Event

When Surf Is Where You Find It came out in 2008, I picked it up a little warily, unwilling to plow through 250 pages of stoke, however glorious stoke may be. But I soon found myself returning to it for a few minutes here, a few minutes there. It was soothing and inspiring at the same time, even to a non-surfer like me. Gerry Lopez—the pioneering surfer of Pipeline—wrote candidly about being terrified in the water, about wiping out so bad he thought he was going to die. He wrote about his greatest moments surfing without a lot of ego. He wrote calmly about scary stuff, and wrote unabashedly about growing up and no longer going balls-out in the water. And he wrote well, which makes a kind of sense since his father was a journalist and both parents avid readers and writers.

Now Lopez lives in Bend, Oregon and makes snowboards. He also leads yoga retreats (including one in June to Bali). It seems like Gerry Lopez isn't like other surfers. That makes him extra interesting.

Longtime Surfer publisher and Surfer's Journal founder Steve Pezman, who published some of Lopez's writings, wrote this about Lopez in the foreword to Surf Is Where You Find It: "His sharp intellect is instinctual, with a Zen spin, inhabiting a slight frame that articulates a well-coordinated physical presence, one that somehow survives the seemingly impossible by dint of grace and savvy rather than brute power."

It's a good description of Lopez, who comes off as serious and thoughtful but always a light touch. Here's Lopez himself on the treacherous wave with which he's most closely associated:

"For those who surf the Pipeline a lot, a mind-set develops after an unquantifiable number of waves have been ridden. There needs to be a calmness that allows the surfer to be centered and aware of all that is happening around him without becoming unnerved. Things seem to happen faster at the Pipeline than at other spots, and the consequences of making a wrong choice can be severe.


"Although instinct isn't the right word, something like it, along with a clear mind, works better than thinking because, at the Pipe, there isn't enough time for thought. A Zen-like mind that is empty of thoughts allows a stronger connection with the wave. It lets the surfer be in touch with the wave as opposed to being apart from it. This allows things to happen in slow motion as perceived by the rider, although in real time the process is moving very swiftly.


"Once this state of mind is developed, it becomes the most important asset a surfer can have. It is there to be grasped or ignored any time in any surf, but at the Pipeline it is a necessity for success. With this mind-state, as the world around the surfer begins to slow down, there is time to become more aware of this unique experience and to begin enjoying the view. Riding the tube is the ultimate maneuver, and successfully doing it at the Pipeline is, to say the least, the ultimate moment."

Saturday night Lopez comes to the Santa Cruz Patagonia outlet to read from the reissue of his book. Discretion Brewing and Homeless Garden Project will be on hand.

Patagonia Santa Cruz, 415 River St, Santa Cruz. 7pm doors open; event starts 7:30pm. Free.

Photo of Gerry Lopez with Herbie Titcomb and Brother Kit by Steve Wilkings.