Surfing, Beer, and Philosphy

The only thing really Costa Rican about Dominical is that it’s in Costa Rica. Sure, plenty of Ticos run businesses but without Europeans, Americans, Australians and Canadians I don’t think there would be many people here. The surfing is impressive but it’s not a good place to swim and there are better beaches if you just want to lounge about. Hippies and surfers make up the vast majority of those staying more than a few days. While surfers worship the waves, hippies worship the herb, and travelers like myself drop in to observe it all. I will say though that the place has a cool vibe and the beer is always very cold.

Yesterday the waves were crackin rougher than what I saw a week ago. I watched one guy in the distance riding the lip of a barrel. He wiped out and lost his board. The board washed ashore and a dude picked it up for him. Surfer etiquette I’m told. The person who wiped out was having a chore of a time getting back to shore and could only do it by body surfing crumbly waves. Eventually he emerged from the water tall and lean boasting long hair and a long beard. He looked like a wet dog. He shook hands with the dude who picked up his board and paddled back out getting pummeled by erratic waves with every duck dive. As one surfer put it, “You always want to end your day with a good ride in”. He was headed back out for a good ride.

“Sometimes it’s better to let go of what you don’t need than to have what you want”, was the comment made by a surfer a few beers into our conversation. Not all surfers are ego driven lettuce head dudes with empty thoughts of parties and chicks. For many surfing is like a religion. It’s not just about challenging oneself to be better at riding a wave on a piece of Styrofoam covered with fiberglass and wax. It’s about overcoming fear, timing it just right, surviving the inevitable brush with death from time to time and living in the moment. Hours spent paddling about or just sitting on a board far from shore, waiting for the right set, has a tendency to challenge ones thought processes.

What does it mean? Letting go of what you don’t need is better than having what you want? People are obsessed with what they want. That tends to be the focus. Be whatever it is. A new car, a house, meeting the love of their life, more money, to be happy etc. etc. but what people have a hard time doing is letting go of what they don’t need. Often times people don’t even think about it. People hold onto thoughts, beliefs, material goods, emotions etc. etc. that really are not doing them any good. People have a tendency to cling tight to needless patterns and thoughts just like we store our material goods in closets and warehouses. Everyone to some degree holds on to what they don’t need. The lighter the load, the more room, the more freedom one has. By getting rid of what you don’t need you make room for what you want.