DEAR SURFERS – WINTER 2023/24

Dear Surfers,

About 14 years ago, Billabong released a campaign called “I surf because,” gathering
perspectives from some of the foremost professional surfers in response to the question:
“Why do you surf?”

There were a lot of poignant responses, but the late Andy Irons had the simplest, and
perhaps the best, stating “I surf because I’m always a better person when I come in.”
Despite watching this clip countless times, sometimes for the surfing, sometimes for the
wisdom, I never gave much thought to the question.

Why do you surf?

Where I’m currently living in the Pacific Northwest, the question becomes even more
meaningful. The coastline here takes hours to navigate, circumventing sea cliffs and
forest land with the hope that around the corner is just a bit better. The wind and
weather cooperate only for small windows at a time, and both the ocean and the solitude
have a way of making you feel small. There is every excuse you need not to surf.

Regardless, it’s 6 am, and again I’m loading boards and wetsuits into the car. In all
likelihood, I’ll soon find myself surfing another day too small, cold, and spooky to justify
the two-hour drive, hiking miles through the woods with a surfboard and bear spray, or
camping far from cell service, hoping for an hour of good wind before dark.

It’s here that I think about why I surf.

I surf because I need to. Because it grounds me, inspires me, and nourishes me. Because
it provides a lens from which I view the world. Because I, too, think I’m a better person
afterwards.

And knowing this makes it all the more meaningful.

As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, it’s easy to let excitement take over
and find ourselves in routines, however healthy, that form subconsciously. Winter,
however, can give us time to slow down, to reflect, and to appreciate what we sometimes
take for granted. Before we spring forward, invite yourself to consider the question:

Why do you surf?

me ke aloha,

Morgan Stierman, Operations Manager