Ever Had A Good Bad Idea?

You ever visit a cool place somewhere far away from the ocean and briefly considered the fact that surfing is a burden? 

Like, you could live there except you can’t and it’s all surfing’s fault. The practice of riding waves feels like a necessity to many of us. A life without it would be unimaginably dull. 

Which is funny because it is so very unnecessary. From an evolutionary standpoint, shouldn’t we all just be eating and fucking and generally trying to stay safe? I’m not sure where sneaking under a lip that is exploding above a sharp and shallow reef somewhere far from any proper medical help fits into that. Yet somehow we’ve all ended up with the sense that surfing is essential. 

Anyway.

Day-to-day surfs are fun. Sparks fly, something happens. But how good is it to feel scared by the ocean? To check the waves and feel your heart beating fast, your stomach full of papillons. Or to be out there and see a set coming in and feel that instinctual urge to get the fuck out of its way. Or to start paddling for a wave, looking down at the drop, and having some part of your mind put forth a sense that going is a very bad idea. 

Feeling that way is interesting. But feeling that way and going anyway? Now that is something else. Something that’s hard to capture in words. 

We’re fortunate to have access to that.

Where Will The 2022 WSL Finals Be Held?

Good news: The Surf Ranch! Just kidding…hopefully. The WSL hasn’t announced the venue yet, but they have the dates (September 7 – 18) locked in. We got some intel from the League about what they’re looking for in a wave. We broke it down region by region for you here — my money is on Macoronis, though. 

“It Just Doesn’t Make Sense To Go Home”

The QS just started. Well, it’s called the CS now but as Danny and I discussed on this week’s podcast, everyone gets a three-year transition period before they’re expected to get the name right. Anyway, a handful of surfers from Australia and New Zealand traveled to compete in the first event — the US Open in HB — and they legitimately have no idea how/when they’ll be able to get home. It’s wild.

How To Love Surfing For A Lifetime

Grumpy Old Man Syndrome (GOMS) is an illness that affects individuals all over the world. Symptoms include being a fuckwit and behaving as if the rest of the world is wrong for having continued its course of evolution. We talked to two non-grumpy old men — Tom Carroll and Brad Gerlach — to get some advice on how to fend off GOMS at any age. 

The Story Of An Unemployed College Dropout

About a decade ago, Morgan Maassen was jobless and had overdrawn his bank account by $200 — his blog was looking fucking great, though. In the second edition of My First Million, Morgan explains how he went from that situation to becoming a millionaire. It’s an inspiring read. 

How A Failed Documentary Photographer Got Rich In The Surf World

Name another place where you can read about ice cream, admire a photo of a man on a camel, and get financial advice all in the same article. You can’t. Here’s Ryan Miller’s version of My First Million.

Comment of the week: 

We had a random NY-based writer cover the WSL Finals to get an outsider’s perspective on the event. She took an accidental nap and blamed Turps — I liked this comment because I like to imagine Ron experiencing a visceral reaction to WSL commentary. 

One last thing: 

Does anyone else find it inexplicably hard time to throw out broken leashes?