Aloha Tribe,
Well, here it is, New Years Eve between 2010 and 2011. I just got done watching the awesome surfer movie Surfer, Dude staring Matthew McConaughey.
I utterly loved it!!!
As a Soul Surfer, the movie way so made sense to me. I could so relate to his way of seeing life. Wow, I wish I had known he was making the film, I'd have given anything to be a part of it in way, especially in writing and surfing for I so love both.
Now, the movie seems to have confused most film critics and almost all who don't surf who see it. Well, hey, that's there problem. The film was totally bodacious. It was about soul, through and through. And, if you're a surfer and you don't see that in the film, then, you need to take some steps back and think about why you surf. Go back in time and remember when you were a kook and a grom, remember when you started. And, find that lost surfer within yourself. All you need do, is to remember and feel again, your first time. Your first time for everything. Surfing, your first wave, screwing, weed, really getting it, hanging with brahs in slightly illegal activities, all those firsts. And, then, embrace that moment as you travel through time in your life to those days, however brief they may have been, when you too were a Soul Surfer, for, all of us were there, and, within each of us, we still are there.
The movie is not a "surfing," movie per say, with tons of surfing, but it is more than that, it is deeper than that, for it is truly a movie about surfers. And with that, what it really means to be a Soul Surfer.
I'd love to say to Matthew, "thank you!!!" And, I mean that genuinely and purely from my heart, for the film truly touched my soul. Twirls and spins of great joy.
I recommend you all buy a copy and watch it. And sure, it's not about radical thrashing, but who cares. It's about something important, something that so many of us out in the water have lost, it's a movie about what surfing really is about. The ride. The stoke. The waves. Love. Weed. And Brahs.
In presenting Soul Surfers, the movie got it right. Matthew had one board, and, one awesome set of stripped boardies (or as they'd simply call them on the North Shore, shorts). It's funny how we've named jams (originally named from pajamas, by the way), boardies, and baggies, and now, we simply call them shorts. The thing is, for the legends out there, one used to have just one pair back in the day, and, you wore them until they fell off from falling apart. They were so individual, you could tell a brah from his shorts. Just as you could tell him from his board. And, his style. That's when Soul Surfing was Soul Surfing, and, this movie captures that so awesomely. Sure, there's surfers out there who might not like the movie because they'll say it doesn't have enough surfing, or, perhaps even that the surfiing doesn't match their current modern aerial thrashing style, but, if that's how you feel, then you so don't get what Soul is all about. And this movie has it. The movie has the single board, the single pair of shorts, the Surfish Language, the bounding of surf brahs, in fact, the movie was even made that way, that is, Matthew got a bunch of his long-time friends together, brahs he'd know for a lifetime, and they made the movie. Just like the Old-School surf movies were really done. So, bottom line, I say this movie is so much deeper than almost everybody seems to get. And in that, lies its magic. For, truly, those who need it, at the time they see it, in the way they see it, will find this movie, and more so, they'll get it.
I'm so glad this is how I spent my New Years Eve, because watching the movie inspired me to look at my surfing with fresh eyes, to feel my rides even as I write these words. I feel as passionate about the surf this very second as I ever have, and, I have Surer, Dude movie to thank for it. So, Matthew, with full passion, "thank you!!!"
I wish with all of my heart that your movie had made you millions. But, you know, it's done something more, for it has offered Soul Surfing with fresh stoke to all who watch it and understand what it's really all about. And one can't help but smile with genuine sparkling eyes at that!!!
Oh, and, speaking as a girl who's studied Chi Gung since the age of 5, and, is a Surf Shaman able to call waves, I loved the scenes of Matthew's character fasting, making his bonfire, sacrificing his board, and dancing, all to call the swells. For, all of that has been done by surfers, and is still being done by Soul Surfers, and more so, when you really know how to do it, that stuff really works. In fact, it actually would be fun to share how it works if anybody is interested. It could be explained in Surfish terms, Shamanistically, and, most easily with Chi Gung for the words are there. The point is, they got it right when they made the film. We, as members of the Tribe, through us all being surfers, have our own culture, our own language, our own gods, our own rituals, and, this movie touched upon these so beautifully. This movie is deep, brahs, and, it so truly can bring you back to the very core of Soul Surfing.
Here's what you do. Get your brahs together, and, it's NEW YEARS DAY today so go surf. It's a moral imperative!!! And then, tonight, gather up some beer and weed and one grinds (I'm grilling venison and fish tacos for all who happen by, so, come, all are welcome, simply come to the wilds), all your brahs, and some beach bunnies, and find a place to hang, watch the movie, and let go. We as surfers can change the world brahs, like we once did before. Surfing needs us. The world needs us. It's time to go back to the days of the Soul Surfer, to unite as a Tribe again, to stop our silly local beefs and embrace one another, just like in the movie, for that too was shown (with a breakfast burrito). Let the world fuck itself in this new year and as for all of us, lets go back to screwing at the beach, covered in sand and surf wax.
God I loved this movie. Now, I gotta go surf!!! I'm so excited about the New Year coming, 2011 is going to be utterly and way totally bodacious, and you know something, for me at least, it all began, right here, right now, tonight, watching Matthew's movie.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
The 12 Days (14) of Christmas Surfing for Style
Aloha Tribe,
Well, today is the 1st Day of Christmas. If you've been able to follow along, hopefully you were able to surf on Christmas Eve (yes, at night, at Midnight, under the Full Moon - with a Lunar Eclipse, I might add), Christmas Morning (at the very least on Christmas Day), and, now, today and for the next 11 more Days, leading to a total of 14 Days of Christmas Surfing during the "12 Days" of Christmas. As most know, Christmas Day counts as Day 0, yesterday was Day 1, which makes today, Monday, Day 2.
The idea, is to pick something that, to you, is important to work on, a great thing, especially at this time of year, is, Style.
You see, the Holiday Season, regardless of ones faith or religion or anything of the sort, is a great time to focus one personal growth, and, as surfers and members of The Tribe, we all would naturally, by our very love of the sea, gravitate towards honing our surfing, for, what else is there, eh brahs?
And, what could be an overall greater sense of surfing sense, than, Style.
