Required Reading: World In the Curl: An Unconventional History of Surfing

If you could pick only one book to give you an adequate grasp of surfing history it should be Westwick and Neushul’s World in the Curl: An Unconventional History of Surfing (2013). Matt Warshaw’s History of Surfing and Encyclopedia of Surfing are ok — they give you a sense of some of the great legends of the practice and are definitely more visual — but World in the Curl is a critical history, which does not seek to lionize or glorify surfing’s problematic social issues. Yes, surfing is fun, the authors do not deny that. Obviously they surf and share a great love for surfing. It is on account of this love that they want to see their beloved with all of its imperfections. This is an honest approach to surfing history, one that seeks to get the story straight.

Westwick and Neushul frame surfing as having a “split personality” and ask whether or not it can continue to maintain this personality into the future:

“Much of its appeal has come from its rebellious, countercultural spirit—like rock ‘n’ roll, but even better because it involves nature. But surfing is tangled up with such dominant social forces as tourism, warfare, environmental engineering, and global commerce. Surfing is business, whether it’s selling surfboards, surfwear, tourism, magazines, forecasting websites, or pro contests. As Wall Street and Madison Avenue co-opted surfing, it became more accessible but also lost some of its original appeal. The more people got turned onto the stoke, the less fun there was in surfing. How subversive is surfing, when it is a billion-dollar business run by multinational conglomerates? When twelve-year-old kids from Manhattan, New York, to Manhattan, Kansas, spend their parents’ money on surf trunks that will never get wet? And when most surf lineups are bastions of middle-class white males? Can surfing go mainstream and still be a counterculture? Or does surfing’s popularity carry the seeds of its own demise? (316)”

That is an open ended question, but one always worth asking. I trend to the side of cautious optimism. Unlike Aaron James, author of Surfing with Sartre: An Aquatic Inquiry into a Life of Meaning (2017), I do not believe that what he calls ‘the surfer’ is a “new model of civic virtue”. I do believe that the more we face our split personality (and its history) and take it as it is — problematic — the more we are equipped to answer Westwick and Neushul’s question in a robust and nuanced way. I am tired of the formula “____ ruined surfing.” As Westwick and Neushul state, the very allure, the very fun aspect of surfing, its contagiousness if you will, is a constitutive part of its problem. In order for us to become “new models of civic virtue” we have to face the ambiguity and ambivalence in our own practices, own up to them, and figure out new ways to position ourselves towards them. This might mean taking stock of your own entitlement. Are you one of those middle-class white males taking up space in the lineup? Do you think you deserve more waves than other people? If so, what is your rationale? What is your surfboard made of? Who made it? Where did you buy it? Do you know the history of the materials and the shape of your surfboard? When was the last time you saw a person of color in the water? When was the last time you saw a woman surfer and assumed from the get go that she wasn’t capable of surfing well? What are your thoughts about other people in the water more generally? How do you view your own surfing in light of all of this?

To ask these kinds of questions is to become aware of the fact that you are, in the words of phenomenological or critical philosophy, an intentional being. This does not just mean that you have a consciousness that you are able to direct towards certain things, but more that you are a being that is embedded in a world with others. The being of your intentionality is constituted by this world and these others in and with which you coexist. The practices that you enjoy or practice all have histories, very complicated and intricate histories of subjects and objects interrelating and informing one another. These interstices of historicity and facticity inform the new discourses on intersectionality, which are really important to grapple with as we attempt to imagine better, more ethical futures. And in order to do that — in order to move forward — we need to look back and take stock of the past.

Modern surfing has a troubled history when it comes to race and gender, which Westwick and Neushul do a great job of accounting for in chapters such as Chp 3 “The Dark Side of Paradise: Race and Sex in Hawaii” and Chp 13 “Women and Surfing: From Flappers to Roxy Girl”. One of the most eye opening chapters on this subject, however, is Chp 8 “Surfing Turns Pro”. Here Westwick and Neushul show how when surfing became professionalized as a competitive sport, it was dominated by Australian, South African, and American attitudes and stances towards race and sex:

“The growth of pro surfing moderated, but did not erase, surfing’s countercultural image, but in one prominent way surfing very much reinforced the dominant culture: it remained an overwhelmingly white (and male) sport in most places outside Hawaii. This was most clearly the case in South Africa, which rode colonial sports enthusiasm to a prominent role in pro surfing while adhering to apartheid. But surfing in Australia and California also showed little ethnic diversity, which suggested that for all its countercultural cachet, surfing very much reflected mainstream attitudes when it came to race [and gender] (146).”

It is also of note that during this time one of surfing’s most infamous “legends”, Miki Dora, self exiled himself to South Africa. Dora is idolized by legions of surfers for his devil-may-care antics and flamboyant style on and off the beach. The truth of the matter is that despite the fact that he was a great surfer, Dora should be anything but a role a model for anyone. I would even argue that we should maybe not even take his great surfing seriously. Some may call this “cancel culture”, but Dora drew swastikas on his surfboard, stole money from his friends, committed wild bouts of credit card and check fraud, and held unacceptable racist attitudes. Author Daniel Duane penned a recent piece in the New York Times that dives into some of the nuances. Or if we don’t “cancel” Dora, we should at least place an asterisk by his name.

Just two days ago I was scrolling through instagram and saw a post that was lauding Dora, loaded with comments from famous professional surfers about how awesome Dora was. I thought about chiming in and saying, “Hey guys, what about the racism?” but I knew it would fall on deaf ears. A lot of a surfers have a very peculiar way of “only looking at the bright side” or being unrealistically optimistic just on account of the fact that at the end of the day surfing is really a ton of fun. But fun has a cost. And surfing is not cheap either! It is important that we explore all these facets of the practice we so much adore. And it is also important that we think about the solipsistic and exceptional attitudes so many surfers have. One of the myths that I am working to dispel is that surfing is this great individualistic enterprise — that there is ever a time when “it’s just me, the ocean, and my board, man.” Just by being in the ocean, with millions of particles of other people’s shit and piss, you are connected to all of the world! There is no way, not through surfing, not through meditation, and not even through death, that you can extricate yourself from this world with others. I find it much better to face the fact that we are all connected to one another and to take more responsibility for that fact.

