Don’t let the smile fool you, he really his having fun. Photo: Lasse Blom Nielsen
They ain’t flashy, that’s for sure.
Style isn’t a concern — it’s not even a thought.
Whereas many surfers make paddling look effortless, crossing their ankles casually while smirking at the incoming set, the Soul Paddlers pump their legs in the air like they’re drowning, ducking their head down as they stroke and splash by.
It’s not just tenacious strokes that sets the Paddler apart. Regardless of water temps, they sport those long booties that go up way too high, sometimes paired with a wetsuit, and sometimes with shorts — because why not? For them, surfing has nothing to do with aesthetics; why should it? The act of surfing is utilitarian, like an old Jeep, and that’s why they go after paddling as if they’re cranking the rowing machine in their uncle’s basement after chugging a gallon of Mountain Dew.
An old funboard or ancient longboard remains their vehicle of choice, as opposed to your brand-new hybrid fish tinted with a flowing acid swirl. Their figure eight turns are a bit stiff and forced, yet surprisingly effective. When they’re on a wave, they might move their arms like they’re casting a spell or they might stay as still as a surf-wax statue.
More importantly, they march down the beach every morning smiling. Even in the face of monster tides, rain, rocks, sleet, snow, and sucky waves; they’re grinning.
In fact, they’re so happy to be there, that when confronted by the Paddler’s unabashed joy many of us duck our heads and suddenly find the sand fascinating. This avoidance technique is ineffective because when we finally turn around to confirm the wildlife sighting, the Paddler actually waves hello.
To be honest, the Soul Paddler’s sincere smile pisses us off just a bit…but we’re not quite sure why? Perhaps it’s because we’ve been slogging through unremarkable surf sessions for so long that unabashed stoke feels foreign. Or maybe it’s because this soul-carving, hard-working Paddler catches more waves than you every time.
And, hey, isn’t that the point of this whole surfing thing: catching waves? It’s debatable sometimes, when half of the lineup is more interested in conversations comparing board volumes and the other half grumbles about the conditions and passes up perfectly rideable waves because they’re not perfect enough.
Here’s the thing: the Paddler doesn’t give a shit about that stuff, and that’s why they’re not only catching more waves than you; they’re also having more fun than you.
It’s no secret that if you’re reading this, at some point surfing got its claws into you and held fast. Surfing can take us over, can addict us like Breaking Bad — that’s been proven time and time again.
Yet why does it seem that so many surfers are not having fun anymore? I count the smiles I see out there in the morning on one hand. Most of us dwell in some sort of coldly serious state — we’re getting our waves, man — during which to smile is to sin.
But is surfing truly enjoyable anymore? Or, do many of us do it out of habit, or out of necessity, or out of love for a feeling from the past?
Sure, we’ve all had inspiring, breakout sessions; but aren’t many of our regular surfs run-of-the-mill, crowded, even dispiriting? Is it possible that even the groms are so jaded these days that they surf because it’s cool, and not out of joy?
How many of us paddle out while secretly questioning how many hours we’ve spent walking, biking, or driving to the break, pulling on rubber, waiting for waves, and checking the surf for the two-hundredth time as though some seismic change could’ve suddenly transformed the blown-out conditions? Why do we drain our brains waxing nostalgic for the life-changing wave we scored months back, like longing for an old flame who ditched us eons ago and never returns texts?
Aren’t there better ways to be spending our time in this fleeting slice of life? As someone who’s struggled with frustration and has slogged his way through many vexing sessions, maybe it wouldn’t be a travesty to hang it up (ignite all “quit, we’ll have less kooks in the water” comments now. See, you’ve got some surf anger too!).
Let’s give it a shot and chalk surfing up to a passing phase. Let’s let our boards gather dust in the garage and our memories of epic barrels burn out. In between sets on the pickleball court we’ll share nightmares of cold wetsuits in the morning, tight hamstrings, kook cutoffs and brand-new broken boards. “Surfing,” we’ll say knowingly, “glad I got out of that trap.”
If your train of thought has even taken the slightest detour down this godforsaken track, don’t worry. There’s a salve for your chapped thoughts and sunburned ideals.
We must only think back to our old friend the Soul Paddler. The surfer who’s having fun and catching more waves than you because of the optimistic and un-jaded thrill they bring to every session, regardless of the conditions.
One gleeful wave hello from the ol’ Paddler and you’ll remember that the whole point of surfing is to go up the ride, then down the ride. To have fun. To escape the rest of this crazy world for a little while. You’ll also remember that part of the beauty of riding ocean waves is the idea that the next session brings an endless sense of possibility. Isn’t that why we go back day after day, for the hope that something epic could happen?