Thus, I'm focusing each day of the 12 Days of Christmas, all 14 of them, on working on making my Style softer, more graceful, smoother, more relaxed, more feminine (you boys don't have to focus on this one of course, unless, you are truly comfortable with your sexual identity, naturally - in which case I say, "go for it" for it truly would greater mellow out your surfing), more flowing, more mellow, more hippy girl (yes, I hug waves, sing to sea turtles, dance with dolphins, and genuinely smile with twinkling eyes at all fishes - yes, even those big fish we tend to not really want to think about), and, in a single word, more beautiful.
To do this, I'm doing a number of things in my training, which include, more or less all of the balance type training I've been doing for quite some time now, but with the added focus and attention to making every subtle body shift as smooth, natural, flowing, and beautiful as possible. In this way, as my dynamic balance adjusts while surfing, it offers me total control of each and every fraction of a mm of movement and fraction of a second of time. This type of training teaches you to "slow time," by actually allowing you and forcing you to think quicker, much much quicker, up to a rate of about 1/25 of a second as far as reaction time goes. Technically, you'll learn to move, think, and sense even faster than that for you can train yourself to work within that 1/25th of a second as a form of performance art, allowing creative expression of each moment. This, of course, offers then all kinds of potential and artistic experimentation on the waves, in ways you've not ever thought of before.
The key to this focus of Surfing Style for lightning fast movements with seemingly time stopping awareness, is, slowness. Extreme slowness in your training. Which involves truly feeling and sensing each and every fiber of your muscles as they pull and relax with your movements. For those who love this kind of experimentation, what you are learning here, is, Chi Gung Surfing Style, for, in such a time stopping sense of awareness and focus, you can then go deeper, much much much deeper, to the inner level of your bodies energy flow. And that, brahs, is where the real fun begins!!! For, it is the first step.
Many, of course, most actually, even with a lifetime of surfing, will never reach this lowest or first step, but, for those in-the-know, namely, those who hope for and dream of such surfing mastery, such a quest could be not followed, for it draws and sings to the soul of the Vagabond Feral Surfer with such intensity, that it can't be ignored. Hmm, hopefully there wasn't too many double negatives there for that to make sense, goodness. Bottom line, the more you do it, the more you do it, and, the more you have to do it.
Eh brahs, even if you've not been doing this kind of surfing for the last 4 days (including today), there's no reason to not start right now!!! And, if you can't surf every day, hey, that's cool, surf as much as you can. And, when you're beached, simply work on your Style in the sand, in your yard, in a park, or in your home. Wherevers brahs.
I just got off a several hour slackline session, where I focused on my Pop Ups and my Style for Dropping Down the Face before the Bottom Turn, while on the slackline, Pretty way awesomely bodacious fun that!!! You all so must try it. Get a slackline, or, a rope, or, even as the Father of Bouldering John Gill taught me, use a chain, and, suspend it between two supports like trees, boulders, your car and maybe a trained elephant (naturally, it would be a tamed one that loves playing in this kind of way) or whatevers, and try it. Working the chain is way Old-School when it comes to slacklining, incidentally, and it was John Gill who developed it about 20 years before modern slacklining was invented with the mountain climbing webbing that we all use today. Slacklines, by the way, are great ways to train because they offer dynamic motion which presents you with a myriad of opportunites for play and experimentation. And, if you want something even tougher, try soft roping also called loose roping on a loosely hung rope, now that's real fun brahs!!! Slacklines, by the way, are typically tensioned so they are level with the ground prior to you stepping on them, whereas a loose rope is suspended like the letter U, only not as dramatically, of course, and more stretched out a bit, depending upon your anchor points, naturally, you could, if you like think of it as looking like a super bodaciously aweome smile, which, is how I love to see my loose rope. I'm into smiles I guess. It comes from truly living and dancing in-the-moment, each and every second of life - which, for me, came about because of my several near-death accidents at various times in my life. Whatevers. Smile at the world, it's a lot more fun. And, you know, it'll make your surfing much better too!!!
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Well, today is the 1st Day of Christmas. If you've been able to follow along, hopefully you were able to surf on Christmas Eve (yes, at night, at Midnight, under the Full Moon - with a Lunar Eclipse, I might add), Christmas Morning (at the very least on Christmas Day), and, now, today and for the next 11 more Days, leading to a total of 14 Days of Christmas Surfing during the "12 Days" of Christmas. As most know, Christmas Day counts as Day 0, yesterday was Day 1, which makes today, Monday, Day 2.
The idea, is to pick something that, to you, is important to work on, a great thing, especially at this time of year, is, Style.
You see, the Holiday Season, regardless of ones faith or religion or anything of the sort, is a great time to focus one personal growth, and, as surfers and members of The Tribe, we all would naturally, by our very love of the sea, gravitate towards honing our surfing, for, what else is there, eh brahs?
And, what could be an overall greater sense of surfing sense, than, Style.
Thus, I'm focusing each day of the 12 Days of Christmas, all 14 of them, on working on making my Style softer, more graceful, smoother, more relaxed, more feminine (you boys don't have to focus on this one of course, unless, you are truly comfortable with your sexual identity, naturally - in which case I say, "go for it" for it truly would greater mellow out your surfing), more flowing, more mellow, more hippy girl (yes, I hug waves, sing to sea turtles, dance with dolphins, and genuinely smile with twinkling eyes at all fishes - yes, even those big fish we tend to not really want to think about), and, in a single word, more beautiful.
To do this, I'm doing a number of things in my training, which include, more or less all of the balance type training I've been doing for quite some time now, but with the added focus and attention to making every subtle body shift as smooth, natural, flowing, and beautiful as possible. In this way, as my dynamic balance adjusts while surfing, it offers me total control of each and every fraction of a mm of movement and fraction of a second of time. This type of training teaches you to "slow time," by actually allowing you and forcing you to think quicker, much much quicker, up to a rate of about 1/25 of a second as far as reaction time goes. Technically, you'll learn to move, think, and sense even faster than that for you can train yourself to work within that 1/25th of a second as a form of performance art, allowing creative expression of each moment. This, of course, offers then all kinds of potential and artistic experimentation on the waves, in ways you've not ever thought of before.
The key to this focus of Surfing Style for lightning fast movements with seemingly time stopping awareness, is, slowness. Extreme slowness in your training. Which involves truly feeling and sensing each and every fiber of your muscles as they pull and relax with your movements. For those who love this kind of experimentation, what you are learning here, is, Chi Gung Surfing Style, for, in such a time stopping sense of awareness and focus, you can then go deeper, much much much deeper, to the inner level of your bodies energy flow. And that, brahs, is where the real fun begins!!! For, it is the first step.
