Obsession and Rejection – The Religion of Surfing

Surfing is the most addictive thing I have ever done in my life. That is a fact. Surfing is something that changes my opinion of things, that alters my perception of obstacles and smooths the path of my existence. Even when I know I should be doing something else a lot more important and I know I should be feeling guilty... well, I just don't.

Now that you have a clearer idea of what surfing means to me and how tragically affected I am with this obsession that we call a sport, I will share with you disturbing thought that I had while being burnt (dropped in on) this morning: I don't like beginners.

Why don't I like beginners? - Now I have to be careful here, let me make a clarification. It's not that we look on the beginner with distaste, but it is more just the thought of what he/she might do. They have already been judged to be a nuisance in our otherwise tranquil but analysing mind, an obstacle of which no good will come. Sometimes it is not enough that we have to suffer the indignancy of sharing the water with one beginner, but what about a whole clump. - A Surf School – A group of them all with their over stretching warm up, paddling for every wave, bailing mini-mal pop-outs in front of you... yeah, you know the ones I mean.

There are a lot of arguments as to why we should ease off on the harshness of these thoughts, here are a few:

Beginners and non surfers support the industry – uuu, well unless your business is in the surf industry, then that will not affect you at all. If you just surf for fun, which most of us do, then the industry does not really matter. Yes, it means that we have access to better wetsuits and different board shapes and materials, but given the choice of having an old board and suit and perfect waves with no surf schools, which would you choose? The surf industry exists to make money for people with money, like every other industry, its is an accountants' game at the end of the day.

It is not very sporting of me, I should learn to share and grow up a bit– hahaha I would say to that. Surfing can be the most tranquil, sharing sport on the planet, but this utopian state needs a few vital ingredients to stop the devolution into selfish chaos.

• Firstly, the wave to surfer ratio needs to be correct, more than enough waves for everyone to surf. This promotes sharing, calling other people in, high fives and general good vibes and happiness to all.

• Secondly, you need people with the right attitude, you really want either locals or travelling surfers with a bit of respect for others, people who don't mind sharing waves and know the do's and don'ts of the line-up.

• Thirdly, you need some consistent swell, there is nothing like swell starved surfers getting a taste of waves for the first time in ages, its like spending a week in the desert and fighting 10 men for a pint of water.

Essentially its about keeping the numbers down and not putting a 20 person surf school right on the peak.

In summary, we were all beginners once, it doesn't matter what age you were when you learnt, we all had to learn. Maybe you didn't learn in a surf school just as I didn't, but times change. People want to pay for instruction in sports as they think it makes the process easier, and maybe it does, I have not a clue about that. We have to, as surfers roll with the times and except these changes otherwise we will become the grumpy old local hero that no one likes.

Here is an interesting thought with which to leave you. This turned out to be the second disturbing thought I had this morning. Surfing is like a religion to me, I am not religious in the slightest but it is the closest I will come to identifying with a group of people. Our god is mother nature if you like, the line-up our church etc etc. My point is this :- what other religion do you know that actively discourages new members?

The moral of this rant is that perhaps instead of viewing a beginner as a potential pest we should try go and talk to them, offer some advice, call them into a wave. In short do all the things you wish someone would have done for you when you were setting out on the most important journey in life.