Extraordinary Ordinary.

A fish can breathe under water, swim to depths which would kill us and (most fish) have taste buds all over their body, however you ask a fish to climb a tree and it can't, worse still by focusing on its inability to perform this task you ignore its actual talents. What am I getting at I hear you ask? Well simply this, that when we categorize someone based on their ability to perform one task we stop seeing their actual abilities. 
Whilst I'm a big advocate of education (I studied Wildlife Conservation Science at university), forcing people to fit into an academic box can sometimes squander all their potential. Whilst I'll never regret the opportunity to study conservation in uni (in the beautiful Lake District) some of the achievements I'm most proud of don't come with a grade or statistic measuring my worth. 

This blog, the land locked surfers club, yoga teacher training and the fact that I surf are all things that came from me, through steady realizations I gained through life experience. I've had jobs as varied as my boyfriends, everything from being a zoo keeper to a baker. What I've learnt through it all is that if you are good to people, treat everyone as equals and really listen this is where you'll learn the most lessons in life. 

In many ways I am a failure. I don't have a high paid job in the subject I studied, I still live at home and I have little or no savings. I am however happy. Deliriously happy sometimes. I get to write everyday to you guys on this here blog, I sometimes get to go surfing and best of all if I want to be happy all I have to do is think positively, I have the power to end my own suffering through actively changing those negative emotions into positive ones. 

As much as I love pro surfers (and follow them voraciously on Instagram) I am more intrigued by the surfers who have day jobs, people like Wilma Johnson an artist who tried surfing at 50 and became Surf Mama, Maui Goodbeer who founded street waves to help inner city kids overcome disadvantaged backgrounds through surfing. Easkey Britton not only a pro but an empowered woman who has a PhD and is helping people in Iran through surfing. I don't like the word 'should' as its shrouded in insecurity don't stress about what you 'should' be doing i.e. I 'should' have a good job, I 'should' have lots of money, I 'should' have my own house, I 'should' be married, I 'should' ride a short board- do what you love, because you might just excel at it! 






















*And on an unrelated side note, meet Brownie...I voraciously follow dogwatchuk hoping that eventually I'll be in a position to adopt a dog from there. They help British & Spanish dogs which get abandoned and have other gawd awful things happen to them, one such example being Brownie. If I get a suitable house in time I would love to help him look at his smile! 

Until next time 
Stay strong, Surf well 
Love

The Art of Sinning.

Photo of me (Sophia) taken by Sarah Kelly of Blue Print Photography.

The Buddhist approach to life is finding positives in what appear to be negatives, living compassionately and meditating to work towards gaining enlightenment. So it is with this tenuous link that this wannabe Buddhist analyses the seven deadly sins...

I'm not entirely sure what my point is here, or why I feel the need, on this surf inspired blog, to do a post relating to Christian concepts, but well, I guess I'm striving to highlight that non of us are perfect and its in our flaws that the greatest amount of growth and learning can be derived. 

So here goes nothing...

Wrath. 
I can't say there has ever been a time when I've lost my rag and the outcome has been good. Getting angry is you losing control having being wronged, offended or denied. That being said anger can be utilized, whether that's to set boundaries or escape dangerous situations. In my opinion it should be used as a strategy because it is in aftermath of wrath that I've found my determination. Anger is a fuel, you can either use it to light up a dark room or let it burn down the house!  In anger I have said things I didn't mean, let my tongue do laps around my mouth and regretted hurting people I care about. Then comes the second lesson of anger, forgiveness. Forgiveness is the most powerful tool you possess either for your enemies or for yourself, it is a beautiful humbling phenomenon of life which we all should master. 

Greed.
If you must be greedy then be greedy for compassion. Develop a voracious appetite for helping others because in the process you'll discover something about yourself. I often find a certain level of greediness comes into my surfing, I want good conditions, uncrowded beaches and to slide on wave after wave. Its impossible for this to happen all of the time so I stay hungry and its that insatiability which makes me a better surfer. By keeping me honed and interested I continue to improve. Greed needn't be a bad thing. 