So while you’re being a socially responsible surfer, not surfing during these times, or doing so very sparingly, very safely, and as far away from others as possible, pick up this book. You may want to pick up some of the others I’ve linked as well. Notice that I’m giving you Alibris links and not Amazon. I think Bezos has enough money, and you should try to find smaller bookstores if you can. Two other books I’m engaged with right now are The Critical Surf Studies Reader (2019) and 50 Concepts for a Critical Phenomenology (2020). The former contains some great scholarship on surfing. The latter is about the phenomenological method and features new ways of thinking about it and applying it in light of recent changes in perspective and method. Both of these contain short, but deep and well written essays. If you’d like to schedule a time to do some reading or go over some of these histories and concepts I’m happy to!!!

HARD TO KNOW WHETHER TO GO SURFING RIGHT NOW

I made this video today to share some of my thoughts with everyone about the current situation which is moving and changing so rapidly. NYC recommends that we all treat ourselves as though we have the virus, and stay in. Here I also give some tips for how you can practice your surfing and get better while not going to the beach. I also catch myself touching my own face (I had just washed my hands before shooting the video), but even that demonstrates how hard it is to comply to the codes of hygiene. For those that live at the beach, please stay safe if you’re going out this week. Waves won’t be massive, but it will be solid for our area, and it doesn’t take much to land you in the ER needing stitches or an MRI. Honestly, I cannot see a good argument for anyone surfing right now. That it’s “healthy” doesn’t seem strong enough. So is doing yoga and walking around your block or bicycling near your home (watch out for potholes and cars though).

I also give some insights into the things I am working on and writing about. I admit that it has been hard to be productive with so much information to consume. The hyper media is both a blessing and a curse. I am glad to be informed, but consuming the information is addicting and takes me away from my writing quite easily. Been trying to have moments of the day I put the phone on airport mode and turn the wifi off on the computer. Those moments have been my most productive for sure.

Also linking a video from my last surf in NJ. I mention in the vid above about watching the Coach Go Pro vids on Vimeo to get a sense of what the “line” looks like. By “line” I’m talking about the lip line. That feathering part of the lip that slopes downwards. Notice the taper of the waves I am choosing. I try not to go for closeouts unless there is a slight possibility that I’ll be able to make it out of the tube. Also excuse my bad manners at the beginning of the video when I was still in COVID-19 denial mode.

CSC X COVID-19 UPDATES AND LINKS

Those that receive the newsletters and follow the instagram already know my situation vis a vis the Costa Rica retreats, surf coaching, and COVID-19, but I thought I’d also post them on the blog for those that are new to the site and to the CSC community to read. Per the last post, in the first week of March I was just stoked that we were getting more surf than we had all winter. I didn’t see COVID-19 as an imminent threat to myself and to those I love, although I had heard it would be very similar to the 1918 Spanish flu, which by the way, was the event that led us to discover what a virus was in the first place! I figured that my interaction with others was pretty light in general, and that surfing was safe in times like these, etc. I also see my own blasé reaction to the news as a failure of federal, state, and local governments to properly relay information and react swiftly when they knew it was coming. If they would have told me that we should have already been in lockdown for a month, and made it relatively mandatory, that would have been helpful. If they had acted seriously at all, even as early as January, that would have been helpful. Instead they reacted untimely and infused most of us with the anxious behavior, panic, and fear that we are now experiencing on a daily level.

I cannot grieve for the fact that I did surf on March 7th, however, as it was a day for the ages. I am glad that I didn’t get hurt and that I did maintain my social distance more generally. But still I was a COVID-19 pandemic denier — “it’s just a flu” — and had my CR retreats on ‘greenlight’ when they should have been called off in January. In fact I flew to CR on March 16th, hence the picture above, where I was greeted by my brother, Andrew, who lives down there, and three CSCers already on retreat — Allie, Nicole, and Soyoup. They had had some fun surf in the past week, and the coasts of CR are COVID-19 free for now. I had been doing a ton of surfing and trip prep when I arrived that evening. While surfing we got word that gringos were hoarding at the local grocery stores. CR was not immune. I stocked up on some supplies for the week and went up the hill to make dinner. At dinner we learned that CR would shut its borders on March 17th at midnight. Still in denial, I figured we’d still be fine. Then Nicole found out her returning flight was canceled. I tried to get some sleep, but couldn’t stop thinking about how I may be endangering my clients and of the real possibility that I may not be able to return to the US, effectively stranding my partner and my dog in Brooklyn for the remainder of the pandemic. I went upstairs where everyone was still awake and I said, “The retreat is off.” I texted everyone else who had planned to come telling them to cancel their flights. We all booked on a returning United flight the following day, March 16th. We woke up at 3a, and I drove us to SJO, masks and gloves and wipes in hand. Now I was taking this seriously.

Nicole, Soyoup, and Allie all at SJO.

While in SJO we all contacted friends and family to alert them of our travel home. My partner, Sophia, wanted to hear from a credible source, so she had me contact my uncle, John Mattison, who is an MD and a global health expert. He recommended I go into an 8 day quarantine after air travel. We all arrived home from CR safely, and I am now on day 3 of my quarantine. It hasn’t been so bad and I am not showing any signs of symptoms. Still, I don’t want to asymptomatically transmit something to my partner or to the other surfaces of my house. In these past 3 days the situation has escalated to a code red international emergency. NYC will go on lockdown effectively Sunday night. In my phone calls with John, he urged me to observe a strict lockdown for the remainder of the pandemic. He did a podcast with Neurohacker that I recommend everyone reading this blog post go to immediately and listen to it. John is extremely optimistic that we and will turn this terrible time into a boon for all of humanity. Yes, lots of people are suffering and dying and will continue to suffer and die. But this is a major course corrective for our country, our world, and humanity. We need to observe the protocols of strict isolation and take the proper precautions when we risk coming into contact with peoples and places outside of our homes.

