So 2025 is something slightly older than a toddler, and the year is in full swing. Sorta. To Trident at least, the year only goes into full swing around March. Or August.
Anyhow, the most famous of self reflection and personal commitments to being better are the infamous New Year’s Resolutions. Generally made at the end of the year, very few people manage to keep said resolutions. Classic examples are exercising more, eating better, drinking less, hiding the bodies better – it takes self control and discipline to actually see them through.
However, there is a lesser known but equally important kind of New Year’s Resolutions. And this is the kind of commitment to self improvement nobody even bothers to make in the first place. So, as seen through the prism of a surfer’s perspective, let’s delve into New Year’s Resolutions nobody bothered to make in the first place (but perhaps should have).
Number 1: Surf more.
Well, it doesn’t get much more obvious than this. Should we even bother to elaborate? Point is, surfing more as a commitment is so outright and blatantly what every surfer wants to do, it’s not even worthwhile suggesting as a resolution. However, to illustrate the second, bracketed part of this New Year’s Resolution’s theme – consider this; not all of us will in fact manage to surf more this year. Whether it’s work , family, another pandemic, an alien invasion, AI enslaving humanity, the Rapture or (shudder) moving inland, life will find a delightful way of disrupting your goal of surfing more.
Number 2: Instead of losing one’s temper with other surfers, politely and calmly point out the errors of their ways.
Pfft. Like this will ever happen. Hence, nobody would even try to suggest this as a New Year’s Resolution. However, now that New Year’s Eve is in the rear view mirror… Why not try this progressive approach to surfing? Can’t hurt.
Number 3: Encourage more people to surf.
Oh please. Unless it’s your own spawn or close friends that have yet to be addicted to surfing, it’s not like you’re gonna stand at traffic robots and dish out cheap flyers encouraging people to learn how to surf. Although… there’s a thought…
Number 4: Share.
Whether it’s wax, waves, tips, sunblock or your surfboard – share. When that drunken yob staggering about at 2pm on Friday afternoon arrogantly declares he wants to borrow your board so he can show you “show everyone how easy surfing is and he’ll beat everyone else in the water” – lend him your little potato chip 5’10 thruster. Can’t hurt. Well, it may hurt said yob and your surfboard, but it may be worth a laugh watching this imbecile attempt to drown himself.
Number 5: Be a better, more skilled surfer.
Hey, maybe you’re seven years old, started surfing last year and just happen to be reading this article. In which case, we assume you may not know what New year’s Resolutions are yet. More importantly though, if you are all of seven years old – yes – you could actually become a better surfer. You have decades of surfing ahead of you. For most of the rest of us however, well – we gotta try to work hard to break our bad surfing habits. Knees bent the correct way, leading arm, trailing arm, moving the feet correctly while up and riding, quick pop ups, bottom turns… good gravy, it’s just too much information! But here’s a positive example: most of us know the basics of riding bikes. We all learned to do so before the age of ten. However, how many of us turned into professional cyclists? So ja – the same applies to surfing. If you’re not a full fledged pro by 17, chances of your surfing improving much as you age is negligible. Not impossible…. Just unlikely. That being said, Trident is nothing if not encouraging. So work on your surfing this year, dear readers. Our coaching rates are quite reasonable.
