Nynke van de Nadort
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I started surfing (and didn’t drown)
I started surfing
And didn’t drown
Starting something new can be terrifying. Being in a playfield where everybody knows better and being aware of that can feel uncomfortable. It’s all about seeking discomfort. Something what I did four years ago when I started skating and eight years ago when I started sailing. And now I’m doing it with surfing.
I want to be good at it and I’m fascinated by the people who already are.
I didn’t feel so good emotionally the day I decided to take my first surfing lesson. Starting something new always helps me getting out of a bad vibe. So I walked into the Mono Loco surf school in Bocas del Toro to just do it. A whole new world with new knowledge I never thought about opened up that day and as the theory came to me I got confident.
Even though I’m a sailor and the sea is my playground, the waves intimidated me that day. When I caught my first wave and ended up with a rinsed nose and a cut foot from the reef I tried to make my way back. My teacher had explained everything in advance: how to get out of shallow water with reef, how to dodge a wave breaking on top of you and where to go when you want to paddle back. All of this information got flushed out of my brain as soon as I ended up in the ‘washing machine’*.
You have to be willing to suck so bad at something when you just get started. It’s okay, just know that the more you try, the better you get. And also progress is not linear. One day you might make huge steps to getting better where in the next ten days you can feel stuck in not making any progress.
When I start something new, I want to be good at it. I’m fascinated by the people who already are and I try to celebrate the steps I’m making. It motivates me so much every time it gets a little bit better. What also makes the difference is having an amazing teacher who is supporting and motivating. Of course the making friends and having fun on the water helps too. This is a new chapter for me. One I didn’t expect opening when coming here, but I’m grateful I took the first step.
*The washing machine: a term used in surfing referring to being flushed away through several waves that keep on breaking on top of you.
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