My uncle, John Mattison, is a global health expert. He’s spending 18 hours a day on the latest cutting edge research about COVID-19. He is not a journalist. You should hear what he has to say.

Per John’s recommendations, I’m not coaching or going surfing until we get a better handle on this situation. I am staying in my house. I have a strict schedule I am adhering to that includes a morning bike ride, three stretching sessions, two big blocks of dissertation time, and two big blocks for CSC business, including writing blog posts (Fridays and Mondays), newsletters (Wednesdays), and responding to texts and emails. I will also be making and editing educational videos and posting to instagram. I am available to schedule FaceTime surf consultations of videos that either I or someone else has taken of you. For currently active clients, all virtual support is free. For new or inactive clients I will charge an appropriate consultation rate for my time.

In closing, I wanted to share some links with you that I have found helpful in these trying times. I know it’s hard not to go surfing or see the people you love right now, but if you are staying home you are doing the social responsible thing. Some may want to be even more active in their communities and there are more and less safe ways to help those in need. Be safe and follow the right protocols!

On Activism in the time of Isolation and Social Distancing

Code Pink Links to ways to benefit self and others

Surfline on how COVID-19 is affecting surfers world wide

Whatyouth opinion article with one good reason not to surf

Surfrider Link on how COVID-19 may affect water quality

Another great article on why we should go on lockdown

Free Yoga!

I am really enjoying everyone sending me these links and thoughtful emails. Keep em coming! I’ll have another blog post for ya on Monday!

-Dion

Super Saturday March 7th in NY + Notes on Phenomenology of the Tube

I am posting this amidst one of the craziest world crises in modern times. It may even be questionable whether we should have been surfing so much in the past few weeks, but they are passed now, and all we can do is monitor the situation and make informed and ethical decisions about what is best to protect our personal health and the health of our communities. For this post I wanted to share my experience of one of the best days of surfing in NY in the past 6 years and to introduce some of you to how I am integrating philosophy and surfing in the way that I approach both.

After a dull winter punctuated with a few fun days and two trips to CA, NY finally got some serious surf. On March 1st the weekend forecast was flat. That quickly changed by March 3rd and all signs were pointing towards an epic swell on Saturday, March 7th. This was one of those where it was super clear that the hype was real. The Marine Forecast 1 on Buoy 44025 started calling 18-20ft seas in the outer waters (over 50 nautical miles out to sea), and all of the wind models had N winds from sun up to sun down. The swell direction looked to start ESE and shift ENE. The key factor in both of these directions is the double E — the swell was going to be quite east regardless of whether it had a more southerly or northerly inflection. This means long lines, lots of rights mixed into the usual lefts in NY, and lots of lefts mixed in with the usual rights in NJ, and a significant amount of closeouts in NY . . . but if the interval stays down (under 13 seconds), still a good (and potentially great) direction for NY and NJ breaks.

Friday afternoon on March 6th was stormy and misty. I closely monitored the Surfline cams, but by dark none of the swell had started to appear. I also kept an eye on Buoy 44025. By 8p I saw 7ft @ 8 seconds. That alone was promising. I had sent out a newsletter two days prior to alert beginners not to surf and had more advanced clients on call should the morning start small enough to coach. When I woke up at 4a I checked the buoy again. It was technically down or had been down for the past three hours (buoy conspiracy!) but the last reading was 9ft @ 9 seconds. Those are miracle readings for tubes at Rockaway Beach. This also meant that it was already too big for the majority of the people I mentor. I called all sessions off except for Catee Lalonde, whom I’ve been working with for over 3 years now. I have coached and seen Catee charge pretty size waves during hurricane swells, so I was confident that she could at the very least make it out and get in position for one or two. On one storm — TD10 — she sent it on a wave I didn’t even want anything to do with!

Catee ready to charge.

As I drove through Rockaway in the moonlit dawn I noticed the high tide filling some streets near the bay side. I remember seeing the moon shimmering in a flood puddle in the middle of a street near the 70s while I was stopped at a red light. Must be dicey for the residents. I won’t be moving to Rockaway any time soon.

Parking was tight, as usual. Some kindhearted soul was there before me and made room in a tight spot for me near a fire hydrant, pretty close to the boardwalk. Catee didn’t fair as well, but at least the warm changing spot was close to the beach. We walked up onto the boardwalk in the still darkness. The surf rumbled and as the black grey dawn started to lighten up we began seeing whitewaters reflected by the boardwalk lights. The tide was nearly up to the boardwalk as well. As the day dawned further we began to see that there was serious swell in the water. Sets pulsed through one after the other, lines stacking out the back. I sent one last CSC bat signal text to confirm to everyone that sessions were off for the day. Strangely, as Catee and I headed back to the van to change, we did not see people rushing to get out into the surf.

First light surf check.

I saw plenty of tubes on our surf check, so I choose to ride my new Charles Mencel 6’6” twin pin gun. I got it made for this kind of hollow surf. Lots of foam under my chest to give me confidence that I can get into waves early. I put Catee on another Mencel board — a 7’3” hybrid with plenty of paddle power too. I really don’t like to be under gunned in real surf, especially when it’s windy. I learned this surfing Ocean Beach in San Francisco for 10 years. Take out a 5’10” and get tossed. Take out a 6’6” and make tubes. Unless you’re Kelly Slater, you probably need more foam than you think you do.

6’6” Mencel twin pin with 4 deep channels.

The swell was not at its height when we paddled out and the higher tide made the channel by the jetty deep and safe for our dry hood paddle out. The waves were good sized — probably 6-8ft on the faces. The wind and outgoing tide were creating a drift out to sea, so we had to push the envelop on the inside to be in position for the good ones. Catee hasn’t been surfing a lot this winter and was a little out of form, so she stuck outside for most of the approachable drops. I had the Go Pro in my mouth — not yet on the super wide setting — to see if I could get some cool tube footage and capture Catee’s rides, should she get any. We both knew it would be hard for her. I tested out a few rides. First one meh. Second one a shallow but perfect tube. Third one was not too deep either but the wave was incredibly formed and I saw the lip over my right shoulder for a majority of the ride. You’ll see both of these waves on the video. Again, the camera is not on the widest setting, so you have more of a square image, which does not capture the lip going over the head as well as, I would soon learn, the super wide setting does. Fast forward a week later and it turns out photographer Tommy Colla had snapped a sequence of this wave from 3 blocks away. Check it out.