Many, of course, most actually, even with a lifetime of surfing, will never reach this lowest or first step, but, for those in-the-know, namely, those who hope for and dream of such surfing mastery, such a quest could be not followed, for it draws and sings to the soul of the Vagabond Feral Surfer with such intensity, that it can't be ignored. Hmm, hopefully there wasn't too many double negatives there for that to make sense, goodness. Bottom line, the more you do it, the more you do it, and, the more you have to do it.
Eh brahs, even if you've not been doing this kind of surfing for the last 4 days (including today), there's no reason to not start right now!!! And, if you can't surf every day, hey, that's cool, surf as much as you can. And, when you're beached, simply work on your Style in the sand, in your yard, in a park, or in your home. Wherevers brahs.
I just got off a several hour slackline session, where I focused on my Pop Ups and my Style for Dropping Down the Face before the Bottom Turn, while on the slackline, Pretty way awesomely bodacious fun that!!! You all so must try it. Get a slackline, or, a rope, or, even as the Father of Bouldering John Gill taught me, use a chain, and, suspend it between two supports like trees, boulders, your car and maybe a trained elephant (naturally, it would be a tamed one that loves playing in this kind of way) or whatevers, and try it. Working the chain is way Old-School when it comes to slacklining, incidentally, and it was John Gill who developed it about 20 years before modern slacklining was invented with the mountain climbing webbing that we all use today. Slacklines, by the way, are great ways to train because they offer dynamic motion which presents you with a myriad of opportunites for play and experimentation. And, if you want something even tougher, try soft roping also called loose roping on a loosely hung rope, now that's real fun brahs!!! Slacklines, by the way, are typically tensioned so they are level with the ground prior to you stepping on them, whereas a loose rope is suspended like the letter U, only not as dramatically, of course, and more stretched out a bit, depending upon your anchor points, naturally, you could, if you like think of it as looking like a super bodaciously aweome smile, which, is how I love to see my loose rope. I'm into smiles I guess. It comes from truly living and dancing in-the-moment, each and every second of life - which, for me, came about because of my several near-death accidents at various times in my life. Whatevers. Smile at the world, it's a lot more fun. And, you know, it'll make your surfing much better too!!!
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas!!! GO SURFING!!!!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TRIBE,
Now, go Surf!!!
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Now, go Surf!!!
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Happy Winter Solistice!!!
Aloha Tribe Happy Winter Solstice!!!
Today is the Winter Solstice, a truly magical time of year, in fact, one the most magical and beautiful. So, grab a fish taco for breakfast along the way, head to the beach, wax up your board, and, go surf!!! And let the rest of the world watch, dream, and wonder, but for us, it is a day to live!!! Here, now, this day, for this is the day we have!!!
And tonight, after a day of crazy surfing the wild freezing waters, it'll be time for a true Scottish celebration!!! No matter where you are in the world, all join in. And hey, just eat your local food, all's ono so no worries!!!
As for me and all who find me secret location today, it's loads of Haggis. Neeps. Tatties. Baked Beans. Fish Tacos (of course, it's a moral imperative), Steamed Green Peas, Eggnog Pound Cake with chocolate ice cream and chocolate Sauce, and, all the best Single Malt Scotch you can drink!!!
Come one, come all, it's a Scotthish bash on the loneliest beach on the Scottish North Atlantic. Just look for the "crazy" girl out surfing without a wet suit (it's a Winter Solstice sign of good faith and hope for the coming year as a way of celebrating the beauty of the rising Sun this morning). A quick dip and surf in the frigid waters, then, a copious cup of hot hot hot extremely strong black coffee, then, toss on the wetsuit, jump on your feral vagabond longboard again (or shortboard if that is your nature), and spend the day surfing. Tonight, the feast, dancing, wild fires on the shore, midnight trek through the Highlands to dance some more beneath the stars, and the a hike back for the Full Moon Winter Solstice Loneliest Surf on the Planet Quest!!!
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Today is the Winter Solstice, a truly magical time of year, in fact, one the most magical and beautiful. So, grab a fish taco for breakfast along the way, head to the beach, wax up your board, and, go surf!!! And let the rest of the world watch, dream, and wonder, but for us, it is a day to live!!! Here, now, this day, for this is the day we have!!!
And tonight, after a day of crazy surfing the wild freezing waters, it'll be time for a true Scottish celebration!!! No matter where you are in the world, all join in. And hey, just eat your local food, all's ono so no worries!!!
As for me and all who find me secret location today, it's loads of Haggis. Neeps. Tatties. Baked Beans. Fish Tacos (of course, it's a moral imperative), Steamed Green Peas, Eggnog Pound Cake with chocolate ice cream and chocolate Sauce, and, all the best Single Malt Scotch you can drink!!!
Come one, come all, it's a Scotthish bash on the loneliest beach on the Scottish North Atlantic. Just look for the "crazy" girl out surfing without a wet suit (it's a Winter Solstice sign of good faith and hope for the coming year as a way of celebrating the beauty of the rising Sun this morning). A quick dip and surf in the frigid waters, then, a copious cup of hot hot hot extremely strong black coffee, then, toss on the wetsuit, jump on your feral vagabond longboard again (or shortboard if that is your nature), and spend the day surfing. Tonight, the feast, dancing, wild fires on the shore, midnight trek through the Highlands to dance some more beneath the stars, and the a hike back for the Full Moon Winter Solstice Loneliest Surf on the Planet Quest!!!
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Surfer's Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day Ono Grinds from the Wilds
Aloha Tribe,
So, I've worked out my Vietnamese/French Bamboo Circus Styled Christmas Eve surfer's meal. Golly I wish and hope some if not all of you will be around. Head to the wildest places on the planet, and, you'll find me there. Come, pull up your board, have a seat, and, feast on some awesome grinds, yah? All are welcome. Oh, by the way, the inner lining of a military poncho makes the perfect surfer's blanket, according to my surfing and watergirl mentor Darrick Doerner (DD) for Winter Surfing.
CHRISTMAS EVE SURFER'S MEAL:
Fish Tacos - as a member of the Tribe, one must always have plenty of fish tacos on hand!!!
