The Mindful Surfer

Where ever you surf there you are

This weeks intro we dive into the nuances of  how you create your own version of surf happiness - in how you view conditions , how often you get to surf, where you surf, who you surf with etc etc 
And the insight that we come back to over and over is life can’t be better ANYWHERE else not because you’re environment wouldn’t change if you moved to indo but more because it’s YOU who lives there and where ever you surf, there you are. 
In mind body stoke, Will chats recent diet changes (in doing a little less fasting and it helping his surf energy) and also how powerful breath work has been for surf performance.
Liam talks about being open minded to change and how much he’s enjoyed getting a little more relaxed on diet and beers when you’re around the right people (and that the people make the biggest difference to how those foods etc interact with your body). 
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam 

Be brave….have a go!!

This week we intro on how tricky our home breaks have been this winter and all the mental (and physical) challenges that’s created. 
Will then goes onto discuss his recent Bristol Wave Pool experience and he was NOT happy in the first session because of the delays and issues the wave park were having with the new settings. In the end , things all came good due to mental shifts and a huge winner was riding the Machado mashup - frothing on that new board and Will explains why. 
Liam then goes onto discuss how important failure is for progressing as a surfer - that if you’re NOT failing much, your progression will slow down…it’s when you mess things up enough times that you make the biggest gains because it WILL eventually click - we’ve just gotta be brave enough to have a go!
We then go onto chat about how progress speeds up and slows down at various stages in life - whether there’s been a flat spell, injuries , work being busy - and that it’s so important to stay positive and motivated when a slower period kicks in! 
Will then talks about including pre workout carbs from honey and orange juice and how positive an impact it’s had on his performance! 
Liam talks about his recent fitness gains from getting out and running during our flat spell to keep motivation alive for when the next swells come around. 
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam 
 

Your best surfing is yet to come

This weeks intro we cover Liams and Wills recent surfs and all the successes and challenges they bought along with them. 
From surfing with difficult people to trying to perform even in the midst of mental/emotional triggers, we hash out what it takes to get better whilst having a good time! 
Liam goes on to talk about how much fun he had surfing his “cricket net” - a spot where he can simply get stuck into turns without many people around.
Will also shares stories from his recent trip to tenerife and was obsessed with trying to keep the nose of his board facing the beach so he could perform tighter more vertical turns. 
We then go onto talk about how close that switch and shift into the next levels of performance is and so therefore how important it is to stay stoked and keep persevering! 
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam 

How to stay stoked & motivated

Liam talks about his recent FireWire seaside session and how he’s been finding it on our home break - he then goes on to share his quiver, how he wants to upgrade it, and why!
Will goes onto share his journey on mids and what they can do for our surfing - in having to work on slowing things down, lengthening compressions and therefore improving our style, hand positions, posture and therefore carves. “Step up” performance mids get discussed too and why they can be rad for trips or bigger days at home.
We then talk about how easy it is to slip into a negative mindset around your surfing - whether it be junky waves / crowds / old injuries etc…but in coming out of those funks from looking in the mirror, appreciation and therefore flow comes back in abundance!
We then share insights about how to stay motivated to be fit, well and well trimmed downstairs - that so much of it is about being kind to yourself when things slip and then, when we simply choose to - get back into what we know we can do to make our surfing lives more fulfilling all round and remind ourselves (hopefully) why it’s so important to remain consistent - because surfing is worth it!
Stay stoked! Will & Liam

How to still enjoy surfing in crowds

This week , we intro with a long chat about empathy in surfing and how it can be applied. 
We then go onto discuss , 
- The appeal of the solo surf journey (self resilience) 
- We discuss what we believe to be the most overused word in surfing - respect! (vs just being “mindful”). 
- Will shares a crowded surf story he hopes will help other people 
- Liam shares insights on thought management in crowded lineup
- Board talk continues (as per) and chat about how big a difference fins make 
- Will shares recent challenges to his hormones and bio hacks to fix it and get his mojo back 
- Liam shares how he’s managing his emotional self through his recent work challenges 
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam

Magic boards & Motivational Boosts

This weeks intro we dive deep into a humongous intro - one that lasts the entire show due to the larger than expected break since our last show. 
In order , we cover : 
1. Wills pre tenerife surf training camp 
2. Liams ocean knowledge vs wave pool progressions & philosophies 
3. Wills no1 ever session in 21 years of surfing and how surprised he was about the board that allowed him the session 
4. Why it’s so important to let go of joy 
5. How relative “surf progression is” to the human trying to progress 
6. Why 90% of the time, it’s not the board that’s at fault , but the surfer and their fitness & mindset 
7. Why NOW is the only time there’ll ever be to go surfing , move to the coast or go on a trip (there’ll always be barriers!) 
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam
 

Novelty = happiness = stoke!

In this weeks intro, we talk about our favourite wetsuit boots and Will goes full circle with his view on “solite”! 
Liam then shares how hard he found a recent surf but seeks the positivity in the experience and what it taught him. He also goes into share in his next session only 2 days later, he felt epjc - we then go onto talk about how the universe seems to be set up this way in and out the water! 
Will shares insights from dialling his quiver and how positive an influence it’s had on his surfing lately. The board that’s really stood out for better waves has been his JS el baron performance mid length. We then go onto talk about the importance of being able to chop and change the quiver to a) keep the novelty = happiness = Stoke equation alive and b) get the most out of the conditions! 
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam 

Surf trips & Smaller Boards

This weeks intro is all about the surf trips Liam and Will had been on in recent weeks! 
We go onto talk about : 
1. Why more powerful waves makes EVERYTHING easier 
2. Which boards we rode as the wave quality changed 
3. How we faced our fears stepping up to new challenges 
4. Why going away on a surf trip is such an important part of our surfing development! 
Enjoy and stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam
 

Pubes, Placebos & Policing Lineups

This weeks intro we dive deep into the placebo affect - the boards we choose all the way to the foods we eat - what we believe in will probably work! 
We also go into share a surf story from a recent session (Will told someone to go in!!). 
Liam then goes onto share how much someone’s self awareness relates to keeping lineups as fair and safe as possible. 
The boys also go onto talk about the failing adaptation theory - in how falling off more over many (many!) years, we get better at not caring so much about what people think which in turn helps us perform more! 
In mind, body, stoke, 
Will & Liam 

Bristol wave shenanigans

We took a trip to the Bristol wave pool! 
Liam shared how he found the expert turns on his new seaside fish (maybe a little too much foam!) and then found the extra foam amazing for the setting down on the “advanced”.
Will then shares how he found the expert turns on his new mid length (haaaaard going!!!) and then very similarly to Liam, got his 5’11 seaside really working on the advanced.
We then go onto talk about how much quicker you can develop your surfing from being able to get “reps” in the wave pool compared to the ocean (depending on where you live!).  
We then go onto discuss the philosophy of short term hardness vs long term ease and relate it to the discipline of good habits and why it’s soooooo crazy how much inertia there is before doing them (and why it’s therefore so important to be kind to yourself  if you’re procrastinating but also be able to give yourself a kick in the arse where needed!). 
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam