Soul surfing or Surfing as a Sport

[Laguna]

Hey, ive just started reading this book called Surf: a visual exploration of surfing, its a pretty cool book about the evolution of surfing. The author starts off by saying how 'real surfing' has changed into a sport where its all commercialised and trying to look cool. Do you all think surfing has changed and turned it a sport where its all about competitions and looking good?

I surf because I love the expirience, I could care about how I look or who sees me, especially as I surf on my own. I think a lot of the big brands are trying to make a profit on the name of surfing, but everything these days are commercialised and try looking cool, thats media for you.

[IdRatherBeSurfing]

When Im surfing I love being out there enjoying the whole "power of the ocean/nature" type thing.

But I also love my wettie with c-skins splashed all over it cos it just looks so sexy!

So yeah, I love surfing for SURFING, and I also love it cos its not the sort of thing that many people do - always a conversation starter

[Laguna]

ye i agree with what you say, i mean we all surf for the feel it gives us, no sport can compare to surfing. Everybody likes something that looks appealing obviously but I doubt any surfer surfs just to look cool - that would just be stupid. This book relates to the life of a surfer also such as the way people dress and go about living.

Surfing to me is more than a sport, its something that I just always want to do - I love the peacefullness of the sea and beaches and the scenery of surf locations.. Id love to have a beach house

[PapaW]

Its deffo a need/adiction for me now. Realistically it has been from the stert.. its the one thing i've found that balances me out.

On the social element of surfing thats so true, you can instantly talk and talk and talk to other surfers about surfing. To us its normal right>?

[Laguna]

I agree. I can talk for ages about surfing, I think I sometimes bore my friends who dont surf as I tend to always go on about it. But you could talk forever to other surfers about surfing, theres just so much talk. There should be more surfing bars and social places!

[IdRatherBeSurfing]

laguna - r u on MSN??? if u r, PM me your addy and talk away

[EastCoast4Life]

all day is busy and so many things need to be done, a friend always has a problem, somethin is always going wrong, and people bug you about "future plans". surfing gets you away from all that, even if its a bathtub out there you can just paddle out and chill, no ones around...even if i go with friends there are those days where we dont say a word until were back in the car. its a relase from all the presures of life where everything slows down and for the time your there everything is beautiful. i think we get along with each other so well because no matter where we come from or what we do we can meet on the common ground of searching. everyday is a struggle and surfing just gets you away.

[Phil]

never really considered surfing a sport, for me its away to escape and unwind, its the feeling of complete freedom that i get from surfing that i love the most about, surfing is more personal its just about you enjoying the ocean and having fun

like nat young said " i wish when the asked us "what is surfing?" I would have said its more of a spirtual activity and not just a sport, becuse thats what put us on the wrong track"

[surferdude_scarborough]

this is a tough one for me. at the moment i just surf for fun, however i am a very competitive person but none of my friends surf and i dont really know anyone at the breaks i go to because i go so infrequently. if i was with someone i knew i think i would surf a lot more like a competition with them. but it would still be fun.

[Dopey]

[jennie]

hey Laguna good topic!

i see where your coming from when you talk about some surfers doing it for the "scene" and the "social image". Because i live fairly inland, there are some people who say they surf, pretend they surf and have all the major clothes lines, and too be honest most girls do it just to impress the guys. I know so many people who have a board for years but not actually used it.

For me surfing isnt always like the commercial stereotype of girls in the sun in bikinis, its about being in the ocean, paddeling until your arms hurt so bad, getting washed and held under, getting changed on top of a cliff in gale force winds and rain....just to catch that wave. (lol well i do live in England!!)

I love it, its hard to describe but i think that any surfers will know what i mean!

[Ratman]

....Yup..its defintely a semi-spiritual thing too....Im not really competative anyway and just do it for the 'buzz'....only been doing it since last May....wish I'd started when I was a teenager when I had a 'rubber body' and nothing hurt!!!..I agree completely with what East Coast says .... the only thing I can compare it with is when you were little and you went out to play with your mates in the morning and next thing you know its your Mum calling you to come in for your tea....time stands still for me when Im surfing...no stress...nothing matters....taking in your surroundings....properly chilled and NO MOBILE PHONES!!!....it is the coolest thing ever innit!!!....

[Laguna]

Surfing is evolvoing and always will but it's for the best that standards are getting better and better. I think everyone on this forum surfs because they love the experience, its hard now days to avoid buying any surfing gear without a big commercial brand name on it but who cares - surfing is about having fun and thats all that matters!

[surfinforlife]

I surf for:

a) the fitness, I cant believe how much fitter and toned I am now that I am suring once/twice a week!

b) the road trip down there! There is nothing more fun that driving in a car full of your mates talking rubbish and listening to great tunes

c) The peacefulness of sitting on your board looking at the beautiful ocean and realising how small we really are!

d) the feeling of catching that wave and not getting hammered!!

e) meeting new friends who are just as crazy as you and would drive for hours just to catch a wave...

and all those other things that only a surfer knows that feeling of....sand between your toes, salt in your eyes, water up your nose, fin chops to various parts of your body, rashes on your tummy, sore boobs, hip bruises, squeezing into ridiculously tight wetties and getting up at silly hours on your day off to go for a surf before it gets blown out!! But doesn't it feel amazing!!!!!

[CastorTroy]

"surfing is not a sport. it's a way of life. it's a way of lookin at that wave and sayin 'hey bud, let's party!'"

[GowerCharger]

ive always thought about surfing as a "free sport", as in the only competiton is against yourself. Ive surfed with people better and worse than me, and im just as stoked to see someone whos learning ride their first really long ride as i am to see someone pulling their first air.

The big sponsored competiton side is a natural evolution of the sport, but its judged on points and so is only a subjective view of what each surfer is doing, im sure if you asked most of the pros theyd be as happy if they could live the life they get to live travelling around getting paid to surf if they could do it without scored competitons, but thats the way of the world.

The commercial side which really gets to me is not so much the "surf brand" companies, not even companies who sell trainers etc. aimed at surfers (what do trainers have to do with surfing?), the thing i dont get is the way advertising companies use surfing to sell other products to regular people, you can find surfing in adverts for cars, beer, aftershave, even insurance, i just dont see the relavance.

For me, i hope ill be surfing forever, when im too old to shortboard ill get a mal, and if i live to be old enough that i cant even stand on that unaided ill be the guy with the zimmer frame attached to my plank.

[CheeZee]

i think weve discussed something like this before ..i'll go with my original post ...

.......... " There are no words , no description that will fit , no picture you can draw .... your soul is a force unto itself ...we are not meant to have any idea where or what it is .

We can only guide our spirit ... we cannot guide our soul

Your soul is what you leave for your gods' or your family & friends to keep when you have passed into the next life .

We do not Soul surf ..... " we surf with soul "

Peace and love y'all

[Dec]

wow...That's like the most beautiful thing I have heard come out of Cheezee!

It's like...dare I say it... he's changing? Could this be a new, spiritual cheezee?

[Brent]

Cheezee, you can pull chicks with that stuff *smirk*
Such a cunning-linguist :-)

[Laguna]

lol, ive only just seen the advertisment for that 'surf style" hair gel. Its ridiculous. The guys hair is all over the place and he slides on a puddle in the street as if he's surfing. I dont get it