Art by Brooke Muschott
The life of a surfer can be pretty self-centered, whether consciously or unconsciously so. With the exception of tandem surfing (where a man and woman surf together on one board and perform lifts and tricks while riding waves) the sport involves out-paddling a crowd of other people just to claim one wave and surf it without interference.
Surfing involves seeking individual gratification based on personal preferences and abilities. Surfboard type, proficiency level, whatever local claims to the surf break, the conditions and wave size all affect a surfer’s interaction out in the water.
For those surfers going after professional titles, self-promotion is necessary to get yourself noticed, and that frequently involves being sensational in whatever crazy way you can. Sometimes the elements of individual gratification and self-promotion bring out the worst in surfers and can lead to mistakes, bad reputations and conceitedness.
The negative impact of surf culture is found around the world in places such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Hawaii, and elsewhere. In a lot of these countries surfers leave a wake of negative influences from their quest for the perfect stoke. These negative by products from surfing have been manifested in pollution and abuse of nature, over-commercialization, drug abuse/addiction and prostitution.
However, there is another breed of surfers whose ocean-based lifestyles inspire them to give back to the environment and also to those around them. These are the surfers who come out of the water filled with more joy than when they entered. Wanting to share that joy with others, these soul surfers seek to limit or reverse the damage done by the commercialization of surfing.
I think most surfers don’t recognize the powerful platform of influence they have. All around the world, in almost every culture, surfing is a recognizable activity that draws people in, capturing their attention and enthusiasm. It is a unique and influential platform that can be used to do a lot of good … or a lot of bad.
The selfish elements of surfing have given it a bad reputation in a lot of places. Some groups of surfers want to change these negative associations by the same means they were created (surfing) and pursue the redefinition of surf culture. These organizations do so by reaching out to their own communities, as well as internationally.
There are a growing number of these types of groups around the world and each one seeks to spread love and awareness through the avenue of surfing. One such group is the Hawaii-based humanitarian organization, ‘Surfing the Nations.’ STN began in 1997 with founder Tom Bauer’s vision to combine surfing, travel and humanitarian work. “[The group] originally started with a desire to go after waves and a life that is different because it is marked by serving people everywhere,” Bauer once stated.
Adventure-seekers with STN travel to any place they can find that has some kind of surfable structure. Not being limited to coastal countries, they have a base established in Sweden, and even go sand dune surfing in the deserts of the Middle East.
Bauer told me they try to find the “gnarliest” places they can — the places that are in the greatest need for hope and change. “Where can a light shine the brightest but in the darkest of rooms?” he said.
Other organizations like Waves for Water, Surfrider Foundation, Aleph Surf International and SurfAid are just a few of the groups of surfers around the world who are mobilized by their passions to help others, discovering a joyful way of doing so through surfing.
These efforts can be reproduced in other contexts as inspiration to instigate change through the medium of other sports and activities. All that is needed is for individuals to find a way to make their passions become their podiums for reaching the world around them.
Maybe you already know what that is for yourself and maybe you are already serving the world from within it … but if you aren’t quite there yet, that’s simple to change. All I can say is to figure out what it is that gives you joy. What gets you excited? What inspires and motivates you? Once you know the answers to those questions, then go find ways to tangibly use those passions to help people and get them thinking about Jesus.
Whether your passion is math or art, extreme sports or arranging flowers, use it as a launchpad for your wildest dreams. When love and kindness are born out of your passions, you’ll find that you have incredible momentum and capacity to do something really good with the things you really love. The trick is to live above the influence (in a context that can easily tip in either a positive or negative direction) and to become the influencer so you can break molds, positively shape the environment around you, and redefine stereotypes for the benefit of others.
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Follow Akela Newman on Twitter: @AkelaRenae
