As a small kid growing up I have always had one love, one passion, one influence. That influence is surfing. Surfing means everything to me. It is the only way I can relieve my stress, my pain, my anger, my sadness and all of those tiny, little things that irritate me. Surfing impacts everything that I do; whether I choose what it impacts or not. When I was little the ocean was my home, it still is. My life revolves around the ocean, living in and breathing in the salty air. I haven’t exactly told you why surfing and the ocean influence me so much and that is purely because I don’t know why. I have not a clue. Not a clue why the first thing I do every morning and the last thing I do every night is check the swell forecast. I have no clue why I surf for hours or until my bones ache so much from the cold that I have to go in. I don’t know why I leap out of the lip on big waves just to prove that I deserve the respect the older guys give me. I wouldn’t have a clue why when its barely breaking Max and I surf the Thud on foamies and die on the reef. I guess it was built into me. It makes sense. My mood goes up and down like the tides. My confidence rises to great highs and great lows like the swell. To be perfectly honest, I don’t really know how surfing influences me, how it changes my life, but what I do know is that I love surfing unconditionally. This piece of text has kinda turned into why I love surfing, but I don’t care because it’s all true.