International surfing day, a day to rethink our relationship with The Blue Planet
International surfing day celebrates the sport of surfing but also suggests a way forward for humanity. By uniting wave riders and ocean lovers around the globe we can glimpse into how this recent recreation activity and an ancient ‘sport of kings’ has a real impact on peoples lives. It could offer a path to not just a sustainable future but one that transforms our society and very existence on this blue planet.
What is it about surfing that makes people so addicted?
It’s not very useful and could be considered a complete waste of time sliding down waves for a bit of fun. If viewed from the point of todays obsession on productivity and usefulness it seems quite selfish and a huge waste time. Then there’s the negative stereo-type of the surfer as a reject of society, a counter culture, someone who shuns it’s our values and is most likely a pothead or even worse.
As surfing legend and spiritual man Gerry Lopez describes "It's 90% paddling — gut busting work, hour upon hour for a brief ride that only lasts a few seconds. There's a saying "only a surfer knows the feeling" It seems to unlock the door right into our heart and right into our soul. An awareness of something holy or something special. We are not sure of what we are feeling, when our souls are laid bare. It’s a connection to something bigger then us".
In ancient Hawaii it was the 'Sport of Kings'
Chiefs demonstrated their mastery by their skill in the surf, and commoners made themselves famous (and infamous) by the way they handled themselves in the ocean. It was placed at the pinnacle of society and thought of as the highest pursuit of excellence. When Christians and missionaries come to Hawaii they outlawed it as a waste of time and the culture was lost until a more recent resurgence of the sport with the help of surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku who is widely credited with popularizing the ancient Hawaiian sport of surfing.
Today surfing and other water sports are being considered as a vital part of what makes us happy and could form a solution to living better lives. New research has uncovered how important the water is for healing and also quality of life.
Being in the Ocean has a profound effect on us.
In his book Blue Mind, Wallace J Nichols combines cutting-edge neuroscience with compelling personal stories from top athletes, leading scientists, military veterans, and gifted artists, he shows how proximity to water can improve performance, increase calm, diminish anxiety, and increase professional success. Nichols writes that our brains are hardwired to react positively to water. He combines water science and neuroscience to show exactly that. He defines the “blue mind” as a mildly meditative state characterized by calm, peacefulness, unity, and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life.
This new research simply confirms what we all suspect and feel when we are on, in or close to water. If it does have such a profound impact on us why don’t we design our lives around this concept of water being at the core of our way of live? Wallace J Nichols proposes #100DaysofBlue to help share your ocean story and developing your #bluemind.
What if in additional to the health and physiological benefits that water provides us individually we could somehow harness this on a bigger level, a societal level that chances the way we live as a civilization?
Today we need to find a way to survive global warming, raising sea temperatures and more volatile weather. Another leading expert in this space has a way to not just survive this new reality but actually thrive.
In the recent book Blue Urbanism: Exploring Connections Between Cities and Oceans, author Timothy Beatley looks at what it means to live in cities designed to foster feelings of connectedness to the ocean. As coastal cities begin planning for climate change and rising sea levels Beatle sees opportunities for rethinking the relationship between urban development and the ocean. Urban citizens, he explains, have many opportunities to interact meaningfully with the ocean, from beach cleanups to helping scientists gather data.
Ultimately he explains we must create a culture of “ocean literacy” using a variety of approaches, from building design and art installations that draw inspiration from marine forms, to encouraging citizen volunteerism related to oceans, to city-sponsored research, and support for new laws that protect marine health. It’s about educating urbanites about the wonders of marine life.
This inclusive approach suggested from these two authors and change makers connects all areas of society from the professional to the recreational into something that has the potential to reimagine our future relationship with water and the ocean.
When we value nature, not just extractive value and jobs but for emotional services our policy outcomes will favor more conservation and also harness the gargantuan untapped energy contained in our oceans.
It’s interesting to see that International Surfing Day was created by the Surfrider foundation. They see it as protecting what you Love, a quote made famous by legendary waterman Jacques Cousteau. They are dedicated to protecting our ocean because it’s our playground.
Surfers show us the beauty of being connected to the ocean.
When you see how Gerry Lopez was so “perfectly in-sync with the wave’s unique nature that he appeared to be part of its heaving, hollow environment — connected with it like a dolphin sweeping through the sea or a bird soaring on the air” — Paul Holmes.
Surfers also show us how to re-engage with nature. The original spirit and essence of surfing is about the internal satisfaction with discovery and experience as opposed to external results driven approach. The “Stoke” they talk about when experiencing a ride is equal to a spiritual aesthetic moment.
It’s rebellious origins and creative expression helps us cultivate a free spirit. In this sense it truly should be considered the sport of Kings, the highest ideal and values we all need to cultivate if we are to not only survive this new environmental reality but live with the ocean as a source of wonder, spiritual connection and creativity to solve our biggest problems.
I can’t think of a better use for the phrase ‘blue print’ in how we uses these ideas as a design foundation to help us create a future that is in harmony with this blue planet.
At 44 years of age Kelly Slater is still at the top of his game
Still on the World Surfing League and just a few days ago making the semi finals of the Fiji Pro competing against men more then half his age. It's not just his performance that amazes but his love for the sport, his love for the ocean and thrill that it brings obvioulsy keeps him young and with a healthy lust for life.
I like how the ocean is a metaphor to represent the flow and immensity of our spirit.
The idea in this is that we are all connected and bonded to each other in a collective ocean of consciousness. By being in the ocean we can use this metophore as a reminder of how to live our lives and get meaning from it.
Inspired by Umair Haque "First our mind needs to be released, so the heart is feeling. But what the heart is feeling is not the perimeter or even the center of “me” anymore. It is just the river, flowing. Into the ocean, the spirit, that is just watching, radiating peace, lightness, gratitude, love. For this experience. This instant. This pure awareness of connection, beauty, oneness. And the reward is that I am not lost at sea anymore". The ocean is in me and in everyone else. We are all part of the one ocean of humanity.
Happy World Surfing Day
Nicholas Nelson is an Australian currently living in Rio de Janeiro with his family.
