A wise man once told me that the key to happiness is having all areas of your life balanced. Bahh, you might say, and at the time, I really did not know what he was on about. As the years have ticked by, I have met more and more interesting people, and I have revisited this advice. It makes more sense now, it really does. It is not something you can preach about, it just needs to happen to you personally. How is this relevant I hear you ask, well, let's have a look at Mason Ho. It would seem that this Hawaiian surfer also met the same wise man, and has taken his advice on board.
For those of you who do not know Mason Ho, or indeed have had the misfortune not to watch any footage of him surf, I will just say this – that he surfs like he is the happiest man alive. If you have not seen an interview with him - he speaks like the happiest man alive. Lets face it, Mason knows how to have fun, it is oozing out of him.
This quick clip shows you what having fun in the water looks like.
Mason Ho is the son of Hawaiian legend Michael Ho (a Pipe Masters' champ in 1982), and nephew to Derek Ho (1993 World Champion). He also has a sister, Coco Ho who is one of the most innovative women surfers currently on the WSL. Is it any wonder then, that Mason has just been signed up to ride for Rip Curl, and has been given the 'wild card' spot in the much anticipated Bells Beach competition starting on the 1st April.
This is Mason describing his perfect wave.
Will Mason do well in the upcoming event? I really don't care, I just think it will be interesting to see someone who is approaching the competition from a different angle. A fun angle. The more interesting question is – what happens if he does do well? What happens next? Will he start to take things to seriously? Will the balance of happiness be upset? Only time will tell, and I certainly hope he remains the ambassador of fun that we need him to be in a sport that is quickly turning into a serious one.