You Can Learn From a Surfing Competition Without Ever Competing in One
I grew up surfing and learned the metaphorical value of a big wave.
You’re lying horizontal on a long grey surfboard. A choppy flat plane of dark blue water stretches out in front of you, with small swells moving toward you in the distance.
Goosebumps cascade down your forearms as small splashes of cold water sling across your body. You also feel the warm sun on your back and hear the tranquil undulation of the water around you, which belies the perpetual danger that comes with this craft.
You are reminded that the ocean doesn’t care. It doesn’t care about your small problems, your squabbles with your spouse, your bills that are overdue. You are but a speck within a speck in the ocean’s eyes, and at the mercy of its awe-inspiring power.
You sit up to scan further ahead. Then, you spot a swell forming two dozen meters away. You spring alert with excitement, and turn your board around, lying down flat once more. You time your paddling while watching behind you. The wave looms closer and closer, and then, you feel it catch on the back of your board, pushing it up for a second, and then propelling you forward.
