Craving

Looking at waves, talking about waves, surfing waves, searching for waves, reliving waves.

I’ve never understood people that don’t get hooked to this surfing life. The people that try surfing and think it was fun then get on with their lives. How the experience just passes them by.

The days are long now, the weather is warm. Everyone is enjoying the summer. Sunshine, beers with friends, work, normal life. But we are restless, longing, craving. Refreshing forecasts, hoping for a swell. Looking back over the days of winter when it all came together. It feels like surfing is a double life, a hidden world, a mistress. 

Sitting round with friends, I  wonder if they understand that I would leave it all in a heartbeat to be standing on a snow covered beach, piercing winds and waves rolling in. Nothing beats the feeling of pure excitement as you’re running down the beach as a set rolls in. It brings out the inner child, and I feel like how I would like to feel all the time.  I’ll take damp neoprene and muddy car parks over anything. Always. In the middle of the summer flat spell, I remind 

myself to savor those winter days when it all comes together. To breathe it in. Really feel it. To not take it for granted. To do it for the love of it and nothing else.

Normal life is coming for us all, but not today. Today we run from it. Today we surf.