A big part of surfing is looking over a ledge you might not feel comfortable looking over and leaping off it. You have to do it, though, if you ever want increase the area of your comfort zone. It may be hard to believe, but pro surfers need to do it, too. Most of them, of course, have been doing it for a while and have girthy comfort zones already, but no matter who you are, when you’re staring down the line from the top of a second reef Pipe bomb… well, you’d be well within your rights to feel a few butterflies.
Koa Smith and Griffin Colapinto are two surfers who have both the talent and experience at Pipeline, but they still have butterflies. In Koa’s latest instructional, he and Griff break down a few tips to get in the right headspace to paddle out at maxing Pipeline.
It starts early — 5 a.m. — with a bit of mediation. Setting the intentions for the day is an important part of it, too, for the simple fact that sometimes we might be a little unclear in our own heads about what, exactly, we want to accomplish. Putting those wants in a clearer focus often can be helpful in figuring out the important things to concentrate on.
For Griffin, it’s staying relaxed. “The difference in mindsets,” he said. “Being relaxed works so much better than being like, ‘I have to paddle for every wave that comes through.'”
It’s easier said than done, though, because as Koa says, “it’s a power move being able to be relaxed at Pipeline.”
Koa’s intentions on the day featured in the video above were markedly different than Griff’s. “Right now,” he said while paddling out, “the intention is just to put myself in the right spot and send it. There’s no time to waste.”
