Silver Surfer Definition
Surfing: Defining Just What “Stoke” Is
The 10 to 16 foot waves that pounded Maine’s coastline as a result of category 1 Hurricane Bill seemed to serve as a beacon to surfers from all over the Eastern seaboard. Although there were unfortunate casualties that resulted from nature’s romp through the east coast, it seems that the old addage that a silver lining lies somewhere holds true … at least for surfers.
Despite the damages brought about by the hurricane, surfers were lucky enough to experience some “pipeline” sized waves that rolled through some of the eastern coast’s beaches, like in Montauk new York. Although swimmers were not allowed to enter the water, the excited surf crowd paddled out to consistent sets and pounding waves. The scene reminded me of the North Shore of Oahu during the consistent winter swells, as crowds gather in increasing droves to gawk and stare at the bravewatermen who paddle out into monster-sized waves.
Call them crazy, call them adrenaline junkies … whatever they can be labelled as, they are out in the waves for the same reason as every other surfer: the stoke. The ever mysterious, and elusively indescribable “stoke”.
What is “stoke”? The best way to explain it is to let someone experience it for themselves, but that is about as easy as hitting an arrow with another arrow while you are on horseback in the middle of a hurricane.
So for the lack of a better way to explain stoke, one has to turn to using metaphors that hopefully correspond to some reference point that people can relate to. The difficulty is that stoke defies definition, for the simple fact that it varies greatly from one person to another. Although most refer to it by the same name, the experience that an individual goes through is definitely unique within each person.
Stoke is, by all intent and definition, an individually personal experience that has no prerequisites – small waves, big waves, surfboard, body board, solitary, or surrounded by friends, it happens at any given moment in time. It is about your state of mind, and state of being.
Someone once said that the secret to life lies in one thing, and one thing alone. Once you find that one thing, you should spend all your energy and effort ensuring that everything you do and strive for is devoted to that one thing. When questioned as towhat that one thing is, the answer was simply “I don’t know. It (the one thing) is different for everyone.” Go, and find your stoke … your one thing!
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ron @ www.ijustsurf.com
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