The Mindful Surfer – Details, episodes & analysis

This weeks intro we dive into the nuances of  how you create your own version of surf happiness - in how you view conditions , how often you get to surf, where you surf, who you surf with etc etc 

And the insight that we come back to over and over is life can’t be better ANYWHERE else not because you’re environment wouldn’t change if you moved to indo but more because it’s YOU who lives there and where ever you surf, there you are. 

In mind body stoke, Will chats recent diet changes (in doing a little less fasting and it helping his surf energy) and also how powerful breath work has been for surf performance.

Liam talks about being open minded to change and how much he’s enjoyed getting a little more relaxed on diet and beers when you’re around the right people (and that the people make the biggest difference to how those foods etc interact with your body). 

Stay stoked guys! 

Will & Liam 

This week we intro on how tricky our home breaks have been this winter and all the mental (and physical) challenges that’s created. 

Will then goes onto discuss his recent Bristol Wave Pool experience and he was NOT happy in the first session because of the delays and issues the wave park were having with the new settings. In the end , things all came good due to mental shifts and a huge winner was riding the Machado mashup - frothing on that new board and Will explains why. 

Liam then goes onto discuss how important failure is for progressing as a surfer - that if you’re NOT failing much, your progression will slow down…it’s when you mess things up enough times that you make the biggest gains because it WILL eventually click - we’ve just gotta be brave enough to have a go!

We then go onto chat about how progress speeds up and slows down at various stages in life - whether there’s been a flat spell, injuries , work being busy - and that it’s so important to stay positive and motivated when a slower period kicks in! 

Will then talks about including pre workout carbs from honey and orange juice and how positive an impact it’s had on his performance! 

Liam talks about his recent fitness gains from getting out and running during our flat spell to keep motivation alive for when the next swells come around. 

Stay stoked guys! 

Will & Liam 

Liam intros on why it’s so important to not care how you look on a wave and how positively impactful that mindset was in his recent session in Fistral. 

Will then shares his recent surf experiences and how much Golf messed up his body for his trip (and how much stretching and re strengthening work he had to do to get back in to “surf shape”). 

In mind, body , stoke Will shares his “yoga challenge” he placed on himself for his trip and how powerful it was for his surfing (and how bloody crazy gnarly tough it has been sticking with that extra level of mobility work since getting home). 

Liam goes on to share how motivated he is to get back into “surf season shape” having gotten back into old habits in summer. He shares how good it feels to be in that shape reminding himself to keep that constancy on track!

In mind, body and stoke, 

Will & Liam

In this weeks intro, Liam gives the details on his recent surf life saving event and all the insights that came from it including facing his fears, other competitors and doing something that’s given him huge lifts in motivation for better diet , lifestyle and training! 

We also go onto chat about how important it is we let go of what people think about us - in how we live our lives, what boards we ride, foods we eat - the LOT! 

Will goes onto talk about “what makes the happiest surfer?” - someone who can be just as stoked for someone else’s wave as they would if they’d had one of those their own!

The boys also talk about naked surfing - with none other that Rob Machado… you’ll be surprised what comes up! 

In mind body stoke, Will talks about recent dietary choices and how difficult it can be to find the healthiest choices of “quick carbs” that are super useful for surf trips (he has a hack to get round that!). 

Liam shares how in finishing his event - he’s already put on some weight as he’s loaded back up with carbs and some beers but then goes onto talk about how much he wants to get back to how he’s been feeling recently. 

Stay stoked guys! 

Will & Liam 

This weeks intro we talk about how powerful ego is in surfing - in what we post on social media, how we perceive other surfers in the lineup and how we perceive our own performance in front of “better surfers”. 

Will goes onto talk about recent surf sessions on the north coast and how in love with the FireWire seaside he is! He goes onto say “there’s no better surfboard for progressing your rail surfing on open face walls”

After mindfulness breath work, Liam goes onto talk about how we can cultivate more contentment in our lives through gratitude awareness - especially for the health we have in any given moment.