Pork and Shrimp Bonh Mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) - with fish sauce
Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) - with fish sauce
Christmas Eve Pear Tart
Chili Lime Dipping Sauce - with fish sauce
Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce - with fish sauce
White Long Grain Rice - with fish sauce
Hot Cocoa
CHRISTMAS DAY SURFER'S MEAL
Fish Tacos - Yummy :)
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Vietnamese Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce
Vietnames Chili Lime Dipping Sauce
Vietnamese White Long Grain Rice
Vietnamese Catfish in a Clay Pot
Vietnamese Winter Squash with Coconut Milk
French Stuffed Rabbit
French Ratatouille
French Classic Creme Brulee
Hot Chocolate
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
So, I've worked out my Vietnamese/French Bamboo Circus Styled Christmas Eve surfer's meal. Golly I wish and hope some if not all of you will be around. Head to the wildest places on the planet, and, you'll find me there. Come, pull up your board, have a seat, and, feast on some awesome grinds, yah? All are welcome. Oh, by the way, the inner lining of a military poncho makes the perfect surfer's blanket, according to my surfing and watergirl mentor Darrick Doerner (DD) for Winter Surfing.
CHRISTMAS EVE SURFER'S MEAL:
Fish Tacos - as a member of the Tribe, one must always have plenty of fish tacos on hand!!!
Pork and Shrimp Bonh Mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) - with fish sauce
Pho (Vietnamese beef noodle soup) - with fish sauce
Christmas Eve Pear Tart
Chili Lime Dipping Sauce - with fish sauce
Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce - with fish sauce
White Long Grain Rice - with fish sauce
Hot Cocoa
CHRISTMAS DAY SURFER'S MEAL
Fish Tacos - Yummy :)
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Vietnamese Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce
Vietnames Chili Lime Dipping Sauce
Vietnamese White Long Grain Rice
Vietnamese Catfish in a Clay Pot
Vietnamese Winter Squash with Coconut Milk
French Stuffed Rabbit
French Ratatouille
French Classic Creme Brulee
Hot Chocolate
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Surfer's Solstice Solitude Session
Aloha Tribe,
What could be more of a Winter Solstice Surfing Solitude Session than surfing or, if you can't at least celebrating the wilds of the wilds in Northern Scotland, out in the wind beaten Outer Hebrides where only the brave dare surf alone by eating after your frigid days icy North Atlantic thrashing by grinding Haggis, Neeps and Tatties. Totally ono, eh brahs?
As for breakfast, post - Dawn Patrol: one staves off freezing to death with pounds of rashers, mushrooms, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, black pudding, white pudding, haggis, juice, cereal (oatmeal or if you're a real Scott, rough cut boiled barley, all gulped down with copious quantities of fresh icy cold milk.
Winter Solstice, a mystical magical time of the year for surfing, especially midnight surfing. This year, it'll be particularly bodacious because of the full moon at Winter Solstice.
So, wax up your stealth boards, pack a hamper loaded to the gills with hearty food, and set off for the surf of a lifetime in the wild of wilds.
Surfing with herds of hords is great fun, I'll be the first to shout that from the top of a party wave, but, at a time like the pure creative waves offered only at this time of year, when all the seas creatures rise to the surface of the surfing swells, to sing and dance and play in the moonlight with any surfer bold enough to sit alone at midnight, under a full moon, on the most magical, mysterious, beautiful night of the year.
If any of you want the surf of a lifetime, where you can truly find out who you are, and why you surf, and what the secret of surfing is truly all about, the mysteries of the sea, the songs that call us to dance upon the water, well, then you way so must seek the wilds where ever you are.
On a night like this, you are not seeking the normal breaks you typically surf day in and day out, for you don't want the crowds, nor, quite frankly, the familiarity. You want someplace new to you, someplace where you can stetch your legs on your surfboard, let your hair down, and toss your string bikini or boardies to the sea, and surf, if even only for one wave, in your purest form of physical expression. Just you, your board, and the water. Sure, even where I surf the wilds, the water will bite deep with frigid temperatures, but no matter, Surfer Up (the surfers version of cowboy up) and do it. It's exhilerating, wildly fun, and, a true treat for all of your normally domesticated senses. Cut free your harness and reins of life and surf with total abandon.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
What could be more of a Winter Solstice Surfing Solitude Session than surfing or, if you can't at least celebrating the wilds of the wilds in Northern Scotland, out in the wind beaten Outer Hebrides where only the brave dare surf alone by eating after your frigid days icy North Atlantic thrashing by grinding Haggis, Neeps and Tatties. Totally ono, eh brahs?
As for breakfast, post - Dawn Patrol: one staves off freezing to death with pounds of rashers, mushrooms, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, black pudding, white pudding, haggis, juice, cereal (oatmeal or if you're a real Scott, rough cut boiled barley, all gulped down with copious quantities of fresh icy cold milk.
Winter Solstice, a mystical magical time of the year for surfing, especially midnight surfing. This year, it'll be particularly bodacious because of the full moon at Winter Solstice.
So, wax up your stealth boards, pack a hamper loaded to the gills with hearty food, and set off for the surf of a lifetime in the wild of wilds.
Surfing with herds of hords is great fun, I'll be the first to shout that from the top of a party wave, but, at a time like the pure creative waves offered only at this time of year, when all the seas creatures rise to the surface of the surfing swells, to sing and dance and play in the moonlight with any surfer bold enough to sit alone at midnight, under a full moon, on the most magical, mysterious, beautiful night of the year.
If any of you want the surf of a lifetime, where you can truly find out who you are, and why you surf, and what the secret of surfing is truly all about, the mysteries of the sea, the songs that call us to dance upon the water, well, then you way so must seek the wilds where ever you are.
On a night like this, you are not seeking the normal breaks you typically surf day in and day out, for you don't want the crowds, nor, quite frankly, the familiarity. You want someplace new to you, someplace where you can stetch your legs on your surfboard, let your hair down, and toss your string bikini or boardies to the sea, and surf, if even only for one wave, in your purest form of physical expression. Just you, your board, and the water. Sure, even where I surf the wilds, the water will bite deep with frigid temperatures, but no matter, Surfer Up (the surfers version of cowboy up) and do it. It's exhilerating, wildly fun, and, a true treat for all of your normally domesticated senses. Cut free your harness and reins of life and surf with total abandon.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Monday, December 6, 2010
A Surfer's Christmas
Aloha Tribe,
Christmas is on it's way soon, in just 20 days or so, which gives me about 3 more weeks before I celebrate getting my Robert August Wingnut longboard last year. It's been an interesting year. My goal was to go from Kahuna Tuna or rank beginner, to big wave rider, in, one year. I have three more weeks about.
