Why do you surf?

The first time you get a ride on a surf­board and you are being pro­pelled along by a wave, it’s prob­a­bly as close as humans can get to being able to fly like a bird. I’ve tried to think about it and fig­ure out what it is exactly that makes it so won­der­ful. I guess it’s a sense of free­dom. When you’re glid­ing along on a wave, you are kind of leav­ing grav­ity behind—and you soar. It’s such a tremen­dous feel­ing that grips you down to your core.


- Gerry Lopez