"We're all equal before a wave."

"[...] I always said we’re all equal before a wave. It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you are. The wave doesn’t discriminate. Add being in that environment, [...] You’re going to be subjected to certain things and then you get rewarded too. That environment rewards you for your understanding and your skill and your knowledge. And your relentlessness, and your pursuit. "



The wave doesn't judge who you are.

It treats everybody the same.

No matter if you are tall and strong, seasoned surfer, or of small statue and surf-novice.

Laird Hamilton is a Big-Wave Surf-Legend. But surfers who are not looking for the extreme can benefit from his "wisdom", too.

For the lower and middle class surfer, who cannot afford a fortune to always travel where the waves are perfect, dealing with the "force" of the wave, in fact, many times means dealing with a lack of force in the wave.

In that context it is interesting to know that Laird invented both, Tow-In Surfing, to catch the biggest waves in the world, AND Stand-Up-Paddling for days when its rather flat.

In that quote you find everything that is important for all surfers, no matter if big wave, small waves, just for fun or professional.

The reward we get, is depending on us, not on the wave. The wave does what it does.

Knowledge, corresponding with awareness about the own relentlessness and skill, will help to sort out when is the best time, where is the best spot and which board to choose to go surfing to follow your pursuit and get the reward you are looking for.

It is a equation consisting entirely of variables. Some we can't influence. Others we can change in long term. The only thing that we can adapt in a matter of a second is our pursuit.

I divide it into personal goals in surfing and day-pursuit.

We need to check once in a while, how our long term goals match with all the other variables. Identify deficits or become aware, that maybe it is time to raise the bar a little bit higher. The key to get rewarded anytime you go surfing, is choosing a useful, realistic "aim of the day" that matches the given conditions, contributes in eliminating deficits and helps pushing your limits.

Conscious surfers always get a reward, cause they make the right decisions. .

But you can also get rewarded for staying out of the water. When conditions are too big, too small or just crap. Or simply when land-locked. For example by training skills dry on land. Work outs, running, cycling, swimming... And of course Surf-skating.

All sports that require agility, coordination, power and motor skills, can contribute to your surfing.

I know, that is not really a philosophy, more a bunch of general tips that I would tell anybody who is looking to start or improve surfing, without knowing the person.

Whenever I try to define it and writing it down, I notice that surfing is just to complex and to versatile to have one simple philosophy that is valid for everybody and any situation.

But I can tell you about what I have learned in general through surfing and being instructor: