About a thousand years ago in what is now Kona Bay, a Polynesian man was enjoying a morning swim.
He came upon a floating tree trunk and swam to it. As he lay on it, a wave lifted him up and rushed him to the shore. He smiled, the ride had blown his mind.
He was the first surfer in Hawaii.
In 1778, this was recorded by Captain Cook: “When surf is breaking on the shore … Hawaii men lay themselves flat upon an oval “wood” plank, they wait for the time of the greatest swell. Pushing forward with their arms … it sends them on the wave with a most astonishing velocity. They seem to feel great pleasure in this.”
So what is this great pleasure of surfing that’s been going on for centuries?
What makes blond-haired gremlins, old-timers, locals and surfer girls wake up before dawn and head to the surf? I’ll let you in on the secret, it is flying, pure and simple. You fly across the wave like an angel.
Want to know how it feels? Let’s go surfing.
You pull up to the beach, take your board off the car, and start waxing it so your feet will stick, then lift it under your arm and start picking your way over the rocks, feeling the cold water bite your ankles.
You smell the sharp salt air and know why you’re alive! Looking out at fellow waveriders charging up and down across the waves you get pumped up.
You lay on your board and start paddling out to the break. Your board feels like sandpaper on your bare chest as waves hit your face stinging your eyes. Whitewater shoves you back but you push through, gliding over the top and keep paddling.
You finally make it outside to the break, such a relief.
Seeing the other surfers, you nod in a greeting, sitting on your board bobbling in the water you all know the code, understand the secret rules, don’t take off in front of someone, that’s about the only rule.
Then it appears on the horizon, a big set, your heart is pounding as long lines of water are rushing in, getting bigger. You see your wave and start paddling.
Suddenly the wave is under you, lifting you, accepting you, then quickly jump to your feet and begin to fly.
For a few sweet seconds you are flying freely, moving in silent ecstasy, joined with the sea. Charged with the energy of the ocean.
Up and down you go, zooming to the top then falling backward in a turn, feeling it in your stomach, butterflies, then back up again skimming along the glistening face.
Crouching down the wave curls over you, you’re tubed, lost in the green room, it’s the ultimate feeling, time stops, one, two, three, then you blast into the air!
It’s a cleansing thing, a freeing of the soul, a washing away of problems. There’s no problem on earth an hour in the surf can’t cure.
There is wisdom in the waves, all life’s lessons are there. Knowing when to go for it, or when to hang back, confidence after a good ride, humility at the power of the sea.
About all you ever need to know you can learn on a surfboard.
I learned humility one day at Sunset Beach, I looked up terrified to see the dark wall of a 20-foot wave breaking on top of me. Did I say humility? I meant stark fear.
So next time you’re driving along Alii Drive and look out at the surfers, you’ll know there’s a lot going on out there. Flying, wisdom, heroics, and oh yeah, lots of good fun.
Lucky you live Hawaii, surf’s up!