Sloth. 
In a life where I'm up at 5am, can check my emails, blog, facebook, instagram, and whattsapp at 5.15, do some fitness, then work a 14 hour shift it's easy to get embroiled in a pace of life that is both physically and mentally exhausting. I fully endorse sloth days, days where you do nothing at all. In those glorious empty moments I meditate, do yoga and if I really can be arsed maybe catch up with a friend. I believe more than ever its important to disconnect and try to unwind enough for both our bodies and minds to rejuvenate. Get some actual face time with people who radiate you and let the things that drain you leave you be just for a day. 

Failing that, look at pictures of sloths. See, you feel better already. 

Pride. 
Whilst believing that your better than others is never a positive endeavor having pride in yourself is. Be proud of your accomplishments and what you aspire to be because it is by possessing this trait that you'll continue to strive to be better. When you have pride in your work you'll be more efficient, go that extra mile and continue to evolve as a person. It'll also make you cherish what you've amassed, i.e. the people you've dared to love because its taken hard work to achieve those things. Just make sure what your proud of are things which make a positive impact, are compassionate and which have been acquired through honest routes. 

Lust.
This I have absolutely no problem with, as Iggy Pop once famously quipped we all need 'Lust for life!' You've got to have passion if you want to achieve anything in this world, I lust after surfing because I believe it makes me a better, more well rounded person. I lust after a career which helps others and it is precisely this cardinal sin which pushes me to work harder to achieve these passions. Lust is dangerous when unbridled and without consequence, which is a selfishness we must all fight against but when harnessed, I believe its one of your greatest arsenals. In a sexual context, lust can be a pretty good thing to possess too! If you have lust for someone worthy of your affections, who respects you, treats you with kindness and compassion then I say go enjoy yourselves! 

Envy.

Ok, I admit I'm struggling to find the silver lining for this one. The trouble with envy is that it can tarnish a great many good things whether that be your esteem or your relationships. What I will say though is that like any negative, when we pull it apart and examine why its making us feel the way we do, often we can reveal a greater understanding about ourselves. This can only be a constructive thing because by discovering our weaknesses we can start making them into strengths. 

Gluttony.
I think we should have a gluttony for organic, naturally farmed food which works in harmony with our environment. We should desire in excess food which elevates our farmers, benefits nature and doesn't cause people in third world countries to starve. I believe we should be gluttonous for our governments to prioritize ecological incentives and green energy that embraces the fact that our world is in dire straits and that its our moral obligation to right those wrongs. As a surfer I am gluttonous for fish stocks, I want the world to stop treating marine life like an infinite source of food and realize they are finite just like everything else in this world. This should be our gluttony. 

Right that's more than enough rambling for one day, hope you liked today's musings. 
By the way the beautiful paintings are non other than Wilma Johnson a.k.a. Surf Mama, buy her book and check her out she's AWESOME! 

Until next time,

Stay strong and surf well my beautiful yogis! 
Love

Surf Mama!

'Boobs and Tubes' by Wilma Johnson 

Some people are cool. You can't put your finger on it and if you tried to bottle the stuff you'd still never recreate the magic they naturally possess now I'm not one of these people but I know a person who is. Wilma Johnson is cool precisely because she doesn't have to try too hard to be so. 
International Artist. Neo Naturist. Traveler. Earth Mother. Surfer. You could say she's a real woman with curves and surfboards! Sorry Wilma I could resist a plug there)! 

Now my regular readers will know that Wilma is a bit of a hero of mine - who doesn't love a paint wielding surfer?! So you can imagine my excitement when a preliminary email led to not only a completed interview but the wonderful realization that your hero is as awesome as you always hoped she would be. 