It's been a challenge at times, tearing my mensicus like I did, and I'm still sitting here with that, but, well, three weeks is three weeks. So, sometime in the next three weeks I'll get into the perfect wave. I had a shot at that 47 footer back about 6 weeks ago, but that's when fate stepped in that day, making me lose several weeks. But, such is life. In the meantime, my Pidgin and Surfish got to improve quite a bit, so that's a cool thing, and, I got a lot of time to work on trying to develope the perfect Watergirl body, a feat, never possible, of course, but fun anyways.
As most of the Tribe know, Christmas morning is made for, what else, Dawn Patrol surfing. And, Santa, of course. My two favorite S words.
My meal this year for Christmas is based on the theme of a French/Vietnam country vagabond circus. The reason for this, is the tightwire I might be getting from Santa, if I'm good enough. The tightwire, of course, is to be used to help my surfing get wired tight.
So, I'm not fully sure yet what the exact meal will consist of, but it will be a combination of both French foods and Vietnam foods, both, country style.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Christmas is on it's way soon, in just 20 days or so, which gives me about 3 more weeks before I celebrate getting my Robert August Wingnut longboard last year. It's been an interesting year. My goal was to go from Kahuna Tuna or rank beginner, to big wave rider, in, one year. I have three more weeks about.
It's been a challenge at times, tearing my mensicus like I did, and I'm still sitting here with that, but, well, three weeks is three weeks. So, sometime in the next three weeks I'll get into the perfect wave. I had a shot at that 47 footer back about 6 weeks ago, but that's when fate stepped in that day, making me lose several weeks. But, such is life. In the meantime, my Pidgin and Surfish got to improve quite a bit, so that's a cool thing, and, I got a lot of time to work on trying to develope the perfect Watergirl body, a feat, never possible, of course, but fun anyways.
As most of the Tribe know, Christmas morning is made for, what else, Dawn Patrol surfing. And, Santa, of course. My two favorite S words.
My meal this year for Christmas is based on the theme of a French/Vietnam country vagabond circus. The reason for this, is the tightwire I might be getting from Santa, if I'm good enough. The tightwire, of course, is to be used to help my surfing get wired tight.
So, I'm not fully sure yet what the exact meal will consist of, but it will be a combination of both French foods and Vietnam foods, both, country style.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Slacklining Helps You Think Faster: Wanna Surf Well - Think Fast.
Aloha Tribe,
Some of you may by now be getting into slacklining and bringing it to your surfing experience. If so, awesome. You see, by tightrope walking, tightwire walking, slacklining, slack rope walking, and loose rope walking, you are increasing the speed with which you can sense what is happening to your body, specifically, as it relates to balance.
This is extremely important to the surfer because in order to surf great, you need to be able to sense what is happening with your balance very quickly. The thing is, with surfing, it's not uncommon to have as much as 20 minutes or more between rides. Personally, I love the way Darrick Doerner is training me, the second my ride ends, DD has me paddle out of the path of other surfers as fast as I can by heading to the side of where everyone is surfing. Then, as soon as I am out of the way, I paddle my fastest to catch the next wave. Now granted, the reason this worked for us was because there was not a traditional lineup with lots of surfers waiting their turn, thus, there was no reason not to hustle. As such, one can catch a lot of rides. The most I got, in roughly an hour and a half or so session, was 25 rides. While I would have loved that to be even higher, at least it was roughly a ride every 8 minutes or so. In some places, like Sunset Beach on the North Shore, sometimes, one was lucky to get 3 or 4 rides for the day.
And, since a ride typically doesn't last that long, maybe an average of 8 to 10 seconds, that's not a whole lot of training time. On the other hand, on a slackline or similar rope, if you fall off, you simply step right back on. Thus, you can get a lot of balance training in, compared to surfing. This extreme amount of balance training leads to greater balance awareness, which, yields quicker balance thinking.
Here's how it works. When you're on a tightrope, it takes extreme concentration to not fall. And as such, you learn to eventually sense extremely small shifts in your balance, the more you do it. The sooner you can determine if your balance is shifting out of whack, the easier and smoother it is to maintain balance.
The thing is, what you really need to do is to learn to train yourself to perform the best that you can. If you simply walk a line or surf for that matter, mindlessly, even with years of experience, you really won't progess far. On the other hand, if you think about what you're doing, train specific exercises to help you, work on the worst things you do first until you become good at it, then work on the next worse thing, in no time at all you'll find your skills exploding.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Some of you may by now be getting into slacklining and bringing it to your surfing experience. If so, awesome. You see, by tightrope walking, tightwire walking, slacklining, slack rope walking, and loose rope walking, you are increasing the speed with which you can sense what is happening to your body, specifically, as it relates to balance.
This is extremely important to the surfer because in order to surf great, you need to be able to sense what is happening with your balance very quickly. The thing is, with surfing, it's not uncommon to have as much as 20 minutes or more between rides. Personally, I love the way Darrick Doerner is training me, the second my ride ends, DD has me paddle out of the path of other surfers as fast as I can by heading to the side of where everyone is surfing. Then, as soon as I am out of the way, I paddle my fastest to catch the next wave. Now granted, the reason this worked for us was because there was not a traditional lineup with lots of surfers waiting their turn, thus, there was no reason not to hustle. As such, one can catch a lot of rides. The most I got, in roughly an hour and a half or so session, was 25 rides. While I would have loved that to be even higher, at least it was roughly a ride every 8 minutes or so. In some places, like Sunset Beach on the North Shore, sometimes, one was lucky to get 3 or 4 rides for the day.
And, since a ride typically doesn't last that long, maybe an average of 8 to 10 seconds, that's not a whole lot of training time. On the other hand, on a slackline or similar rope, if you fall off, you simply step right back on. Thus, you can get a lot of balance training in, compared to surfing. This extreme amount of balance training leads to greater balance awareness, which, yields quicker balance thinking.
Here's how it works. When you're on a tightrope, it takes extreme concentration to not fall. And as such, you learn to eventually sense extremely small shifts in your balance, the more you do it. The sooner you can determine if your balance is shifting out of whack, the easier and smoother it is to maintain balance.
