Friends that surf and Friends that don’t.

Friends that surf and Friends that don’t.

I just got off the phone with a friend I had met back in 1984 when we both went to Cuesta College (that is another story, best reserved for a camp fire). Through wonders of modern technology, I was able to track him down. I think the last time we talked was 1988/89?

But we talked like we had not missed a day. After I hung up, it dawned on me how surfing influences your friendships. Most of the longterm friendships I have are there because we share the common thread of surfing, we are surfers (at least I try). What is it about surfing that keeps these relationships? Do Golfers have these; do people identify themselves as “golfers”, what about other sports?

Think about the friends you have that don’t surf. Do you talk to them the same way? It is a shared experience, from kook to non-kook. Hours spent driving up and down the coast, looking at the ocean, watching the weather. Do your non-surfing friends notice a flag blowing by the side of the road, and can tell if it is offshore or onshore? Do they know what it means when the seasons change? Do they think Santa Ana winds are just an annoyance? Do they even care?

My good friends surf!