After those first shallow tubes I got a really deep one that spit inside so hard it shot me off my board and sprayed my face with sand. Due to the cold winds and water the Go Pro battery died quickly. The swell was on the rise. When the battery died I went into the beach to drop it off on my towel. I had a quick chat with my new intermediate client, Emory Lee. Emory came to the beach to check out the size and to just meet face to face. We watched Catee barely miss a great right and then scratch over a 5 wave set, turtling under the lip of the 3rd wave. Word to the wise: do not go for the first wave of a set unless you are 100% sure that you can catch it! This is even more true when it’s pumping and you’re the only one out! Nothing worse than missing a wave and having a whole set nail you on the dome. Catee was getting pushed towards the W end of the jetty — this is always a danger during E swells — so I stayed on shore watching her because it was clear she was trying to come in and I wanted to make sure she was safe. She did make it in, but didn’t get a successful ride. I was simply glad that she charged out there and came in safe. I took that as my cue to get back out there.

From inside one that ended up closing out on me. Notice how square the frame is. Not a wide enough setting!

I left the Go Pro on the beach and had a much more successful portion of my first session. It is true that it is easier to breathe and concentrate when you’re not trying to press the button on through your 7mm mitten. There was still no one out except one guy riding a surf mat, so I had my choice of waves in the lineup. It felt like I got so many tubes they all kind of blend into one. The 6’6” would allow me to enter deep with no big air drop and the fins and channels lock in mid face when I press hard off my toes to maintain a mid line through the tube. No slipping and very little drag — a great combination of qualities in a tube stick. I was pinging around the lineup, taking some from near the jetty and others from the middle of the beach. If I got too close to the W jetty I took a whitewater in and walked back up the beach to use the channel again. Sessions like this are like being at an amusement park with really fun rides that you just keep getting back in line to ride.

People started filtering out into the water. Per usual they all crowded around the jetty, so I switched to the middle peak to continue surfing alone. At the jetty the guys were mostly pushing one another too deep — and a great majority were not riding the right boards — I saw people on shortboards and retro boards that are ok in 3-4 foot surf, but will definitely not suffice in these conditions, especially with the tide getting lower and the sets coming in more frequently. I saw many wipeouts and unsuccessful pull ins. A lot of people pulling back after making the whole lineup believe they were committed. If you’re going to do that you should not even paddle out. That ruins the waves for those that want them. It also means you feel unsafe. If you cannot transform that energy into the strength and daring to launch yourself in, then your anxiety is liable to get you in trouble. Sometimes just being on the right board can mitigate this. So can preparation. I grew up surfing waves like these, had the right board, and wanted more tubes. I also did yoga at home before I drove out.

As the crowd became more intense I decided that since I had all day to continue surfing, I should go in, hydrate, download footage, eat a little something, and warm up. That was a great call. I texted Juan and he was on his way. After he arrived we went and checked the surf again and I brought my camera. It was draining low tide. The whole crowd had exited the water. Swell was way bigger now. I filmed empty tube after empty tube and took some incredible still shots as well. Then we went back to the van and suited up.

I had intended to use the Go Pro for the entirety of the second session, but with the waves looking heavier, more frequent, and more intense — which yes, would have yielded incredible footage — I did not want to deal with it. I just wanted to focus on making the drop, getting under the lip, and out of the tube. It was a great call. I made it it out of 5 great tubes in a row. And even got a tiny spit out of one. When I came in I saw a guy with a camera on the beach. I took his info and he texted me the below photo. I was admittedly a little bummed because his shot has pretty poor timing for how deep I was the entire ride, but he said that he hadn’t seen me in there until I came out. I thanked him and am ultimately grateful that he got the shot. That was my 5th or 6th tube of that session — I was pretty conservative — only going for waves that I knew I could make — and it gave me enough confidence to try the Go Pro again. I set it on super wide. It had gotten more crowded. Way more crowded. And it became harder to get into position for the ones I wanted. Nevertheless I got one decent tube with the thing in my mouth, and as you will see in the video, the super wide setting gets the shot! The next one was a long one that I ultimately got closed out on. Then I got skunked, and finally found one in. Another three hours in the memory bank.

Exiting the tube. Photo: @dougmike770

As many know, I’m writing a dissertation on philosophy and surfing. I’m currently working on a chapter on phenomenology. Phenomenology is the study of the structures of lived experience. I intend to end that chapter with notes on the tube ride — on what is happening in there temporally, physically, emotionally, intellectually. Phenomenology might ask: how are the world and we constituted in such ways that tube riding is at all possible in the first place? Can we say something about human relationships to technology, nature, history, culture, and other human beings vis a vis the tube ride? I think we can! Phenomenology often starts from the first person intersubjective perspective of a being-with-others-in-the-world. It starts from a premise that whatever it is that any given person calls ‘I’ is itself by virtue of being in a world with other ‘I’s — it is more properly a ‘we’. The reason I would even take GoPro at all is to share my tube rides with others. This sharing serves many functions. I can learn things from the information that is captured in regards to how deep or shallow in the tube I am. I can analyze my own lines so that I can adjust in my next session. The tube happens quickly. Time does not stand still. One is transfixed by the vision of the tossing lip in front of one — it’s a deep and intense emotional state where fear, anxiety, joy, and elation all intermix. This highly cathected experience I believe has lead some people to say that time stands still in there. It’s more that you want it to stand still. That is part of the reason once a person has acquired the skills and ability to get tubed — how one does that requires its own phenomenological analysis — we can start by saying that years and years of wave judgment is key — they always seek more and more tubes. It simply never lasts long enough! And a really good one you want to prolong through sharing. Did my friend see it? Are we going to talk about it? Break it down? How deep was I? I felt pretty deep, but can’t be sure without some kind of verification. Without the verification the experience is real and intense and good, but sharing it helps strengthen its solidity in the whole body memory. Which is why I am so personally grateful for Tommy and Doug’s shots above! I can take those and add them to my full body tube wisdom storage to apply to future sessions.

