The ocean knows no bounds. It does not care if you are female, male, intersex, LGBTQ2IA+, heterosexual, rich, poor, white, black, brown, Asian, or any other BIPOC. The ocean is the great equalizer. And with that being said, it will crush you.
I am never more humbled by my own humanity than when I am tumbled by an onslaught of waves. The water gives zero fucks whether I have a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree or come from a “good family” from a “nice” area. Like I said, the ocean is the greatest equalizer. It is the fairest judge.
While it may not necessarily be unconditionally loving, as it plays no favorites, it certainly does not punish one’s imperfections. Regardless of how I surfed yesterday or the day before or even last year, every session is brand new. Depending on my mindset, this can be either an extremely refreshing experience or a frustrating experience.
However, as with impartiality, every session is different and has no guarantees. A couple days ago, I only caught two waves, both on my knees. This was still a success, but the goal-oriented conditioning that I experienced growing up, which is in the process of being de-conditioned, told me that I had failed, that those waves did not really count. I told myself they did. And they do. Those are two more waves than I had captured in all the years I was not surfing out of fear of being a failure or a fake. So, who’s counting?
Today, it was similar. I caught two waves on my knees and two waves standing. I guess I should stop qualifying the quality of the break, because a wave caught is still a wave caught. So let me cut, clear, delete that. clickkkkkkkkclickkkkkkclickkkkkkkkkkkkk goes the sound of the “delete” button.
I CAUGHT 4 WAVES TODAY. YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND CALL ME KELLY SLATER. I EVEN WENT TO THE RIP CURL OUTLET AND BOUGHT MYSELF A NEW SWIMSUIT THAT I LOOKED PRETTY DAMN FLY IN AS I SURFED WITHOUT A WETSUIT.
You know you are a real surfer when you surf bare-naked, as in without a wetsuit. Or you are just brave and convince yourself the ocean is as warm as your next-door neighbor’s Jacuzzi, which is exactly what I told myself today.
Pro tip: it worked.
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