The thing is, what you really need to do is to learn to train yourself to perform the best that you can. If you simply walk a line or surf for that matter, mindlessly, even with years of experience, you really won't progess far. On the other hand, if you think about what you're doing, train specific exercises to help you, work on the worst things you do first until you become good at it, then work on the next worse thing, in no time at all you'll find your skills exploding.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Friday, December 3, 2010
Mysto Surfing the Wilds
Aloha Tribe,
Now, as you all know, I just love surfing culture and that includes hanging and Talking Story, whether perhaps briefly in the Line-Up or after a session at greater length.
Yet, in the Wilds, I typically surf alone. Mainly, because, generally, at least in the Fall, Winter, and early Spring, there are so few if any surfers around on the frozen beach, let alone in the sea. And so, while I am drawn to sharing and hanging and being part of the group, due to where I surf, and, how I surf, I've grown up a bit of a Mysto Surfer.
A Mysto, by definition, is a Loner. More so, even the way they surf, that is, how, the whys, where, and what, remains sort of mysterious, unusual, and, well, exotic.
The thing that makes me a Mysto, besides so few wanting to be in 20 plus foot icy cold wildly churning Closed Out by all definition swells, is how and why I surf, namely, my Chi Gung.
For most of us, surfing is simply fun. We love the ride. The stoke. The feel of walking or standing on water. Yet, with what I do, there is so much more to it than that, for, I tear such concepts apart, searching into the bowels of them, exploring and adventuring into the darkest secret places, for the Chi.
Chi is a Chinese concept, and it refers to energy. It is the energy that is within us, and, around us, just like the Force in the Star Wars movies. Only, instead of being a movie, it's for-real stuff.
Now, I don't just surf "for," the the fun feeling of Chi, but more so, for what I can do with it in helping and healing others, especially surfers. For, once one learns it, Chi Gung offers ways to learn of the ocean, such as knowing when the swells will come, and where, as well as how big. You'll sense where exactly a wave will break and what it will be like before it happens. You'll be able to sense sea creatures and sea plants of all types, knowing them by their Chi patterns, as well as, in a sense, being able to communicate with them. On a more social scale, you'll be able to heal yourself of injury, and, to heal others, of cuts and sprains, broken bones and torn ligaments as well as of many diseases. So, I see such gifts from the art as ways to give back to The Tribe. Even if, where I surf, for the most part, the Tribe generally isn't there, at least at that time, for I am drawn to the wildest of seas, the coldest of climates, the most whipping rains and icy snows one can experience.
Now sure, I do love the North Shoe. For, what is not to love about Oahu. And, I go to Hawaii whenever I can, but, have yet to move there. I suppose, in the near future, I will make the leap, but for now, it's the Wilds that holds me, draws me, shapes me, teaches me, of her secrets and ways of surfing her wild seas.
When I surf, I'm not out to surf every single wave, frantically dropping down anything and everything coming my way, instead, I wait for the right wave. And, the right wave does not necessarily mean the biggest or steepest or most dangerous, it simply means, the right one, at that time. The one that calls to me.
In Hawaii, on the North Shore, I listened to the beautiful sea turtles. As odd as it sounds, they would show me exactly where the next wave was going to break, the wave they wanted me to catch, and, I'd paddle over to where they broke surface and made eye contact with me, sending their Chi to me, and, I , to them. And it was a magical feeling moment, a form of communication, a mental telepathy between girl and animal, that most would probably think is not even possible, yet, there it was, and, every time, the sea turtles were exactly right, for they had broke surface exactly, precisely, at the best spot on any particular wave prior to it coming. From this, I learned to sense the waves, to feel them, to know what felt right and what feeling right felt like.
Along this line, I learned to call the waves. Out of a flat sea even. Now sure, I could go into the extreme details of how to do this, but it's rather complicated to present them all at once, so, the way it basically works is that you work with the Chi, as I've been saying, and you create a Yang or energetic collection of water and wind, out there. With this intense focus on a single spot, one swirls or spirals the Chi tighter and tighter and tighter, just the same way you do it when you're healing a broken bone. And you keep doing it, packing the Chi into this distant tiny singular spot, until, it is overwhelmed with energy. And then, you can feel it, sense it when it is ready. And, you track it with your eyes and senses, feeling it come closer, until finally, the wave breaks right where you are exactly. I did this exercise with my Surfing Mentor and Watergirl Mentor Darrick Doerner (DD). We were having small 2 foot or so waves, wave after wave after wave, and he was so hoping for the seas to rise up so his student, me, could get a nice ride and some great practice. And he told me he wanted a 6 foot wave to rise right before us, literally touching the tails of our boards, and rise to 6 foot high and to break right on his head!!! His head, of all things. "I want it to break right here, right on my head, right now." And so, sitting on my board, I extended my arm towards the distant sea, pointed my palm, for the center of the palm is one of the 5 major spots on the body for Projecting and Absorbing Chi, and, I called the wave, telling him, it would be here in moments. And, the wave came, and right at the tails of our boards, it rose above us as we sat there, and it lifted our tails and then, it broke, right on DD's head. Literally. As that was happening, I dropped down the face, had a nice little fun ride, and quickly paddled back out as DD always taught me to do, ready to catch the next wave. And there he was, sitting there, my Mentor, looking, not impressed. Now, I was ecstatic, I was so stoked, I expected he'd leap off his board with excitement, and all he did, was look at me and said, "I was hoping for an 8 footer." I loved his understatement, for as a Teacher and Mentor, that is exactly what I hoped he'd do, at least, deep within my heart, because that's the kind of thing you'd get in martial arts training. Once, I trained in Monkey Kung Fu, and my Sifu told me to leap as high as I could to try to grab some berries. I leaped hour after hour, day after day, trying to get the exact bunch he had pointed out for me, and, one day, they were within my grasp. And as I came to the ground with the berries in my hand, expecting he'd be stoked, he simply looked at them like it was nothing, pointed higher in the tree and said, "now, pick that bunch."
For me both Mentors are the perfect kinds of teachers for my style of learning, they push me, drive me, call me to go beyond anything I could imagine, yet, have loving kind hearts and great senses of humor.
My point is, using Chi, I was able to call that wave, to fall directly on DD's head, exactly where we sat, exactly as high as he said, exactly when he asked me to show him how I did that. And it's episodes and adventure like that which make me a Mysto Surfer.