The fluctuation of the order of time is something that in surfing is very profound and unique. My reflections on what time “is” has led me to believe that time is, as Spinoza pointed out in the 17th century, essentially eternal. This means that we cannot know the beginning or end of time or existing and that our institutions and historical events are real and constitutive of the worlds we live in. We can use ancient wisdom to solve future problems (we should do that more often). We can also use modern knowledge to understand ancient worlds better. In surfing, I use the wisdom handed to me by forebears, both directly and indirectly, to inform my decisions in the water. The etiquette norms I adhere to were originally established by ancient Hawaiians, but I practice them wherever I surf. Past mistakes are ingrained so that I can improve on them. I mean this technically in terms of tube riding. I have thoughts like, “last time you were too deep and fell to the bottom of the wave — give it two extra pumps next time.” This thought is both past tense and futural. Past because I am drawing on experiences I have already had, images I have already seen. Futural because I am looking ahead to future tube rides. When I am in the tube I am thinking quickly looking on the formation of the round orb in front of me. I want to be thinking 1-2 seconds ahead of it so that I can anticipate how to adjust. Much of what Aaron James calls “adaptive attunement” is not so much adjusting in the moment as it is having this robust relationship to time amidst the unfolding of any given wave. If I make it I remember what I did right. And I also obsess about how good it felt. I reimagine it in my brain. I splash the water. I wonder if someone will congratulate me or whether I got the shot or whether someone was hiding on a jetty with a camera. Again, it happened if no one saw, and I had a great experience, but because I am ultimately connected to and constituted by others, each tube is heightened exponentially if the experience is palpably shared in one way or another.

I explore thoughts like these in this section of my dissertation/book project. And fortunately for me, Super Saturday March 7th gave me ample opportunity to experience a variety of tubes with different levels of intersubjectivity. There became a level of intersubjective life that was intolerable for me. People were doing paddle arounds (Paul Surf — someone who has recently moved to NY, and started shaping in Rockaway, happens to be one the worst offenders), going too deep while at the same time calling others off of waves, and just not taking their turns or observing the ancient respect code of aloha. That is when people are surfing according to the wrong understanding that life is about “me” rather than “we”. I am of the firm belief that when we focus on the latter ontology we find that a.) there are actually plenty of resources to go around; b.) we are essentially happier when we share resources with others, so long as we are showed the same kindliness and respect in return (this is essentially the principle of aloha). The experience of a crowded lineup where aloha is not observed, we can all agree, is far different than either one based upon respect and turn taking or a more or less empty one. But also I had to consider that I had had my fill that day and didn’t need to be one more person clogging the zone. The tubes from my earlier sessions communicated to me a sense of satisfaction and willingness to finally go in and rest up again.

Evening session gem. Visualization is also a key to the phenomenology of surfing. When you see a wave like this you want to imagine where you would take off and what kind of line you’d draw through the tube.

After another rehydration session in the van, I left that area to check a spot that doesn’t break very often. Turns out that this swell height and interval combined with the afternoon high tide were making it all time. It wasn’t even that much smaller than the first joint! I connected with my dear friend Franco Rinaldi who has a brand new CSC Potentia that he loves. I took some video of Franco’s session and some stills of the golden afternoon lighting on the waves, and then I headed out for one last session before dark. The swell had died considerably and I only caught two waves. One a little head dip and the last a closeout out tube with the most gorgeous tube photo I have ever taken! The pink and orange light inside the tube is surreal and even hallucinatory.

This was one of the most life affirming and joyous days of my life. I was so stoked to see Franco drop into two solid ones on his new board. Juan, who is a great surfer, was a little out of rhythm with the day, but I did see him get one fantastic tube at the first spot. It was cool to share tube notes with him and to talk about what we would have done better if we could relive the day again. We both agreed that we watched a little too long during the peak low tide when I was taking pictures, and that we should have probably gotten in the water about 45 minutes earlier. There hasn’t been a swell like this in some time, and it may be a little while before there is one again, but I hope to use this experience to make even better decisions, adjustments, and attunements next time I get the opportunity. One of the things I am very pleased about is calling off coaching sessions. It was too big for most people, and it wouldn’t have been safe. I have tried to coach on days like this before — Hurricane Dorian with Nelson Hume — and my concern for the safety of my student takes away from my focus on my own safety and efficacy as surfer. And since my practice is structured on this intersubjective ontology I endeavor to be better so that we can all rise up together. Enjoy the remaining photos.

Waves all over the joint.

Franco and his new CSC Potentia from a time when we were all more lax about Covid-19.

And here washing off the germs on an overhead runner. The board works!

Me and Juan in the surf van between sessions.

Last light!

Packing up under the moon, about to head home to a new reality.

A Great Email From Ben Lai

Since I have been working on the dissertation in much more earnest it is easier for me to write more in general. 2020 has started off with two blog posts. I always moan about how I intend to keep up the blog more regularly. Obviously I just need to shut up about it and do it. I realized that there are so many things worth sharing and that it does not take that much time to sit down and prepare them. This time I want to share two emails sent to me by Ben Lai. They are regarding the notes I sent him apropos of our 7th session together.

When Ben started working with me he was paddling with legs open, not looking down the line, and not functionally bending at the knees. He has come a long way in 7 sessions. I have had him ride all three CSC x Barahona Shapes boards — the orange 9’, the pink 8’6”, and the yellow 7’6” (pictured above). His board is pretty decent (and since it’s a Becker a good chance it was also shaped by Jose), but you all know how I like to see everyone with a little extra foam under them. The shapes I have chosen for the CSC quiver are designed to advance one’s surfing more rapidly than other equipment.

