension in this. As many of you know I grew up in Japan until 18 years old, and much of the Buddhist values have been taught and ingrained in me. Through participation in surfing, I am starting realize the importance of the spiritual aspect of the life, and though many humbling experience and solitude of being in the ocean it has started to teach me a lot more about what a life is about than it would have been possible, say if I continue to ride a race motorcycle.
In Japan, as a part of the discipline of learning the Buddhism, you would go to the temple very early and reading Okyo (scripture). My dawn patrol is kind of like that, it is a time for me to discipline body and soul and at the same time, I have a space to all myself to think about "things."
So that is why I try not to miss a surfing session each day, and even if cold or whatever, I am trying to discipline myself not to be bothered by them, and try to discover something in the nature or something deep within myself through both good and poor sessions. That is why I set a goal to do 250 sessions this year. From that regards, each session ought to be given a Stoke 10.
Winter Solstice Tomorrow Tuesday!
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