I truly love being part of the Tribe, part of the group, I just love social interaction of every kind, yet, I have grown up on the outside, in the Wilds, not even on the road where one choses the path of left or right, but instead, bushwacking out in the loneliest and wildest of places. Unusual for many people, especially for a girl I'd imagine, but, simply the way it's been for me, due to circumstances.
It was even this way, back in Grand Haven, Michigan, during High School, long after I had made my first board, and surfed those cold waters with such joy. I wanted to surf with all of my heart, like the boys there, but, I was the girl. The girl with the funny looking home-made board, without even the sense to wax it at first, silly kook that I was. Such tales told about earlier in my blog in two sections or so. At any rate, I was a Mysto then, just as I am a Mysto now, not because I want to be, but, because, I am. For I know nothing else.
When I look at a surfboard, I'm not concerned with fancy boards, but with the energy of the board, like who made her, how was she shaped, how are her lines and as such, my mind drifts to how such lines will dance with the ocean. I can be lost for hours, exploring a single board in a surf shop or at a shapers.
It's funny, life. We're often so drawn to that which we aren't or to that which we don't have. I suppose, to some, my style might seem exotic, or at least a bit different, and as such, it's possible there might be some who'd think such things are rather groovy. Yet, for me, to be part of The Tribe, to be in the Inner Circle, that to me is where the magic is. In the smiles and laughter and talk of others, in sharing their joy in watching them surf and surfing with them, and, in those special times, in their touch. Yes, my heart longs for such moments, I admit that. Such simple joys draw me.
Yet, my soul calls me to surf the wilds, to seek out the toughest places on the planet to get to, not for the adrenaline rush, for that is nothing compared to the feeling of Chi, but, for the Chi of it.
At the moment, I am thinking much of Vietnam. Hoping to learn the language at Christmas time by, if I am so blessed, getting one of those Rosetta Stone cd collections of learning Vietnamese. I love languages, especially the three I focus on, namely Hawaiian, Surfish, and Pidgin. But now, I want to add Vietnamese to the list. For I am being called there. To surf, and, to explore and share my Chi. Of course, once there, I'm sure I'll find those places where few go, not because I intentionally seek them out, but because I sense them, feel them calling, and, as a Mysto, I can't resist their siren song.
And, what is a Mysto Surfer? Well, it's simply someone like me, who surfs mostly alone, even when in a group, who surfs for their own reasons. Reasons, that few would understand let alone care about. The Mysto Surfer is a rebel in a world of domesticated surfers, a wild one in a sea of acceptance to the rules and norms, a link back to the times of the Vagabond Feral Surfers of yesteryear, surfing, for deep personal reasons that even if they could be explained, probably, wouldn't be.
Interestingly enough, in my case, surfing as a Mysto comes about not only because for the most part nobody is generally around, especially in the worst of the Winter, but more so, quite frankly, I'm rather shy. Sure, I may write freely at times, but, in person, I'd probably be that girl, over there, absorbed in waxing her surfboard perfectly before each session, seeking, in the case of waxing, not simply to get wax on the board in a hurry, but more so, finding the spirituality and depth as well as historical nostalgia and Tribal memory of applying wax in an almost sacred kind of matter, truly, really caring about what I'm doing. And, that's the way of my surfing too. I explore each aspect of it, even while I'm riding a wave, pushing my boundaries, learning who I am and what I can do, learning from the sea and my board, all, lost purely in the love of the moment.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Now, as you all know, I just love surfing culture and that includes hanging and Talking Story, whether perhaps briefly in the Line-Up or after a session at greater length.
Yet, in the Wilds, I typically surf alone. Mainly, because, generally, at least in the Fall, Winter, and early Spring, there are so few if any surfers around on the frozen beach, let alone in the sea. And so, while I am drawn to sharing and hanging and being part of the group, due to where I surf, and, how I surf, I've grown up a bit of a Mysto Surfer.
A Mysto, by definition, is a Loner. More so, even the way they surf, that is, how, the whys, where, and what, remains sort of mysterious, unusual, and, well, exotic.
The thing that makes me a Mysto, besides so few wanting to be in 20 plus foot icy cold wildly churning Closed Out by all definition swells, is how and why I surf, namely, my Chi Gung.
For most of us, surfing is simply fun. We love the ride. The stoke. The feel of walking or standing on water. Yet, with what I do, there is so much more to it than that, for, I tear such concepts apart, searching into the bowels of them, exploring and adventuring into the darkest secret places, for the Chi.
Chi is a Chinese concept, and it refers to energy. It is the energy that is within us, and, around us, just like the Force in the Star Wars movies. Only, instead of being a movie, it's for-real stuff.
Now, I don't just surf "for," the the fun feeling of Chi, but more so, for what I can do with it in helping and healing others, especially surfers. For, once one learns it, Chi Gung offers ways to learn of the ocean, such as knowing when the swells will come, and where, as well as how big. You'll sense where exactly a wave will break and what it will be like before it happens. You'll be able to sense sea creatures and sea plants of all types, knowing them by their Chi patterns, as well as, in a sense, being able to communicate with them. On a more social scale, you'll be able to heal yourself of injury, and, to heal others, of cuts and sprains, broken bones and torn ligaments as well as of many diseases. So, I see such gifts from the art as ways to give back to The Tribe. Even if, where I surf, for the most part, the Tribe generally isn't there, at least at that time, for I am drawn to the wildest of seas, the coldest of climates, the most whipping rains and icy snows one can experience.
Now sure, I do love the North Shoe. For, what is not to love about Oahu. And, I go to Hawaii whenever I can, but, have yet to move there. I suppose, in the near future, I will make the leap, but for now, it's the Wilds that holds me, draws me, shapes me, teaches me, of her secrets and ways of surfing her wild seas.
When I surf, I'm not out to surf every single wave, frantically dropping down anything and everything coming my way, instead, I wait for the right wave. And, the right wave does not necessarily mean the biggest or steepest or most dangerous, it simply means, the right one, at that time. The one that calls to me.
In Hawaii, on the North Shore, I listened to the beautiful sea turtles. As odd as it sounds, they would show me exactly where the next wave was going to break, the wave they wanted me to catch, and, I'd paddle over to where they broke surface and made eye contact with me, sending their Chi to me, and, I , to them. And it was a magical feeling moment, a form of communication, a mental telepathy between girl and animal, that most would probably think is not even possible, yet, there it was, and, every time, the sea turtles were exactly right, for they had broke surface exactly, precisely, at the best spot on any particular wave prior to it coming. From this, I learned to sense the waves, to feel them, to know what felt right and what feeling right felt like.
