Why I Surf – The Culture
WHY I SURF
Have you ever wondered what all the fuss is about when you overhear people talking about surfing and why it seems like such an obsession, like a drug that they can’t do without, why all they want to do is be on the water catching waves?
NSP (Nature, Surfing, Products) has put together a series of short “Why I Surf” videos to shed some light into the many joys of why people surf. We found that people have so much more in common, than not. The commonality of why, creates a sacred bond and close friendship among surfers, that you’d swear you could hear a faint yeeeew as it reverberates across line-ups when someone catches the wave of their life – from the other side of the globe!
Part 1: The Culture
Up first in a multi-part series is Bruno Pitanga, a NSP Team Rider from Brazil, explaining in his own words, why he surfs. Surfing since he was 8 years old, Bruno embodies the surf culture, he loves to travel the world meeting new people, and will teach anyone who will try, how to surf. Dividing his time between Sri Lanka, Peniche, Portugal, Germany and Brazil, Bruno is one of NSP’s best ambassadors for bringing more people into the surfing culture. The boards you’ll find in his quiver are the Pit Cruiser, Equalizer, Tinder-D8, Atomic Flyer and you’ll even see him out there flying on the NSP foil gear.
Have a look at Bruno’s video and then take our NSP challenge to get out there, rent a board, borrow one from a friend, or buy a new one, find your own secret spot and then come back and tell us, Why You Surf!
What we know…
History and story-telling lets us know that surfing has been around for a long time. Since the 12th Century, actually! That’s a lot of years of surf stories being passed down and around and back again. Everything from finding a secret surf spot, the sheer joy or fear of catching the biggest wave ever (even if only 2 feet), the excitement of skipping school when the swell was coming in, travelling the world to chase the swell and all the many experiences from just hanging out with friends in the line-up. The conversations while paddling out or sitting around a beach campfire at the end of the day, are moments never forgotten and forever cherished.
But what else…
Why do surfers wake up at the crack of dawn or rush home after work for just a few moments of paddling through the surf to catch that last sunset wave? What is it that draws us to the sea day in and day out? What is it about surfing that pushes us beyond our boundaries, that tests our resolve, and forces us to challenge, but yet never quit, until we have conquered our greatest fears?
Only those who surf can truly explain the feeling that comes over uthem when the sex wax is being applied, the fin is being inserted and the leash is strapped on. Only those who have taken that short walk to the shoreline (sometimes long, depending on your home break) knows that all that is stopping us from experiencing: a moment of bliss, pure adrenaline, total peace, solitude, courage, contentment, something more powerful than ourselves, is ourself. And oh, what a feeling that is!
As with Bruno, NSP embraces all who surf, this includes anyone who paddles out, via a surfboard, a stand-up paddle board, a foil board, an outrigger or canoe, And for those who like to body surf, that’s cool too! We believe it doesn’t matter how you get out there, as long as you do! It’s all about experiencing that first wave, then the second, and third, then riding it around the world until you have truly found your joy, your “why”.