Conflict. That’s a word that can certainly sum up a day in a crowded surf spot. A day full of diving into gangs of beginners who don’t seem to realize the difference between swimming beaches and surfing beaches. Or that particular beaches might not be the safest places to swim, especially when you have a crowd trying to ride their own piece of a long awaited swell. I’m sure we have all experienced trying to frantically paddle our way into a wave, but then having to back pedal as we almost run over a group tourists sunbathing on their long boards. It always happens, just as you’re about to get up and start ripping it up, BAM, here comes the grandma, the grand children in floaties, their uncle, and the pet dog. It’s usually in that moment, even though the thought of drowning them and beating them with our boards seems to be the fairest punishment for depriving us of that wave, that we have to learn not to give in to the rage.

I am certainly guilty of having those sudden bursts of frustration. One of the many times I experienced one was when I was on a surf trip in Hawaii with my dad. I had set six alarms in the hopes of being the first one out in the line up. Although I am not a native to Hawaii, I know how to surf, and I fully intended to do so! Finally I rolled out of bed and crawled to the beach. I was surprised to see that there were quite a few people lying out. I just assumed that they were starting their tan early and didn’t want to waste any time while they were on vacation. Naturally, I paddled out trying to decide where to go, and before I even had time to take off on one wave, a whole massive family (on rented bogey boards) came along. Why they would decide to splash around on bogey boards in the middle of the line up is a mystery to me. I suppose to them it seemed reasonable, though I was completely dazed. In that moment, I could feel my blood boiling, my fists clenching, and my teeth grinding together as I did my best not to morph into the Incredible Hulk. To make it worse, I am NOT a morning person, so with that added to my frustration for being in a lien up with a bunch of kooks, I actually started to wonder if anyone would miss the, should an ‘accident’ happen.

But then I stopped suddenly. What was I doing? I was in Hawaii, sitting in the ocean, the sun had just come up and I was doing what I love the most, surfing. The rage wore off and was replaced with guilt. You see, the ocean isn’t mine nor does it have a specific rule book. If we want respect, we definitely have to earn it. Let them bring everyone they know and hang out; there’s plenty of water for all of us. Besides, at one point, we were each one of those splashing and uncoordinated surfers in the making. Who knows, maybe we were about to beat up the next Sofia Mulanovich. Not only did it bring me peace throughout the rest of the trip, but it makes every time I go surfing a lot more enjoyable. Come on fellow surfers, let’s keep our reputation clean! For now, ride the waves, and “hang loose.”

Tags: Surfing