Today, June 15th, is International Surfing Day.
Does anyone really care? Do surfers wake up like it’s Christmas morning, run out to the nearest Surfrider activation, spend eight hours in the water, and then fall asleep watching the 24-hour barrels always streaming on SurferTV?
Well, a lot of people probably do…but not because it’s ISD. They do it because they’re surfers. And whether the Hallmark Greeting Card company wants to sell plush toys around this day or not, it’s pretty much the same routine for us either way. (Actually, fun fact, it was the editors of Surfing Magazine and The Surfrider Foundation who created this holiday – and the point of it is to do something good for the ocean.)
Still, this is SURFER Magazine, so we can’t really just let it pass us by. In fact, any reason to celebrate surfing is reason enough for us. So, we took the chance to ask a gaggle of surfers from different locations and different mindsets to answer one question:
What has surfing taught you?
“When I was a kid, I wanted to be a pro, and I wanted my new board, and I wanted the best waves now. Surfing has taught me patience.” – Brad Gerlach
“Surfing has taught me that community is extremely important, your friends and your family. Not much else matters in life, other than how we treat people.” – Ivy Miller
“Surfing has taught me a lot in life – the importance of working hard, and just going after what you love and dream about. You can grow up surfing one-foot waves, then go and surf 10-foot Chopes.” – Sawyer Lindblad
“Everything from patience to perseverance to hard work and dedication, surfing has taught me a lot of life lessons. It’s taken me all over the world, traveling and seeing how different cultures and people live.” – Cole Houshmand
Go check ‘em out on our social channels (Instagram and TikTok); they’ve been playing all day, and you can see the full range there. In in the meantime, go check out a beach cleanup, grab a few waves, and fall asleep to the endless barrels of SurferTV.
See…maybe we do care after all.
Happy International Surfing Day.
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