Surfing Alone: A Spiritual Quest

Aloha Tribe,

Softness.

That seems to be the key to it all.

 You see, we all love the idea of finding not only a wave to ourselves, but more so, a break to ourselves, and even more than that, a whole beach to ourselves.

That's what I have in the Pacific Northwest during the late Fall, the Winter, and the early Spring. The swells, for the most part, are too large for most people, from what I've heard, too wild, too gnarly. And, the weather, to snowy, rainy, windy, and outride freezing. Yet, if one loves frozen weather with wildly abandoned winds whipping against your body, then, you'd feel right at home. As, I do.

And, since I can merely speak from my own experience, the key, as I said, seems to be in softness.

Now, what exactly do I mean by that? Well, I mean many things. For example, the more one can relax, the more your blood and bodies energy, also called Chi or Qi, can freely flow through your body, thus, interestingly enough, warming you up. As a bonus perk, such flow of energy also leads to greater flexibility, which, leads to faster muscle response, thus, greater surfing opportunities for doing what you love on your board.

In the Winter, when the winds bite your wetsuit nearly from  your body, that's yin, an ancient Chinese idea of all that is soft and dark and receptive, cold and stationary and black, oddly enough. In such times, the more one can embrace it with their full being, the more one can learn to dance with such feelings any time of the year, and, in any place, such as the nice warm tropics of the North Shore of Oahu.

Sure, you'll be highly unlikely to find a wave alone there in the Fall and Winter, let alone a whole break, or more so, an entire beach, but, one can dream. And, hey, there are always other spots like Gabon, the islands near Java and Indonesia, Vietnam, and, dare I say it, the seemingly unsurfed so far, Cambodia.

I'd LOVE to surf Cambodia. It's been a dream of mine for years. Sure, the surf might not kill, yet, just the idea of unsurfed breaks sends my heart, mind, and soul into overdrive as I pour over tour books, maps, bathymetric charts, and reports of all kinds.

Why surf alone? Well, perhaps its because of the freedom of it. For it offers the true Soul Surfer the canvas on which to paint their art.

Sure, sharing such a place with a core group of brahs couldn't be better, and, safer of course, but, daring it alone is exciting too.

There are many places I plan to surf. As I mentioned, Cambodia, Vietnam, Iraq, the Basque region of France and Spain, Germany, Switzerland - in the rivers of course, both the Arctic and the Antarctica, the Bering Straits, Malibu, Jaws, Mavericks, Grand Haven Michigan again - I miss it so, the rest of the Great Lakes - Lake Superior, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, the New England States, Scotland - oh yes Scotland - I love it so there - especially the Outer Hebrides, Ireland, England, and Siberia, to name but a few.

Will I find myself alone in these places? Perhaps, if, I chose wisely when to go. Night surfing. Summer time in some instances. During the worst of all possible swells in others. When there is Political unrest if it is possible.

I see surfing alone as a Spiritual Quest, as a time to really surf for me. It's a time to explore who I am in relation to the sea, the truly explore my journey as a Watergirl.

I would love to paddle my board, yes paddle, and surf, from Canada to Baja. Can it be done? Literally? Maybe not. But, what fun in trying. It's what, 1200 miles or so. Given 6 months, perhaps it could be done. At least, in the trying, it would be an adventure, and thus, a Spiritual Quest.

I truly love surfing with others. For I love talking story. I love being stoked for others as they surf, which is one of my favorite things to do, I get so excited for everybody. I love learning about our history, a subject I feel surfers, especially Watergirls like me, truly are obligated to thoroughly know as perfectly as possible. I love talking in Hawaiian and Hawaiian Pidgin and Surfing Language, I find all so beautiful and in talking, it so helps to have friends to talk with and share in such languages.

Yet, where I surf, there is seldom others, except during the nicest days of the Summer. It is then, that I beam in happiness. Though, when alone, I find myself.

Chi Gung, also spelled Qigong, is the secret to surfing alone. For with it, one can truly explore depths within oneself and within ones own surfing that is not possible any other way. If only others took an interest in this exotic subject, it would be such fun to share, and teach. So that others could enjoy it too. For I truly believe, that using Chi Gung, totally new boundaries within surfing performance will be reached and explored with unlimited potential. And, I find this utterly thrilling, for, such ground is ripe for exploration, virgin territory on an unmarked map, places, without even names yet.

Yes, surfing alone is indeed a Spiritual Quest. And, it truly excites me to pursue it. It is not merely the path least taken, it is, off the path, bushwacking the wilds of our surfing frontier. And, what could be more sick than that?

Bodaciously Stoked,

Lily of the Valley