Saltwater: the cure for nearly everything. Photo: John Barton
Saltwater purifies the humble man. Like the saying goes, “the cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.” It has a way of treating our wounds, no matter their nature. It’s often painful and makes us feel vulnerable, but it’s through this process that we become more fully alive and ultimately better surfers.
When tears escape the hidden chambers of the heart, the ocean gushes from within. Pain, loss, grief, sorrow and anger open the floodgates and the saltwater flows. It’s a sign of surrender, letting go and starting over. Surfing the swell of emotions that life compels out of us is daunting. Yet it is in these hard times that we see life more clearly and learn to take hold of what’s most important.
In the same way, the intense pressure of pushing beyond your limits cleanses your body from weakness. Hot, breathless and sweaty, now dripping from your brow are the lies that once dictated your potential. You realize you CAN do the thing you believed was impossible.
I’ll never forget the first time I was pounded by a set of waves. With every muscle tense in my body, I managed to paddle back to shore, certain I had just cheated death, although they were probably only four foot waves and not nearly as dramatic as I imagined. As surfers, we know all too well the overwhelming moments of being slaughtered by the unrelenting ocean. Waves can be powerful, unforgiving, and scary. Yet they are also calm, mesmerizing and welcoming. The dichotomy is beautiful. But in this beauty there is also risk, uncertainty and death.
This is the great paradox for all surfers. The battle between sensible and down right insane. The limits that we push. The pain that we endure. The propaganda that entangles the simplicity of our love. It’s through this process that a saltwater heart is born. The rough elements refine us as we face each challenge and find truth.
So be vulnerable; let the tears fall. And when they do, fall with them. Push beyond your limits, believe and shed a layer of doubt. Take risks, be uncertain, make decisions, but stay true to love. Be purified. Be humble. Be refined. Be a surfer that’s fully alive – a surfer with a saltwater heart.
