Pre-surf rituals – we’ve all got ’em. Whether it’s as simple as pulling up to the parking lot, jumping out of the car with your coffee and checking the surf, or it’s as idiosyncratic as needing to do precisely twelve burpees (no more, no less) before you paddle out, there’s something about entering the ocean in the right head space. That goes double for waves of consequence.
As part of BBC Earth‘s series “Extraordinary Rituals,” filmmakers recently traveled to Nazaré to sit down with big wave surfers like Garrett McNamara to discuss the rituals they employ to remain focused and in-tune with themselves and the ocean when surfing giant waves.
McNamara talks about the importance of breathing – something yogis have emphasized for thousands of years that has recently been corroborated by science. And for GMac, the consequences of not taking the time to clear the mind can be devastating, as the video above shows.
Here, the BBC gives us a cursory look at the psychology of big wave surfing – its risks, rewards, and the focus required to mitigate failure.
For more on this topic, check out Sine Qua Non: The Psychology of Big Wave Surfing!