A WORD TO THE WISE! 1/26/10

Big Blacks!!!

Surfing is a passion that real surfers can never satisfy! Long hours in the water, constantly paddling and getting thrashed about are all part of the game. Like most physical games that one plays, sooner or later it all starts to catch up with you.
When you’re young and seemingly indestructible, charging and pushing your limits is the path most often chosen by hardcore, young surfers. It’s virtually expected out of them now days. Hitting it harder, longer and deeper are a must and a given. The bigger the better, exposed reefs no problem. You learn to surf with pain. Twisted knees and ankles, broken ear drums or foot and hand digits are common. Stitches, bruises and dislocations are inevitable. It is how you deal with all these things that make a difference. Having not done much training or accident prevention work in my forty years in the water has led me to the following observations.
Train and stay in shape. All dedicated athletes do or should. There are lots of ways to accomplish this ranging from personal trainers to a home grown program. Joel Tudor is a master at surfing as well as Marshal Arts. Both work hand in hand for Joel in his daily routines. Incorporate different forms of exercises into your routine to help keep it diverse and not boring. There are plenty of book on training out there specifically geared towards surfing. Doing yoga is a whole other form of staying in shape so be sure to look into that as well. Two time World Champion Mick Fanning is a good example of a trained and tuned surfer. Watching him between heats of the recent Pipe Masters, he would go thru a loose but thorough round of on the beach exercises right before his heats. Good for both the body and the mind.
Obviously diet plays a major part in ones fitness. You can work out and train all you like, but if your eating habits are poor you’ll never achieve the full potential that you are striving for. Finding the right combinations of foods and the proper amounts is kind of like finding the perfect shaper, no one source is the best. Work on it slowly and study up on the many theories that abound on what is the right and wrong things to consume. Listen to you body and it will usually tell you if you’re heading in the right direction. Education in this department is limitless and just a key stroke away from anybody with access to a computer or a good library for that matter.
Attitude is just as important as all the aforementioned ideas and concepts. No your limits. You don’t have to be afraid to push them but you don’t need to be in such a hurry that you end up doing some permanent damage while doing so. Again, listen to your body when it’s shouting out at you to ease up on it. There are plenty of days of surf that lay ahead for you young guy’s so sitting out a few days to mend a wound will not kill you. Biting of more than you can chew or are physically capable of doing can.
Here are a few final thoughts for you to ponder. Be consistent at what your approach to surfing, training and life in general. Think before you act but be decisive once you make your move. Pace you’re yourself and enjoy the ride.
I have done none of the above with any consistency. That’s why I have the time to sit here and write this post. The surfs been big and I am all beat up and sore. Sure wish that I had listened to all the older guy’s while I was growing up and had taken better care of myself.