Learn Something New

You've come to know people throughout your life. Some pass through without hardly any impact at all. Others become good friends, while a select few become part of your life. Everyone around you has knowledge. Their skills, talents, and abilities might be right out in the open, but you may be surprised in the things that have slipped your attention.

A wonderful playground.

 I feel like I am quite proficient in many areas. Over the years I have become pretty good at a handful of sports, my skills in film making and photography have skyrocketed, I have composed music, created paintings on canvas, hunted big game animals, graduated from college, built computers, worked in tire shops, and most recently learned how to (somewhat) surf.

My arms were too tired to paddle.

 So, I sound pretty amazing don't I? Well I wish I could say that's true, but the truth is that I owe my abilities, talents and knowledge to all those who have been kind enough to teach me and share with me what they know. My parents and brother, teachers, friends and even strangers. I owe everything to them. It's because of them that I have been able to become good at anything. The only thing I've done is take advantage of these resources which makes me sound kind of like a jerk actually.

My pal Nate. He's no rookie.

We've all ran into someone who "knows it all". These people frustrate me because generally they are too prideful to share their knowledge, and they act like they owe nothing to anyone almost as if they came across all this knowledge by themselves.  Luckily I don't run into these types of people very often. It's quite the opposite in fact. I'm lucky to have so many people in my life willing to teach me. I'm glad I've never been too prideful to listen.

When the Mozo family offered me the chance to go to Waikiki and surf with them, I was honored. I mean that in every sense of the word. They have only known me for five short weeks, but that's not how they treat me. They have literally given me shelter and food since the day I arrived. A clear reflection of Jon Mozo, the man who's life is being made into a documentary. I was a bit nervous to do something new, but that was drown out by the excitement.

What you don't know, is that he is making airplane noises in this picture.

The next morning we piled into some vehicles, surf boards in tow and headed out. When we arrived it was an absolutely beautiful day. I couldn't wait. We all grabbed a board and walked to the edge of the water. My roommate Nate showed me which leg to attach the leash to. Just like a snowboard the leash is basically a cord which has two ends, one tethered to the board and the other to your ankle. This keeps the board from getting too far away from you in the event you get drilled by a wave. With my board in the water and my leash on, I was ready. 

 The very talented Amber Mozo and her sister Yani. Great teachers by the way.

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why waves even exist or what causes them? I know I never did. Let me take this chance to explain it to you as I understand it. Basically a shore-break occurs at any beach where the depth of the ocean floor changes dramatically. Swells traveling in deep water remain intact until they come in contact with shallow water near the shore. This water then unleashes all it's energy in a short distance. That's how waves are born more or less. Every beach will have different breaks, some will have huge waves, while others will be much more friendly to someone such as myself.

It actually took some time to learn how to do this without falling off.

The first thing you have to do when you get in the water is lay on your board and begin paddling out to the break that you plan on surfing. I quickly learned that surfing is no chump when it comes to strenuous activity. I was winded just paddling out. As we approached the break, the oldest daughter of the Mozo family, Amber, was gracious enough to donate her surf knowledge to me. She quickly taught me how to deal with paddling through waves, how to sit up on my board, turn myself around in the water with my feet, and most importantly how to catch a wave. Getting my brain to actually process this information and send the correct signals to my limbs was a bit challenging however. I spent the first hour in the water falling off my board, getting tossed by waves, and trying to blow the salt water out of my nose. I found that as long as I listened to Amber, and did exactly what she said, I was going to benefit from it. Finally I got into position, as a wave approached Amber instructed me to paddle as hard as I could. My arms violently tore through the water. I could feel the energy of the wave building under my board. Then it happens, the moment where the wave takes control of you, and it owns you in every way. You become nothing more than a visitor to it's power. My hands grip the edge of the board tightly as I push my self up. I hesitate for a moment, and then stand up. A rush of endorphins are released from my brain as I realize I am actually surfing. It doesn't last long before I lose my balance and awkwardly spill into the ocean, but when I surface all I have is a smile on my face and my ears hear the sound of clapping coming from my own personal support group. I quickly hop back onto my board, because I just want to do it again and again.

See that joyous look on my face? Like a child.

Party wave!

Surfing is unlike any sport I've ever taken part of. I think it's because the ocean is so alive. You can't help but feel a connection with it. It's both terrifying and beautiful at the same time. The power that it's able to conjure up is beyond belief. It requires your attention and respect. Anything you do in the Ocean, is only because it lets you.

By the end of the day I was proud of myself for trying something new, but more importantly I was again thankful to Amber, the Mozo family, and my friends for helping me along every step of the way. It's because of them I had the opportunity in the first place. Take every chance you have to learn from others, If those chances don't come organically, then make them happen, and more importantly do everything you can to share that knowledge once you attain it.