It’s only surfing FFS

It got a bit personal. Which is probably why I now wrote and re-wrote this 3 times. It sounded too preachy, too self-serving, too painfully honest. What I really wanted to put across is that it’s only surfing FFS.

Analogy time. When I worked for tech startups, I would get hired to stop the founders making the mistakes they were most likely to make, because: you don’t know what you don’t know. And here I was this startup sage who’d made them all, and I could prevent them from falling into that trap.

And that’s kind of the same role I see myself playing in surfing. It’s the same principle that I am following with The Wipeout Weekly. I’m here to help any beginner who’s willing to listen to learn a bit about surf culture, feel less intimidated in the lineup, and have a frickin awesome time on this journey we call surfing. You know: “you’re not alone, it gets better”. I write on these subjects. A lot. 

Day to day I also approve 200 new members a day in our Girls Who Can’t Surf Good group on FB, keeping it promo and noise-free. Doing whatever I can to help the girls connect with each other, find the recommendations they’re looking for, and sometimes to commiserate together and such. Or offering my advice on Reddit in r/BeginnerSurfers what wetsuit thickness you should wear in the UK or what first board you should get for surfing in LA. You know: “you are not alone, it gets better”.

And honestly? That’s just me. I’ve been unable to shake off this hostess with the mostest/mothering energy since I was 10. That’s basically my day job.

But here’s the flip side—and this is the part when it gets a bit too honest at times. In my spare time, I am a surfer. With my own idiosyncrasies, goals and outlook on surfing. Forging my own path. I like surfing on my own. I will never go on a surf retreat. I quietly judge other surfers who want to push their own idea of surfing onto me and others. Please stop, you are spoiling surfing for me.

Still, I’ve been really lucky with the people I’ve found along the way. When I started out I was part of a sizeable crew of beginner surfers. We didn’t have much in common besides surfing, but it didn’t stop us hanging out in London and traveling together every weekend to the surf for a few years, until I moved to California. What made it work was we had the same idea about surfing. We cared about the same stuff. It felt like we were on the journey together.

When my husband and I moved to San Francisco, I got lucky again. Some of our new friends happened to be surfers, and their small crew let us tag along and grew into a slightly bigger crew hitting the Church of Bolinas on Sundays followed by lunch at Sand Dollar. Some of us were experienced, some of us were just starting out, but it didn’t matter much, because we were friends first. We could hold a conversation without mentioning surfing at all. For hours.

So if you’re still searching for your people, here’s the good news…It’s tough when you get into surfing and you’re desperately looking to fit in. You may end up making concessions. Follow advice that isn’t particularly helpful for your situation. Hang out with the people you have nothing in common with. Go on surf retreats you’ll absolutely hate. I guess this entire post is my roundabout way of letting you know that you’re not alone, that it does get better. One day, you will find your people. And one day, you’ll paddle out, smile to yourself, and think: FFS—it’s only surfing.

By Zuz Wilson

Author: The Wipeout Weekly team