Ben jumping over the inside shore break on his first attempt to paddle out at Long Beach on the same day. He got swept down the beach shortly after this. Photo: Dion Mattison

On Ben’s 7th session I had him take out the 7’6” because the waves were a little bigger and I did not want him to have issues with pearling or having too much board when he got stuck inside. I knew it would be a bit of a challenge for him to paddle the smaller board, but he is a fairly light guy, so I was confident he would be able to figure it out. We started at Long Beach. It was chunky with a side shore ENE breeze. Tide was medium and there were a fair few waves coming through. He got denied on his first attempt to paddle out. As I watched him paddle I could see how the wide legs caused his weight to shift forward on the board and how it did not allow enough stability over the back of the board to secure the board under him. This made his arms have to work harder in each paddle stroke, and I could tell he was getting gassed. I started videoing him and telling him about it in the video. Then when he came in I told him in person: “Keep your legs together Ben. Squeeze your butt and drive your hips into the board so that you can let your arms have a break. They are working double time.” He did that on the next try and made it outside. Then he caught three waves.

There were some solid ones rolling through in Long Beach! Photo: Dion Mattison

When I went to paddle out with him the tide had gotten too low and the waves looked terrible. We made a last minute location change to Rockaway. Everyone drove their cars in their wetsuits. We made the right call! The waves were glassier and more lined up. The crowd was light, and we were stoked. It was still good size for an advancing beginner, and I know that Ben struggled to get in position out there. There was a lot of current running even for Rockaway. The waves were going sideways and the best ones were on the inside so you had to paddle a lot the whole session to find yourself in position. I took the Go Pro out, and Ben took off on this gem towards the middle of the session. I urged him to go, so he didn’t burn me. That is the difference between wave sharing and blatant burning. If someone cheers you to go in front of them, go! But do make the drop.

We were joined that day by Tommy — he also surfed Long Beach — and Kristin. We saw Rockaway regulars Sol, Evan, Juan, Freddy, and Jon in the water. They all seemed to be having fun and snagging some good waves. I was a little frustrated at how the tubes were pinching on me and the waves, while fun, lacked a lot of power. But this is the east coast after all. Below are Ben’s emails, my comments on them, and the video of that epic day:

Dion-

The only reason I made it back out in LB is your pep talk. I'm still amazed at how minor adjustments changes everything. It was a great and super fun day of learning.

I went out today for a really really amazing solo session. The lines were super clean and long this morning at 90th St. There were only 5 people out at 8:30am. Interestingly, your GoPro videos really helped me the most. For one, the commentary was great. Secondly, your first person perspective of riding the waves! This allowed me to picture myself on my own board and what I wasn't doing. I was noticing where your hands were and where your eyes were looking as you filmed yourself riding the waves. Plus, your body movements and how you were moving the board. (It made me realize how much I need to learn!) It's one thing to watch you riding from the beach but this perspective really made a difference for me today because I was able to more realistically mimic your positioning. Does that make sense?

I read your notes this morning before going out. I intended to really concentrate hard on back foot action and less bending/more hips. This coupled with a visual of your GoPro movements... I rode 3 waves on the upper half of the face all the way down the line and it was the best feeling. The feeling from the upper face is dramatically so much more exhilarating. Yeah, 3! The first one I figured it was luck and I'm still not sure I understand what happened but maybe I got lucky 3 times. It was amazing nonetheless. The waves got closeouty by 9:30 but I still capitalized on the practice session a lot. Plus, other things I kept in my head was you telling me to be under the lip, don't go unless it's scary, eyes down the line, don't look at the board, trust my popup... It's a lot, in case you didn't know. LOL 

I think people should stop making the comparison to skateboarding and snowboarding because surfing is nothing like either. Those other two are about riding (or manhandling) your instrument over a static surface. You can ride ugly and be good. Surfing to me is like riding a Pegasus. The surfboard is the saddle on a gliding horse trying you flip you off its back. 

Sorry for the long email. Just so stoked from these last few days!

I was so stoked to get this email. I told Ben that it made my day and asked whether I might be able to put it on my blog. To this he responded:

I forgot you had a blog. I very much like your end of the year entry. It was really informative and motivating. I really like to read things like that to help better understand what I am doing wrong or maybe 'am not doing wrong'. That it's all inherent to the difficulties of surfing in general and not necessarily that I suck. Kind of like how these surf memoir books are relatable only to good surfers and actually make surfers like me feel untalented. Sure, the story is interesting but even 'Kook' is about a dude who conquered surfing so in the end it feels like bragging. Most of us newbies can't relate to that because we haven't gotten anywhere near that point and probably won't. For example when you wrote how everyone was gassed, I liked that because honestly I thought it was just me. It really never occurred to me that anyone else was struggling. Even the simple statement of you telling me that the idea of "if it's not scary then it's not worth it" is priceless to me and marked a turning point in my mentality. When you get technical and say 'sit under the lip', 'catch the peak', 'wait for the curl' or whatever it doesn't register for me because honestly I'm only focusing on not getting crushed. I can empathize with the 'scary' idea because I was always so scared of getting eaten by the waves. Pushing our limits in surfing is about overcoming fear but there needs to be a gauge to that fear. I know that you allowing us to be out in those conditions meant that it was manageable for our level and not too dangerous. That's why the concept of 'oh, it's supposed to be scary' actually clicked. In my head I was like 'Ohhh, I'm supposed to chase the scary ones and sit where it's scary.' Now, I'm like, 'Oh dang, you look scary but fuck it, here goes!' I'm willing to bet that everyone sitting too far outside is because they don't understand how to interpret this scary aspect of surfing.

Maybe there should be a book where in the end the surfer just continues to suck and doesn't ride well but is at peace with their love of being in the water and will ride junky shit straight to the beach for the rest of their life. That's the majority of us after all. I guess there's a philosophical quandary to debate there! LOL Honestly, at one point I might have written that book but good thing I signed on with you because I see a different path. Not saying I will ever be the surfer I want to be but I feel something different happening. I hope Owa works out. I play basketball with him occasionally. He's a really good baller! I keep thinking about my drop at Rockaways in the last video at 3:38. Man, I want to redo that one so badly! But that's the dilemma, Pegasus isn't going to sit still.

