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Meagan Weber
UWRT 1102-65
Julia Intawiwat
4/24/15
Surfing: A Cathartic Experience
Throughout history, individuals have sought out ways to obtain a new perspective on life
or develop an enlightened sense of purpose. For many people, specifically for those in coastal or
island cultures, that life-changing experience comes through engaging with the ocean in an
intimate and unusual way: surfing. As Chris McCandless noted, you do not need me or
anyone else to bring about this new kind of light in your life. It is simply waiting out there for
you to grasp it, and all you have to do is reach for it (Krakauer 41). Metaphorically speaking,
the ocean always exists, waiting for someone to reach out and experience its power with the
assistance of only a thin surfboard. Physical and psychological interactions, historical accounts,
and present day occurrences all prove that surfing can not only provide a cathartic experience for
an individual, but can also encourage social change or solidarity within broader cultures.
To comprehend why surfing has such a powerful impact, it is important first to
understand the techniques and practices of the sport itself. For the purposes of this paper, I will
focus primarily on the Hawaiian perspective of surfing, but also touch on some aspects of the
sport in California. There are six types of surfing found in Hawaiis history: board surfing,
outrigger canoe surfing, body surfing, body-boarding, sand sliding, and rifer surfing (Clark 19).
The type of surfing that most people think of when imagining the sport is board surfing. In this
subset, Hawaiians swim out slightly into the ocean, hold on to the board with their hands and
kick with their feet; they then swim further out, dipping their bodies underneath the water of

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smaller waves until they finally find a wave large enough to ride back to the shoreline (Clark
19-20). Perhaps the cathartic experience begins when the individual realizes they must paddle
and push through forceful waves in order to reach the finale; the physical exertion of preparing to
surf the final wave requires a certain degree of motivation and dedication. A sense of
empowerment no doubt ensues after such a struggle and achievement.
This empowerment could be described in terms of what Bron Taylor denotes as soul
surfing. Soul surfing is a powerful, elemental activity that surfers indulge in for the pure act of
riding on a pulse of natures energy and contentment in the heart (Taylor 926). Interestingly,
the ocean is described as having an energy and a pulse, two concepts related with adrenaline,
excitement, and happiness. Consequently, those terms are related with cathartic experiences. This
insinuates that it is the power residing within the water itself that could act as the basis for an
emotional release. If the surfer feels a connection with the ocean, he or she can hypothetically
sense the energy residing within its waves and feed upon it. As one surfer said, when practicing
the sport, you connect spiritually and physically with all the elements around you; this is a part
of you (Walker 4). This notion is supported by the fact that many Hawaiian surfers see surfing
as a way of life, the greatest pleasure, vital to living, and even an all-consuming need (Clark
14). Surfing is many peoples heartbeat; it is their reason for existing. It can also provide
advantageous lifestyle benefits outside of the water. Soul surfers believe that engaging in the
activity allows them to obtain perspective and achieve peace in otherwise tragic situations
(Taylor 935).
Not only do the native people of Hawaii view surfing as an individualistic advantage, but
they also have shown historically that they can use it to promote social solidarity and cultural
revival. The primary example of this comes from the Hui O Hee Nalu, a group of thirty-five

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Native Hawaiian men who worked together to prevent tourism and Calvinist colonialism from
destroying natural habitats and traditional surfing practices within Hawaii (Walker 1). They
essentially used their knowledge of surfing and of their land to protect what they held to be
important. Surfing was used as a tool to protect cultural identity. Additionally, the environmental
advocacy organization, Save our Surf, was founded in Hawaii in 1961; it sought to prevent
developments that would endanger surfing breaks and areas (Taylor 937). This depicts how
surfers in Hawaii have employed a cyclical method in preserving their history and interests. They
first work to save their culture by means of surfing, then they work to save surfing by use of their
culture.
In todays society, surfing is being used as therapy for a variety of diseases and illnesses.
Perhaps surfings most well-known and widely spread therapeutic advantage is for
developmental disorders. In Malibu, California, a couple has created an organization called
THERAsurf that utilizes surfing in the treatment of those with diseases on the autism spectrum
(Magruder). Kim Gamboa, one of the two cofounders of the institution, states that when disabled
children return to the shore after surfing in the ocean, they exude a sense of calm and
confidence and that some have actually shown developmental improvements in balance and
motor skills since beginning the program (Magruder). These changes and improvements indicate
that there is something psychological and even physiological in the act of surfing that creates a
higher state of well-being. Additionally, this organization also helps to show that surfing can
encourage social solidarity and inclusion; it encourages active involvement of a minority
population in a popular pastime of the state. As Gamboa also notes, to see the surfing
community connect with the special needs community is very special (Magruder). The

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following picture accurately captures both the joy and the inclusive nature of the THERAsurf
program.

Given the colorful history and the present day applications of surfing, it is apparent that
the activity has both emotional and cultural significance. Within the individual, it encourages an
overwhelming feeling of joy, excitement, and power. Within a culture, it produces a common
interest and can be used to preserve the values of entire groups of people. Finally, within nature,
it promotes a connection between humanity and the forces of the earth. The sport requires a
reliance upon and a respect of the power of the ocean, but it also provides a cathartic release for
those who participate in it. Surfing, in many ways, is more than just a sport and more than just a
hobby; for countless people, it is a way of life and a reason for being.

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Works Cited
Clark, John R.K. Hawaiian Surfing: Traditions from the Past. Honolulu: Unversity of Hawaii,
2011. WorldCat. Web. 25 Mar. 2015. <http://uncc.worldcat.org/title/hawaiian-surfingtraditions-from-the-past/oclc/794925343&referer=brief_results>.
Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. New York: Anchor, 1997. Print.
Magruder, Melanie. "Surfing as Therapy." Malibu Times. The Malibu Times, 24 July 2013. Web.
19 Mar. 2015. <http://www.malibutimes.com/malibu_life/article_50255c3a-f425-11e2b318-001a4bcf887a.html>.
Taylor, Bron. "Surfing into Spirituality and a New, Aquatic Nature Religion." Journal of the
American Academy of Religion 75.4 (2007): 923-51. JSTOR. Web. 20 Mar. 2015. <
http://www.jstor.org/stable/40005969?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=su
rfing&searchText=experience&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3D
surfing%2Bexperience%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bfc
%3Doff%26amp%3Bgroup%3Dnone&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents>.
Walker, Isaiah H. Waves of Resistance: Surfing and History in the Twentieth-Century Hawaii.
Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 2011. UNC Charlotte. WorldCat. Web. 20 Mar.
2015. <http://uncc.worldcat.org/title/waves-of-resistance-surfing-and-history-intwentieth-century-hawaii/oclc/794925379&referer=brief_results>.