SurfingSports Standup Paddle Surf & Standup Paddling BLOG

Season's greetings...

WOW...dunno about you guys...but, to me the clock seems to be spinning in hyper-speed...time to slow down a bit and reflect on the spirit of giving...and the conundrums found in life...

Thought I'd scribble down some thoughts that came to me while we were honoring Eva Hollmann on Saturday...what a wonderfully generous and tireless craftswoman...really kewl to see a broad spectrum of watersport's enthusiasts express their appreciation for her restoration projects...a model of selflessness...

Everyone who works in our shop comments on how fast the day goes by...never a dull moment dishing out stoke and holiday cheer...it's pretty amusing, and satisfying, to watch a huge stack of standup paddle boards get whittled down everyday, only to have Santa's elves at night replenish the supply...it's like everyday is Christmas in our shop as boards get put together and paddles get measured and custom cut...even if we can't get in the water everyday...and lord knows we try...but, we have learned to experience stoke vicariously through you guys, our clients and fellow water brothers and sisters...

It's personally gratifying knowing that we are helping to create "miles of smiles"...changing the world one paddleboarder at a time..."it's all good"...and it's
good work if you can get it...;-)

We have learned some moral lessons in working our butts off at the stoke factory everyday...almost like Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day"...

There is a reason this film has always resonated with me...check it out again...as it's easy to underestimate this film as silly comedy...

Wikipedia says of it,

"Groundhog Day is a tale of self-improvement, to look inside oneself and realize that the only satisfaction in life comes from turning outward and concerning oneself with others rather than concentrating solely on one's own wants and desires. As such, the film has become a favorite of Buddhist , Christian and Jewish leaders alike because they see its themes of selflessness and rebirth as a reflection of their own spiritual messages. It has even been dubbed by some religious leaders as the "most spiritual film of our time."

There is a common moral thread in it that is found elsewhere and passed down from the ages...

Getting beyond the denial and resentment over the conditions of life and death that we may find ourselves in, and then accepting and embracing the real truth of our situation, allows the day to day struggle in life to be less of a problem...opening up the possibility for us to become more authentic and compassionate towards others...

I read an interview in the LA Times yesterday with Sparky Longley of Rainbow Sandals...kewl guy that gets it...

My favorite excerpts are:

Goal in business: "To make a product that lasted, and to be a good boss to work for." Donates sandals, money and avocados from a ranch he owns to wounded Marines, soup kitchens and a drug rehabilitation center.

Meditation "makes me unattached to the daily hassles. When you go through the day unaffected, you go home and you're not tired."

Remember the Greek myth of Sisyphus from Philosophy 101 back in college?

He was condemned by the gods to repeat forever the same meaningless task of rolling a rock to the top of the mountain, only to have it roll back on top of him...signifying the absurdity of man's futile and hopeless labor...

Albert Camus wrote a a philosophical essay called "The Myth of Sisyphus" where he concludes that acknowledging the truth will conquer it..." when Sisyphus acknowledges the futility of his task and the certainty of his fate, he is freed to realize the absurdity of his situation and to reach a state of contented acceptance"...

Sisyphus accepted his fate in life that "all is well"...or, as we say with contented acceptance, "it's all good"...;-)

There was a great moment during Eva's retirement party when we gave her a beautiful wood Starboard SUP to show our appreciation for all that she's done for us over the years...it was very touching, and brought tears to her eyes...as I've seen her master handiwork on repaired boards bring tears of joy to grown men's eyes...men who thought that they've seen the last days of their cherished and beloved board's life...over 5808 boards repaired to date...

Anyways...lots of fodder to digest from this blog post...

Blogs are peculiar to me...hopefully, ours serves a purpose by bringing you some entertainment through information and pictures...sure seems a sizeable portion of blogs are self-absorbed shrines about the power of the "ME"...they even have a diagnosis for it...Narcissistic Blog Disorder...
A recent study highlighted this trend...Dr. Jean Twenge found that 1 out of 4 college students now answers the majority of the NPI (Narcissistic Personality Inventory) questions in the narcissistic direction (it used to be 1 out of 7)...

We can turn this alarming trend around...regardless of our walk(s) in life...or religiousity, if EVERY single day, we all would/could focus a little less energy on ourselves, and a little more on others, I personally believe that the world's karmic energy would skew a little more towards the positive side...just a thought...Happy Holidays...

Labels: giving, stoked for life, World Peace