I like that Ben took so much time studying the videos and the notes and then went and applied them to his surfing. It speaks volumes about the efficacy of this way of teaching surfing. But Ben, just so you and everyone else know, there is a book about a surfer that continues to suck. It’s called It’s Good to Suck At Something by Karen Rinaldi. I read the first 30 pages or so. I did laugh a few times. She has some great NY wit. But ultimately she had a really shitty surfing teacher/mentor in a 16 year old kid from the Jersey Shore. Karen only had the pushing style of lessons and was not taught surfing from the ground up from the start. She became obsessed all the same and now has a pretty established surfing practice. She still contends that she sucks. Nevertheless, like the rest of us, she continues to surf because surfing is such a complex and intense activity that engages one’s whole being and makes one feel a certain joy in living. But, as Ben seems to hint at in the email, it might be possible to suck less and have even more fun at surfing. This is what I believe and it is the foundation of my approach to life and to surfing. In fact I don’t really like the idea of sucking forever. I checked out Karen’s instagram. She isn’t looking down the line from the take off. If only someone would have told her that in the first place! Not looking down the line is the one of the main things that holds people back, and something I am currently writing about from a phenomenological perspective, and which I work on every day I do coaching. Sometimes I sit on the shoulder of waves students are taking off on and scream, “Look over here! Look at me!” This pulls their heads up and aims their eyes down the line, taking their focus off of the surfboard and the scary pit they see below them. It also keeps the head higher than the butt and opens up your shoulders so that your legs have room to land on the board. As Ben writes, when you do this you get into that upper third of the wave and the feeling is tremendous! What an achievement!

Rockaway session after Long Beach shut down and the Go Pro view that has been so helpful for Ben. This is the vision you want to see! See that line on the wave up to the left? That is “the line” you need to be looking at! Photo: Dion Mattison

I also appreciate what Ben says about surfing being nothing like skateboarding and snowboarding. The thing is it’s like this: skateboarding and snowboarding are like surfing, not the other way around. If you can surf, you will be able to pick up one of those things and be ok at it pretty fast. But it does not work the other way around because in surfing we have to catch the moving ramps!!! If you can’t catch the moving ramp and stand up on it, then it’s pretty hard to figure out what the hell kinds of things you ought to be doing with the rest of your body. As Ben says, “Pegasus isn’t going to sit still.”

There’s also something more philosophical about continuing to try to be better at all aspects of living. Spinoza, the thinker of the conatus, tells us that, “We don’t even know what a body can do.” This means that we have almost limitless potential for learning, growth, and virtuousness in actions. And the more we see others unlocking their potential to learn and grow, the more we gain confidence that we can do the same. I actually have a whole chapter about that in the forthcoming dissertation/book. It is not that we will not continue to make mistakes or that we’re trying to be “the best” or “perfect”. Those kinds of high ideals are bound to make us feel the depths of despair and failure. We should be satisfied if we can merely become incrementally better in our relationships to waves, others, and self. But we need help and guidance to do this. As Spinoza writes, “There is nothing more useful to man than other men.”

Welcome to 2020 -- Advice for Challenging Conditions

Happy New Year CSC Fam!!! We closed out 2019 in super fun but challenging surf in NJ. The wind forecasts leading up to the session were all over the map. All the primary signs pointed to offshore NW winds in NY for the earlier morning hours, then shifting to the favorable NJ W winds for midday and afternoon. First plan was to get a session in in NY then head to NJ for the rest of the day. I obsessively refreshed Windfinder in the 24 hours leading up to the event, and saw the night before that winds looked to shift W even earlier than first forecasted. I shifted the plans again to just target NJ since NY is a bummer with W winds. I picked up the new assistant, MG, in Bed Stuy at 6a, then grabbed CSC “clean-slater” (a person who has learned to surf with us since day 1 of their surfing career) Phil Bohlman in Prospect Heights on our way to the BQE.

My yoga coach, Evan Perry (@evanperryfitness) , was en route 30 minutes ahead of us. He had also seen the same wind report the night prior, but both of us failed to check the current wind scenario before getting in our cars. D’oh! Yeah the wind forecast can change that much in such a small amount of time. Not only was it still offshore in NY, it was very offshore from the NNW. Should have stuck with Plan A. We had a little solace that the swell was super E so NJ looked to have a bit more size than NY. First spots we checked had a little morning sickness, but nothing too bad. We went a little further south and found something that looked really fun. Winds were light offshore already. It needed a touch more time, so we ran by Charles Mencel’s (@mencel_surfboards) shaping bay to pick up the new 7’3” “Potentia” style board that he shaped for us. The thing looks so great for the advancing beginner! Can’t wait to give it a go. After a coffee/bathroom pit stop we were back at the spot and it was cleaning up even with the mega high tide at 11a.

We had a big roster this day — 5 ppl — and so I wanted everyone to have a chance to get coaching. No one had to be anywhere, and we had all day, so the plan was for a first group to go out while the others watched and tried to understand conditions. Tommy and Johan were least intimidated so they paddled out with me first. Tommy was on the 7’6” “Potentia” shaped by Jose Barahona and Johan was on his own 7’4” replica. We used a jetty rip to paddle out. I could tell immediately that the water felt thick and heavy and that the waves looked much bigger and scarier than they actually were. It had that post storm, high tide, wonky lump to it where the waves lurch up all of a sudden, but then they tend to back off and not break until they hit the inside. There were a few tubing sections, but they mostly clamped at the end with no clean exit.

My personal game plan was to find medium to inside waves that would roll through into the shore break. It was also to target an area closer to the jetty where no one was surfing. There was a crowd of local surfers in the middle of beach. As soon as I hit the water I realized the reason most of them were surfing there was not because the waves were necessarily better, but because the rip was pulling south and dumping everyone in that location. There were two main options: 1.) fight the rip and surf alone; 2.) don’t fight the rip and surf in a crowd. Whenever I am faced with those options I choose to fight the rip. It wasn’t like Long Beach on an E swell. It wasn’t a river. Just a light tug, but persistent enough that if you didn’t work against it, you’d end up in the middle with the rest of the pack.

