Is surfing hard?
It’s a good question, as lot’s of people claim it to be one of the hardest sports to master on the planet.
But is that really true?
Or is it just your typical surfer trying to blow wind up their own backside to make themselves look cool?
Let’s find out…
WHAT MAKES ONE SPORT HARDER THAN ANOTHER
There’s no denying that certain sports are easier and less demanding, that’s just how it is.
So let’s take a closer look at some factors that can help us determine which sports are harder than others, and why:
- Coordination
- Physical demands
- Athleticism
- Balance
- Timing
- Mental fortitude
- Tactics and strategy
- Speed
- Strength
Take Ten-Pin bowling for example.
Yes it requires coordination, and mild levels of athleticism, but there’s a massive gulf between that and being a football player that requires all of the above to succeed.
So there are differences between sports, but where does surfing rank?
Let’s dig a little deeper.
WHAT MAKES SURFING UNIQUELY HARD
Surfing isn’t like any other sport on the planet, and it’s uniquely hard for a few reasons:
MULTI SKILLED
Surfing doesn’t just require one or two of the skill factors above, it requires all of them, and more.
Very few other sports are quite so nuanced and complex.
MOTHER NATURE
There are other sports that need to work in harmony with mother nature out there, but none to the level of surfing.
Take golf for example.
Yes, wind and rain may play a factor at times, but that’s not always the case.
Surfing on the other hand is one big symbiosis with the ocean, mother nature, something that can’t be learned from a textbook, that takes years to master.
EVER CHANGING PLAYING FIELD
Unlike pretty much every other sport on the planet, the playing field of a wave changes every single time.
Let me explain.
No two waves caught will ever be the same, never, not even at Kelly Slater’s Wave Pool.
This makes surfing extremely hard, as you’re never able to repeat the same manoeuvre on the exact same section, ever.
This, above all else, is what sets surfing apart as the hardest sport on the planet.
And this is why it takes so damn long to get good.
HOW TO MAKE SURFING NOT QUITE AS HARD
Surfing is hard enough as it is without throwing any curveballs into the mix to make it even harder.
So here’s a quick list of things you can do to make it just that little bit easier:
BE ON THE RIGHT BOARD
Surfing on the wrong sized board for your ability makes things exponentially more difficult.
It’s an easy fix though, just don’t go too small too soon.
GET STRONG
If you’re not strong enough to pop to your feet yet, get that handled straight away, as that extra strength makes popping up far easier.
STRETCH IT OUT
If you can’t get to your feet because you’re too inflexible, that’s on you, and something you can (and should) fix asap.
A daily stretching routine will have that fixed in a couple of weeks.
STUDY IT
Watch surf movies, buy a surfing course, read up on tutorials, watch other surfers in the water…
Whichever way you want to do it, become a student of the sport and actually invest your time into getting better.
Everything is easier when you fully commit.
CONCLUSION
I don’t need to bang on about how hard surfing is, and how it’s the most difficult sport in the world as I’m likely preaching to the choir here, as no doubt you know firsthand just how hard surfing can be.
But that’s what makes it so damn addictive, and so alluring.
Just like a video game that’s too easy, sports like this get boring very quickly.
Surfing is different.
Yes, it’s incredibly hard, but that’s what keeps us coming back for more each and every time, and that’s why we frickin love it.
Yew!
Rowan.
ROWAN CLIFFORD
Rowan is the technical nerd behind the scenes. A lover of everything entrepreneurial, and living a minimal, simple life. Surf, Travel, Create.
