If you are new to this blog you might think that this blog is about surfing or skateboarding or some other “extreme sport”. It’s not. What it is about is about training to play better. And it just so happens that surfers, snowboarders and skaters (among others) know something about Play and optimal experience that many others don’t. The purpose of this post is to demystify and hopefully inspire you to take a second look a these pursuits no matter how old you may be. You may find that they offer you a unique way to experience the pure joy and playfulness of your youth you never could have imagined.

You have probably thought like many others that Snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing and other alternative ways of having fun are “extreme sports”: Dangerous, for crazy people, or adrenaline junkies.
This could not be farther from the truth. People of all ages and skill levels practice these sports year round and the incidents of serious injuries is lower than most team sports. I would argue that these activities are not really sports at all.

Surfing, for many is considered a more of a religion than sport. Why? Because there’s so much more surfing than simply catching a wave. Many Zen Buddhists are also practicing surfers. Surfing is about being in the moment and connecting to nature. There’s so much more than simply the physical demands.
Using myself as a simple example: I train for it intensely but not for the reasons that you might think. But rather because it allows me to experience more of the ocean, for longer periods of time and insures that I will not run the risk of injuring myself.

For years I played team oriented sports exclusively. This was a mistake. I see a lot of unhappy, ex-football, basketball, soccer and other team sport athletes, who are out of shape and who do not enjoy moving any more. In contrast, most of the “extreme sports” parents continue to work hard to stay connected to their sport and the communities that support these activities. Overall they also seem to be in better shape and just as passionate about their experience of playing these sports.

It is never too late to try.
If you have never had the opportunity to ride on a board down a wave, a mountain, or a skateboard down a sunset stained hill: simply do it. The wave can be tiny, the mountain small and the hill gentle. You will feel deep change inside and hopefully a moment of timeless flow where all of your conscious thoughts are gone and all you feel is the wind, water, snow, air and sun on your face.

Take an interest in learning how to ride a board you will laugh and marvel at how such a simple thing could bring you so much joy.