When you’re working with me, the goal is always to sit as close to me as possible. If I am far away from you it’s not because I don’t like you or I am shunning you. It’s because I want you to sit where I am sitting because that is where I have identified that there are the most amount of mellow waves, with little to no competition, for you to try your skills on. If you are far away from me your chances of getting a wave, particularly in difficult conditions, goes down tremendously. Here’s where breathing and fitness play an enormous roll. I understand that it can be hard to keep up with me. I surf for a living and have been surfing my whole life. But the real key to my ability to fight the rip is that I’m not paddling that hard! I’m paddling with great form at a slow clip and taking breaks to sit up and rest. I’ll sit a little — no longer than 1 minute usually — and if no waves come to me, it’s lay back down and hold position by lightly paddling some more. I often call this “maintenance paddling”. I recommend that this is done with your legs crossed, one ankle over the other. This helps train your legs to stay together and keep your chest up, both of which are required for good paddling form. If your form is off when you are maintenance paddling you are going to get tired quickly. If you are not connecting to your breathe, you are going to get tired quickly. As with yoga, breathe into your core to make your breathe efficient. In surfing the breathe connects you to your board. You want to be connected from the bottom of your rib cage to the tops of your knees. Knees no more than 2” apart. Make sure your strokes are deep enough, but don’t pull too hard. You’re just trying to stay in place or move a little up the beach. If you sit too long and drift too far, the more you have to paddle. If you’re out of shape from not surfing or the holidays or some combo of both, all of this is going to be hard. But trust me, it’s easier if you paddle more often, but with less energy, than sitting too long then have too far to paddle to get back into position.

Johan, Phil, Tommy, Greg, and Ben all spent a great deal of their session and their energy just trying to stay close to me or trying to get back outside. The inside was intense from time to time and if any amount of anxiety filters into your system your energy resources get zapped even faster. Greg was having some visual issues with the jetty — not wanting to be close to it with all that water swirling about — but I took him for a paddle out and we made it outside without a wave even breaking on our heads once. Sometimes an experience like that is the whole reason you hire a coach on a tough day in the first place. Greg mentioned to me that he was having trouble feeling glide in his paddling, which was noticeable from an outside perspective as well. He, Johan, Phil, and Tommy all struggled with glide in their paddling, which is why it was difficult for all of them to get into a wave. Ben, the skinny guy riding our pink board, got two successful drops because he was on the biggest board with the most float. He was gassed after those two waves too, so although he got into some, it still took a lot out of him.

Staying in surf shape is not easy if your job is not, well, surfing. I could tell you lots of things like watch what you eat and go to the pool. Do cross training, keep up the cardio. Do yoga. All of that is helpful, but it’s also hard to keep up. I am not saying to eschew any of those things, but instead to do what is reasonable for your lifestyle and surfing expectations. And even if you have a workout routine, if you haven’t surfed in over 2 weeks, paddling is not going to be easy. Nothing prepares you for surfing like surfing. So my main piece of advice is what I said before: focus on your breathe and focus on your paddling technique. The better your technique, the more efficient your stroke, the more energy you conserve, the more able you are to sit near me, the more likely you are to be in position for a good one.

Most of the crew this day did get in position for one, but once it was upon them either the strength to get into it was gone or the visual of the water sucking up as the wave started to form caused jitters. I stressed to the crew that the only waves that would let you in had a kind of “scary” look to them as they lurched up, but that they really weren’t that big or that heavy. Some might toss you a little or shake you under water, but nothing was holding you under for longer than 5 seconds. The more you look at waves and understand their peaks and shoulders the more confident you’ll become about where to take off. Don’t ever turn your back to the wave for too long. You want to stay facing the wave seated until it’s time to do a sit turn and paddle gently — gently because you’re in position and you don’t have to paddle too hard if you’re in position — into it, eyes down the line, ready to stand as it picks you up.

The other huge takeaway is to be honest about your surfing shape and your confidence that you’re able to get into one of the waves you’re watching from the shore. Consider a few important variables: when was the last time you surfed? have you gained or lost any weight? have you been keeping up with your pool or yoga routine? can you identify the waves that are appropriate for you from the shore? do you feel anxious? scared? If your confidence is low or your physical abilities are limited by any of these factors then you should be riding a board that feels “a little too big”. So what if you can’t duckdive? You probably can’t duckdive the midlength you’re riding anyhow. When in doubt take more foam out. Even if you’re in shape but just struggling with confidence on the drop, take out a bigger board. I know you’re saying, “But Dion you’re riding a 5’4” in the video and duckdiving is easy for you.” Yes, and I surf for a living and have been surfing my whole life. But even I got winded this day. In my second session, which is not on video, I took out a 6’9” which I can only duckdive in a shallow manner. When I got caught inside on the larger sets I looked behind me, made sure no one was there, and ditched my board. I’m struggling with a shoulder injury right now and would much rather ditch my board than have a wave pull my shoulder out of the socket. I just stayed calm while the ocean pulsed then paddled when it got clear again. I was so thankful to have more foam. I don’t think I could have even caught a wave on my fish that second session.

Be aware that if you’re in a session with me and we both notice the board is too small for where you’re at, we can go in and get a bigger board for you. I mean I have done that with my own quiver. If I go out on something smaller and realize I can’t stay in position or get into a wave, I go in, put the chip away, and get some more foam under my chest.

Even with a larger board, however, the visual aspect of looking down what seems to be a vertical wall of water remains. I remember a few times this session, especially with Johan and Phil, they were in a perfect spot for a wave, but when they looked at it coming at them they thought they were too far inside so they paddled out a little then turned around to go for it, and it backed off and broke where they were sitting in the first place. Positioning is hard and so is keeping your eyes down the line and realizing how much time you actually have to take off. It really isn’t happening as fast as you think it is! Even here, BREATHE! Keep your head up, look down the line, gently stroke in, push up, chest high, for 1 second, then onto the feet.

And lastly, even if the awesome wave catching thing doesn’t happen, give yourself a pat on the back for just getting out there. You’re confronting your fitness levels, paddling skills, and fear of the unknown. There’s a lot to be said for that.