Ever since the “coolness” pandemic spread across the surf scene, surfers everywhere have been more focused on how they look to other surfers than just surfing. Humans are social creatures and it’s our nature to strive to be accepted by others.  Judging a person solely by their clothes or wave craft of choice sets our biological need for tribal acceptance into overdrive and imprisons us into a surfing world of bs rather than the wilderness refuge it truly is.

I first started surfing because the ocean felt good. Riding bodyboards along the beaches near my home in Orange County, we’d bounce on our bellies toward shore propelled by a mysterious natural force. It was addicting. But then we found out we were kooks. Some stickered-up, shortboard wielding kids told us as much, in the beach parking lot as we ate our burritos atop our Price Club purchased boogie boards. Once we were informed of our unfortunate status, the fun disappeared. Giggling and singing in the water, pulling each other via leash on the shore and other “not cool” activities were immediately abandoned and replaced with tentative actions and gestures that mimicked other “cool” surfers in mortal fear that we’d be called out again. That was the day my path diverged towards foolishness.

I worked my ass off to become a good surfer in a way that would gain me acceptance. Some of what I learned would be crucial water skills that would allow me to be a safe member of the lineup, but the vast majority of it was emulating pro surfers’ mannerisms so I might one day be liked and admired and thought of as cool- not some kook. After achieving that on some level in my late teens, I realized I’d sacrificed a connection to myself along the way and ignored how the simple act of surfing felt to me. Instead, I thought how is this looking? Is that right? No. Yes? No? Maybe??? I stopped surfing… It wasn’t me. I wasn’t a surfer. I was a follower. Who was I? For three years I searched for that answer on land. Finally, when the smell of the ocean reminded me more of riding on my belly shoreward rather than all the other crap, I returned. I realized the ocean had been whispering to me all along. Underneath it all I’d be been soaking up something that was far greater.

Photos by: Carol Sutton (top) & Cyrus Sutton (bottom)

6 Responses to “Cy Rant: Surfing For the Wrong Reasons”

  1. felix Says:
    February 16th, 2010

    Hey Cy,

    Thanks heaps for putting this out there. It is so true that those initial magical feelings of moving landward with no apparent effort get so easily lost, warped and obscured via socialization, bastardization and commercialization.

    I choose my surfs, the company and the equipment – if any- that suits now. If it’s closing out and the pack is hungry I go up the beach for a bodywhomp by myself. If there’s a nice but small peak I’ll take my fish and my time and enjoy my chosen waves. Kneehigh and smaller I get out the log, can’t see the point in chophoppin’. Don’t own much label gear anymore, – second hand is fine if it does the job.

    It’s all about the smile and as the late Rick Griffin said; “Going for the Gusto!”

    cheers mate

  2. julie smith Says:
    February 16th, 2010

    loving this!
    honest, sincere and healing words. waiting for next week!

  3. Simpletonian Says:
    February 16th, 2010

    Everyone starts out a kook. Those that brave it through the kook stage inevitably develop hard feelings about having been a kook and taking the abuse. It takes time and dedication to not feel like a kook out there. At some point, you begin to decide who the kooks are. Comfortable in the lineup, it is real easy to pick out the kooks, almost can make you feel like less of a kook if that guy over there is more of a kook. It can seem like since you worked so hard to not be a kook, you have earned the right to judge kooks. Eventually judging kooks and your own kook level just makes you a kook again. After you kick your own ass you realize you grew up and start having fun in the water again.

    Nice Post Cy

  4. Honeybear Says:
    February 18th, 2010

    embrace your inner kook!

  5. GDubb Says:
    February 23rd, 2010

    Great little write-up. I started surfing when I was 16, so it’s been a tough road full of kookery. Over the past few years, I’ve realized that detatching myself from the desire to surf like Kelly Slater and instead focusing on my own wave-riding ability has helped me re-connect with the uncorrupted joy I first felt gliding over a wave.

    I also remember reading a Dane interview a year ago or so, and he talked about a boat trip in Indo and how his crew showed up to a break that was crowded with “kooks”. Dane accepted the fact that their surfing experience was “just as valid” as his own- always kinda thought that was pretty cool of him to say, considering he’s one of the most gifted wave riders on earth.

  6. Aloha Says:
    March 5th, 2010

    Kelly Slater still continues to blow me away with the skills he pulls off.

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