Along this line, I learned to call the waves. Out of a flat sea even. Now sure, I could go into the extreme details of how to do this, but it's rather complicated to present them all at once, so, the way it basically works is that you work with the Chi, as I've been saying, and you create a Yang or energetic collection of water and wind, out there. With this intense focus on a single spot, one swirls or spirals the Chi tighter and tighter and tighter, just the same way you do it when you're healing a broken bone. And you keep doing it, packing the Chi into this distant tiny singular spot, until, it is overwhelmed with energy. And then, you can feel it, sense it when it is ready. And, you track it with your eyes and senses, feeling it come closer, until finally, the wave breaks right where you are exactly. I did this exercise with my Surfing Mentor and Watergirl Mentor Darrick Doerner (DD). We were having small 2 foot or so waves, wave after wave after wave, and he was so hoping for the seas to rise up so his student, me, could get a nice ride and some great practice. And he told me he wanted a 6 foot wave to rise right before us, literally touching the tails of our boards, and rise to 6 foot high and to break right on his head!!! His head, of all things. "I want it to break right here, right on my head, right now." And so, sitting on my board, I extended my arm towards the distant sea, pointed my palm, for the center of the palm is one of the 5 major spots on the body for Projecting and Absorbing Chi, and, I called the wave, telling him, it would be here in moments. And, the wave came, and right at the tails of our boards, it rose above us as we sat there, and it lifted our tails and then, it broke, right on DD's head. Literally. As that was happening, I dropped down the face, had a nice little fun ride, and quickly paddled back out as DD always taught me to do, ready to catch the next wave. And there he was, sitting there, my Mentor, looking, not impressed. Now, I was ecstatic, I was so stoked, I expected he'd leap off his board with excitement, and all he did, was look at me and said, "I was hoping for an 8 footer." I loved his understatement, for as a Teacher and Mentor, that is exactly what I hoped he'd do, at least, deep within my heart, because that's the kind of thing you'd get in martial arts training. Once, I trained in Monkey Kung Fu, and my Sifu told me to leap as high as I could to try to grab some berries. I leaped hour after hour, day after day, trying to get the exact bunch he had pointed out for me, and, one day, they were within my grasp. And as I came to the ground with the berries in my hand, expecting he'd be stoked, he simply looked at them like it was nothing, pointed higher in the tree and said, "now, pick that bunch."
For me both Mentors are the perfect kinds of teachers for my style of learning, they push me, drive me, call me to go beyond anything I could imagine, yet, have loving kind hearts and great senses of humor.
My point is, using Chi, I was able to call that wave, to fall directly on DD's head, exactly where we sat, exactly as high as he said, exactly when he asked me to show him how I did that. And it's episodes and adventure like that which make me a Mysto Surfer.
I truly love being part of the Tribe, part of the group, I just love social interaction of every kind, yet, I have grown up on the outside, in the Wilds, not even on the road where one choses the path of left or right, but instead, bushwacking out in the loneliest and wildest of places. Unusual for many people, especially for a girl I'd imagine, but, simply the way it's been for me, due to circumstances.
It was even this way, back in Grand Haven, Michigan, during High School, long after I had made my first board, and surfed those cold waters with such joy. I wanted to surf with all of my heart, like the boys there, but, I was the girl. The girl with the funny looking home-made board, without even the sense to wax it at first, silly kook that I was. Such tales told about earlier in my blog in two sections or so. At any rate, I was a Mysto then, just as I am a Mysto now, not because I want to be, but, because, I am. For I know nothing else.
When I look at a surfboard, I'm not concerned with fancy boards, but with the energy of the board, like who made her, how was she shaped, how are her lines and as such, my mind drifts to how such lines will dance with the ocean. I can be lost for hours, exploring a single board in a surf shop or at a shapers.
It's funny, life. We're often so drawn to that which we aren't or to that which we don't have. I suppose, to some, my style might seem exotic, or at least a bit different, and as such, it's possible there might be some who'd think such things are rather groovy. Yet, for me, to be part of The Tribe, to be in the Inner Circle, that to me is where the magic is. In the smiles and laughter and talk of others, in sharing their joy in watching them surf and surfing with them, and, in those special times, in their touch. Yes, my heart longs for such moments, I admit that. Such simple joys draw me.
Yet, my soul calls me to surf the wilds, to seek out the toughest places on the planet to get to, not for the adrenaline rush, for that is nothing compared to the feeling of Chi, but, for the Chi of it.
At the moment, I am thinking much of Vietnam. Hoping to learn the language at Christmas time by, if I am so blessed, getting one of those Rosetta Stone cd collections of learning Vietnamese. I love languages, especially the three I focus on, namely Hawaiian, Surfish, and Pidgin. But now, I want to add Vietnamese to the list. For I am being called there. To surf, and, to explore and share my Chi. Of course, once there, I'm sure I'll find those places where few go, not because I intentionally seek them out, but because I sense them, feel them calling, and, as a Mysto, I can't resist their siren song.
And, what is a Mysto Surfer? Well, it's simply someone like me, who surfs mostly alone, even when in a group, who surfs for their own reasons. Reasons, that few would understand let alone care about. The Mysto Surfer is a rebel in a world of domesticated surfers, a wild one in a sea of acceptance to the rules and norms, a link back to the times of the Vagabond Feral Surfers of yesteryear, surfing, for deep personal reasons that even if they could be explained, probably, wouldn't be.
Interestingly enough, in my case, surfing as a Mysto comes about not only because for the most part nobody is generally around, especially in the worst of the Winter, but more so, quite frankly, I'm rather shy. Sure, I may write freely at times, but, in person, I'd probably be that girl, over there, absorbed in waxing her surfboard perfectly before each session, seeking, in the case of waxing, not simply to get wax on the board in a hurry, but more so, finding the spirituality and depth as well as historical nostalgia and Tribal memory of applying wax in an almost sacred kind of matter, truly, really caring about what I'm doing. And, that's the way of my surfing too. I explore each aspect of it, even while I'm riding a wave, pushing my boundaries, learning who I am and what I can do, learning from the sea and my board, all, lost purely in the love of the moment.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
