Examining the Inextricable Link Between Surfing and Writing

Writing and surfing can certainly be compared in analogy. But like climbing, surfing has long lent itself to the written word, with Pulitzer-winning scribes among the wave-riding tribe. Photos: Unsplash Regardless of whether you’re reading Matt George , Lauren Hill , Don Winslow or William Finnegan ; or jotting down a few notes about your last session, it’s clear that surfing and writing are permanently linked. As a writer and a surfer, I find myself penning thoughts about surfing often, whether I’m planning to or not. Similarly, new inspiration frequently finds me when I’m in the ocean, not consciously thinking about my work at all. We don’t all love to write, but whether we are reading about a new surf destination, listening to music, posting comments in the black hole of Instagram or striving to be the next Allan Weisbecker ; writing plays a role in all of our lives. Here are some powerful parallels between how surfers and writers draw their lines. Duck Diving and Dedication Author Liza Monroy , who surfs in Santa Cruz, says that “as with writing, the one way to grow in surfing is to surf.” Surfers must keep paddling out, just as scribes from songwriters to reporters must put pen to paper day in and day out. This idea of endless repetition takes commitment. Writers often slave over hundreds of pages in pursuit of an idea that never comes to fruition, but ideally brings them closer to understanding the project. This deep-set devotion mirrors paddling through wall after wall of crashing whitewater, scratching to make it out the back. There is a reason we keep duck diving, though. Some days, we make it outside and slip into a flow state in which every wave, every turn is effortless. The same is true with writing. Despite the lack of inspiration, the rejection letters, and the blank stare of the empty page, writers work until they create something that endures. Revision and Ripping Revision is the vital link between a messy tangle of ideas and a finished work that speaks to both writer and audience. […]

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