words JEN YIHBefore sur ng was cool, it was just downright fun. And the good news is,
it’s still fun. If you’ve ever spent time near the ocean you already know
that she has a magnitude that can’t be explained, only felt. Her vastness,melody and purity is almost scared. I spend most of my adult life trying to
be closer to big blue, not just where I live but in my relationship with her.
This is what she has taught me. A SURFER’S
GUIDE TO LIFE
DON'T FORCE IT, EVER.
All of us have big dreams, goals
and ambitions with a side serving
of impatience. It's the world we live
in where things are on-demand,
instant, and we can get a fast-
food version of everything. From
Tinder to take-outs, things are just
too contrived. In the water, if you
force a moment, you're going to
over-exert or most likely end up in a
bad situation. Timing is everything.
Waiting for the right moment to act
and working with the steady, melodic
fl ow is when harmony happens.EQUALIZE
The ocean doesn't care who you
are. When you interact with her she
doesn't care how much money
you make, what kind of board or
Instagram followers you have, or who
you are in your on-shore life. She will
humble you with big barrelling sets
that make your heart sink, hold you
down to a point where all you crave
is a breath of fresh air, and make
you co-exist with monstrous sea
creatures. She will force you to face
your fears and swallow you in her
strength, only to bring you down to
Earth and make you remember that
you are just a small part of a much
larger whole; simply a visitor, and
guest in her presence.CONSTANT MOVEMENT
No matter how hard you try to
stop and get a grasp on life, things
are always in circular movement- going, going, going. We can’t
escape time, ageing, the past,
present, or future. It is all happening
at once. The ocean never quits and
is never destined to be anywhere
but right where she is. She moves
with the sun and moon just as she
was intended to. She doesn’t hold
onto the past or dwell in the future,
she’s completely present – breaking,
forming, storming, re-forming,
evolving, devolving, crashing,
thrashing, nourishing – all in a single
moment...
TRUST
As wicked and, at times,
unpredictable as she can be:
The more time, patience, and
understanding you devote to her,
the more at ease you fi nd yourself
in the ocean. You end up fi nding
an all-consuming dance you could
perform over and over again, each
one diff erent and more satisfying
than the last. She casts a spell on
you and you slowly become a better
version of yourself addicted to the
journey, purity, patience, seeking
nothing but those feelings of
freedom, harmony and solitude.