In mind body stoke, Will goes on to share recent surfing gains coming from eating cleaner than usual on his weekend trip and how much more fun he had in the lineup! 

Liam talks about his up coming paddling event and how the extra effort on training & nutrition he’s been putting in has made him feel over all. 

Stay stoked! 

Will & Liam

This weeks intro is a mix of emotional triggers on crowds, chat about free stuff we got given (from a golf company!) and how we’ve been staying stoked despite the recent flat spell. 

The conversation goes into talk about why surfing gives us such a huge boost in stoke - that flow experience of zero thoughts about the past or future, just present joy. 

We go onto talk about the evolving surfer who develops as much stoke on land as in the sea - through taking on challenges and seeking new flow based horizons. 

In mind, body, stoke, Will talks about recent upgrades in his meditation programme - basically doing more, more often (and reaping huge rewards). 

Liam discusses how there is no “right time” to take care of yourself and how good he’s felt lately giving himself more time to ocean paddle, play golf and take on less to recover and feel better for taking on challenges. 

Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam

This weeks intro, the boys go in deep on wetsuit reviewing - the ones that we love and the ones we do not (over a 20 year surf career there have been a LOT of different suits!). 

We then go onto talk about surf brands and how woke a lot of them are trying to be - pushing a silly unconscious message of “what we’re doing to the planet from buying x or y”. And rather than brands go down that road, more just offer what they offer without hypocrisy or negativity.

Conversation then goes onto how distract-able our minds can be and teaches the “focus meditation” - in how when we focus entirely on being present it aids every area of our lives and in particular - activities that require better focus like surfing!!! 

In mind, body, stoke, Will talks about working on his ultimate weakness - his snap! Then utilising “exercise snacking” and getting the noticeable benefits for snapping onto his surfboard. 

Liam shares how he’s working on his “weak point” - his legs and his recent training on his legs has made a huge difference to his cutbacks! 

Stay stoked guys! 

Will & Liam 

Apart from Will sounding a bit drunk and bunged up from a cold during the week, he asks “are foamie’s worth buying for your surf progression?”. The boys then hash out the various pros and cons. 

Liam talks about what he’s done for refent surf fitness gains - in how big an impact his work on land had on his wave count (according to Will “the most waves I’ve ever seen you catch in one hour”!). 

In mind, body stoke, Will shares how the FireWire seaside has challenged him to eat a cleaner diet so he can get the most out of his new quiver (but also how it’s messed with his mind being tempted to weigh himself - a habit he NEVER recommends to his clients ironically). 

Liam goes onto share how good he’s felt lately from reducing booze intake whilst upping his cardio workouts too. He also goes onto share how his recent gains have challenged his previous lifestyle philosophy and working out how he can strike the right balance between feeling good vs being able to let loose.

Stay stoked guys!

Will & Liam  

In this weeks show, we discuss recent surfs and how challenging they’ve been to access energy and therefore wave count and performance.

We then ask the question “which is best for surfing - fuel from carbs or fuel from fat?” 

We go onto share how important it is to consider your personal situation and how you like to surf…are you the guy / gal who sits out the back and waits for sets? Or are you someone who froths like a grommet on the inside? The latter surfer is gonna need a LOT more carbs than the former! 

We go onto talk about recent surf success - in feeling like Machado (much more than looking like him!!) and how hard it can be to let go of it - in how we hold on to success / joy rather than let it pass (like it needs to!). 

In mind body stoke, Will talks about “pre surf routines” and how big an impact they had on his recent surfs. Liam shares how cool it felt to surf super mini surfs (rather than get depleted from 2 hour + sessions)

Stay stoked guys!

Will & Liam

Popped hamstrings, chocolate consumption, recent surfs and supplements. Will has been trying the Rob Machado Seaside and Liam has been on a coaching course.  We are chatting about delayed vs instant gratification, Flow, reward, learning and progress.  All this and more in the latest episode.