Surfing is a performance based endeavor.

Of course it takes hours and hours of practice and conditioning but, once you have that and can move in, out and through the surf, your performance will be to a large extent based on your mental contribution. If you think you can pull some maneuver you can or will.

As I’ve gotten older I take notice that sometimes I get shaky in attempts to pull off certain moves. Sure there is not the agile body and quick response that I had in years past but sometimes I think I’m unable. If you think you’re unable then the mental games is lost…. You usually won’t pull off the move.

When it comes to nose riding on a long board your mental game really needs to be solid. It’s curious that for some time I’ve felt tentative standing on the tip lately… not as confident as in younger days. All the while thinking geez, what’s wrong with me.

Reading the book by Paul Holmes… Bing Surfboards, fifty years of craftsmanship and innovation… you’ll find this quote from Donald Takayama “Noseriding is one of the hardest things to do in surfing. To be able to hang ten and keep your balance as you go through sections and all of that is a very difficult thing to do and it has a lot to do with total mind control. It takes 150 percent concentration just to stay up there”.

Like walking across a room with a full cup of hot coffee. Stay cool and calm as you go, not really thinking about the cup but that you will reach your destination without spilling it. Or, you’ve seen a carpenter walking across the top plate of a framed wall? If he thinks he’s going to fall off the top of that three and a half inch wide wall he’ll get shaky and possible fall eight or more feet to the ground or floor… but he doesn’t, it’s a mental thing.

A few days ago I was surfing inside point in the afternoon. The surf had some shoulder high sets was clean and fun. As I was paddling back out to the line up, along with three or four other guys one of the local guys took off on one of the set waves and proceeded to step up to the nose turn around and hand heels right through the pack of us paddling out. If he would have fallen I would have taken the rail of his board in the face, I was that close. But he pulled the move off as if no one was around… in total control, no second thoughts about it.

If you think you can, you can. If you hesitate, if you question and have doubts, you probably won’t make it or not even try. With surfing and all performance based endeavors you’ve got to have your mental part down.

D.R.

Travis Riley... fin first take off.