For some unbeknownst reason to me I'm developing a knack for getting people to do interviews. Whether its down to luck or just sheer cheekiness I'm managing to have some pretty awesome people tell me things and do you know what? Surfers are great. I mean really great, everyone I've talked to has had such warmth and humor to our conversations. 

So without further ado (or gushing) please read and enjoy the musings of wonderful Wilma Johnson! 

If you were given only a minute to explain who you are and what you do, what would be the main points?

Okay, in no particular order I’m an artist, a surfer , a writer, a single mother, a performance artist… Which of these seems most important when I wake up in the morning depends on whether I have a deadline and what the waves look like!

For the benefit of non surfers can you articulate what it is about surfing which attracted you to it and why it continues to be a driving force in your life?

I’d been married to a surfer for years, but I was really unsporty earth mother type, then one day I was watching the surfers at Guethary and I thought, I don’t care if I’m an unfit forty something mum, I want to do that, I want to stand on the face of a big fuck off blue wave out there. A lot of people thought I was nuts including myself at times, but once you start you  get hooked.

For me its not just the amazing feeling of getting a wave, I love just sitting out in the ocean looking back at the land, I feel really lucky every time I go out there.

What does it mean to be a modern female surfer living in France?

Confusion –but also confusing people, which is fun! Our original Mamas surf club sparked of a lot of other mamas clubs down the coast, and there are more younger women who surf so attitudes are changing – but between french culture and surf culture its still pretty macho out there! 

What is the landscape like for female surfers in terms of exposure and support in your opinion?

Personally I’ve had a lot of support from the local guys – they saw me wiping out constantly for a couple of years but I think I got a bit of respect for keeping going.

As far as surf industry goes…I guess its all about selling bikinis in the end….just wish they’d make one that stayed on in a wipeout!

Within your life who inspires you?

My dad, who died last year, has always been my inspiration. He had traveled the world several times over – he used to hitch hike round Europe with a suit and a book of poetry in his rucksack in the fifties. He always encouraged me in my wildest schemes  I think he’s have borrowed my board if I’d started a bit earlier.

If you were to give advice to aspiring or beginner surfers what would that be?

The best bit of advice I ever got was ‘ enjoy the wipe out’ . Just go with it and keep your arms over your head – or it might be hard to enjoy. Good news is its much more fun in deep water, so that's something to look forward to if you’re starting on the beach!

How do you balance, work, relationships etc with the desire to always be surfing?

I first read that as ‘how do you balance’- I was going to talk about yoga and my indo board – which I guess shows where my priorities lie! I try not to surf in the mornings when I’m working, and ban myself from checking the swell till noon if I have a dead line . I’m single at the moment so lets just say guys would be better off to ask me on a date during  a flat spell.

Needless to say, although they’d deny it, I would walk away from the perfect waves if my kids needed help with their homework…. But it would be hard.

Can you think of a time during your surfing/working career where you became stuck and how you overcame that plateau?

When I started it was more like climbing out of a pit than being on a plateau - I sometimes wonder how I kept going considering how crap I was, I came out of the water black and blue.

More recently, I had a long series of disastrous sessions when I was finishing my book, Surf Mama. I usually love surfing when I’m stressed, it totally relaxes me, but I did nothing but wipe out for two months. I just kept going out in the water anyway and tried to stay calm….The day I sent the manuscript in I was back on my feet! So I’d say stay Zen and keep paddling  – the better you paddle the better you’ll surf.

Describe your perfect surf destination and what a day in paradise would be like to you?

I went back to Ireland, where I spent ten years as a surf widow last October. I surfed alone on a beach fifteen miles long under Mount Brandon, the light was surreal and the whole experience was very empowering because I’d thought I was too old to start when I lived there.

Having said that it’s been a long tough winter here, so the idea of a palm fringed tropical beach, with a cabana full of my friends and family wouldn't be bad either…pina coladas at sunset, corny but good….

If you had to use only three words to describe your life what would they be?

Weird and wonderful

Thank you Surf Mama! 

xxx