The Mindful Surfer

Why your best is yet to come!

This weeks intro we cover recent surfs and how fun it was to
a) have a small nibble of local swell 
and 
b) travel for some epic sessions on the north coast and Bristol wave pool 
The main takeaways were: 
1. Expectation is the biggest obstacle to a surfers journey - mastering the art of letting it go and you opens up a whole world of possibilities 
2. Wave pools are AWESOME tools for progression because they’re tricky and they offer up so many of the same walls to hit - get to one !! 
3. Gratitude for the surf you get to experience no matter how small or how infrequent is the surfer who is stoking…isn’t that the goal??!!  
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam 

Surf Myths Dispelled

This weeks intro we dispel the ultimate surf myth : 
If I could surf more (in better sunnier waves with fewer people…) the happier I’d be! 
Why is it a myth? 
Because where ever go, there you are and if you’re someone who has tendency x & y now, you’ll carry that tendency to the paradise we “invent” in our head. 
So what’s it about? 
Gratitude… for your health , loved ones and the waves you DO get the ride whether they’re infrequent / frequent / big / small / messy / clean. 
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam

How to get the most from your surfing

This weeks show is a run down of the mindful surfer trip down to Portugal and all the stories, insights and learnings that took place. 
We cover ; 
- What grovel board worked amazingly!
- Why mini mids could be the best one board quiver for a trip 
- How to navigate crowded lineups 
- Why diet plays such a big role on performance 
- How to calm your mind and body during   “surf triggers”
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam

Finding your perfect board

This weeks intro Will dives into new board discoveries having ridden the FireWire revo max (a high performance mid by Daniel Thompson) and how much he was frothing on its performance, glide and wave catching ability.
 
We then get onto what we actually get to surf worldwide , that most of us surf around the waist to head high range with low to medium power & shape and that’s why the fishes, mids, logs and hybrids will only keep on growing - they make it soooo much more fun! 
 
Convo leads on to how difficult it is to make “tangible” gains in surfing because , when you don’t have video footage, how can you know you’re improving? You have to go somewhere else mentally to keep track. 
 
Liam then shares recent surf insights and how much he’s learned to “look where you wanna go” rather than down at your feet and how much of an impact it’s had. 
 
Will shares stories about recent sessions and how positive an impact the quality of his diet seemed to have on his recovery when compared with recent trips. 
 
In mind body stoke, we talk about meditation and dark chocolate - the effects both have had on performance, mood and sleep quality. 
 
Stay stoked guys! 

Better mindset = better performance

This weeks intro is a random one around baking ze balls and boosting testosterone!
We then get onto;
- Liams epic “time out” mindset shift during a surf and how good it was for his next dip mentally and physically 
- Wills recent canaries trip and the reasons why it might be the best he’s ever had 
- Board chat heads onto Shibui boards and our prize giveaway 
- Training discussions head towards getting the right balance to not over train for surf sessions (but not under either) 
- Life philosophy chat then covers “what is the ideal surfing life?” and how it ultimately is the one you craft for yourself  
Stay stoked! 
Will & Liam 

How to surf your best

This weeks intro, we talk about how this winter will go down as a classic in the south west of england (yes the weathers been gnarly but WOW the waves!!) 
Will then talks about how lonely and isolated a lot of his surfs have been this winter - in wind and rain!! He then talks about a shocker of a surf he’d had followed by an amazing one - and how normal that is! The ebb and flow of surfing (and life) is inevitable and how important it is to not fight with it. 
Liam then talks about a recent surf he had with his son on a super fun 2-3ft day at home on the mashup - and talking about the virtues of sticking with a daily driver to be better able to measure your progress (rather than get confused with “is this me or is this the board?”).
Will then talks about his love of all sized surf crafts - how how he’ll go from a 6’0 fish all the way to a 9’6 log and all sizes in between.
Liam then talks about how memorable small waves can be when you’re with friends - super high vibes because the egos disappear and everything just flows. 
Will then talks about his recent shoulder niggle and how he’s working out how to manage the inflammation whilst still surfing each day. 
Liam shares insights on his latest fitness and nutrition routine and how awesome he’s feeling for doing an extended fast! 
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam 

Better habits = better surfing

The intro is wild … wills naked , cold , full of cheese and in need of Liams help , the show will reveal all!
Liam then talks about his recent fitness routine in how he’s trying to strip fat, build muscle and remain on track with his programme (and all the challenges along the way!). 
Will goes onto share story about the up and down nature of his last few surfs (some felt like his own version of “best” followed immediately by one that was no where near and then explains why he performed better in some than others)
Liam then talks about what winter does to your patience and gratitude levels for even the littlest glimmers of early spring coming or a slight lull and calmness in between swells. 
In mind body stoke, Will shares his insight into preventing the winter slump , that just getting out in the sea , fields , trees - as long as it’s outside , it’s essential for our mental well-being! 
Liam then shares learnings from his fitness journey and how his running and circuit training is paying off (and reveals what piece of fitness kit is INCREDIBLE for paddle fitness gains!) 
Stay stoked guys! Will & Liam 

New board vs New Body ?

Straight out the gates, Liam shares a ridiculously funny story about his pay packet from working up north as a labourer for his dad!
The boys then go on a mega long snake run of chat around the “it’s January … it’s tough… let’s be fitter and enjoy our surfing more” mindset challenge that faces most surfers at this time of year!
We then talk about how to become someone who is disciplined with their training and diet but also manages to strike a balance with social / release & treat foods (without them hurting your surf performance)
Finally, we delve into a recent dreamy surf session , the one you hope might come along and re invigorate , and it did ! Sun was out, head high sets, uncrowded, perfect shape, heaven! A reminder of why we surf!
Stay stoked guys!!
Will & Liam

Surf like no one’s watching

This weeks intro , Liam talks about having an awesome session because he was frothing a previous surf that had been a bit busy and tricky. 
Will then talks about his recent wave park visit and how much he loves the mashup. Liam also rides the mashup and comments on how well it paddles and turns sooooo easily compared with other boards he’s ridden. 
We then continue to chat about getting the right board under your feet and why going for a little more foam and a slightly flatter rocker is never a bad idea for an average surfer. 
We then talk about mid lengths and how much of a boost they’ve given surfers performance and joy recently too … 
We then talk about Wills recent Bristol wave visit and how much it flares his ego looking at footage and what he learns from that. 
Liam shares a hugely valid point - that there’s no such thing as “failure” but simply incomplete attempts and how that reframed the whole surf journey in our favour. 
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam 
 

Being kinder to yourself on performance

This weeks intro, we cover a super psychedelic series of nuances regarding Sesame Street and how each of the characters would surf!
Liam then goes on to his most recent surf and how much kinder he was on his performance than last time out (and why not?! If you can choose, why NOT be kinder - it leads to gains so much quicker because you can give yourself room to learn) 
Will then shares his recent nutritional discoveries in relation to his surf performance and how it has NOTHING to do with what he left out that was slowing him down but entirely doing something new (if you don’t change something - what can we expect ?!!) 
The boys then go on to talk about recent fin and board tweaks which have led to new discoveries too.
Liam then shares his challenge of being in a busy lineup recently and having concerns over a) the safety b) am I gonna get a wave? and c) can I be arsed?!! 
Stay stoked guys! 
Will & Liam