How would you describe the act of surfing?

There are many types of surfers out there, from the beach bum (beach pro), to the mainland (once in a blue moon) type; but while on the water everyone wants the same thing, to catch the wave. I live and surf in Florida, but have surfed a few other places as well, and personally what people think on the water and how they react are completely different. In Florida, when surfing, there are two states of mind that occur. One, is a waiting period, when you are just bobbing on your board waiting for a suitable wave to come and two, when the suitable wave finally comes and your mind begin to focuses. In the first state, I am mostly just thinking about my life or whatever thought my mind happens to wander on, school, work, friends, or what ever, just like any other time if I am sitting by myself just waiting. the second state of mind is completely blank; your body almost acts on instinct and your yelling at yourself "Go Go Go Go", without saying a word since you are to focused on your breathing to actually form words. After years of doing the same motion, feeling the same force of the wave signal for you to spring up off your feet and flat on your board, your body does not think past your paddling; only the mind set of catching the wave to feel yourself fall down the face of the wave and gravity have no effect on you for just a second and then as you reach the bottom start to bottom turn out to let gravity catch up with you as you again begin your constant ascent and decent on the wave.

Before I realised it, I ended up with this....

Go GET Tubed, it'll 'tell you' better than "you tube" .

sorry Billy (william) ... and , seriously... once you're inside 'the tube' or barrel (the cylindrical inner sanctuary of the curl of the wave) there is a feeling of elation, peace... a surreal feeling. Try it ;)

If you're bodyboarding it involves kicking also to get into the wave (unlike stand-up surfing: no kicking).

Worries? what worries??? Stoke!! is the way to express euphoria associated with a great day's surfing, or even of one really good ride !

Check out youtube for Billabong's 'I Surf Because' series with some pros. They'll explain it good as anyone.

go on YouTube... it will tell you better then i can.