Embrace The Remount

Inspired by the first downwind surf session of the season,

A recent essay did a deep dive

Into the challenge of

Locating the turning point onto the Waves that directly align with our desired destination.

On that day,

After a good turning point into the downwind,

I was paddling two kilometers offshore and enjoying the Waves on my direct line

When a rare and unsettling occurrence happened -

My boat tipped over.

70 seconds later,

This challenging moment opened a window for change.

— — — —

Seconds 0-20

My right forward paddle stroke plummets straight down into the water instead of tracking alongside the boat -

Which causes a loss of balance with no support stroke to stabilize…

Capsized.

I'm out of the boat and in the sea.

There’s an immediate feeling of, “How did I get here??”

Which quickly becomes,

"I need to get out of the water."

— — — —

With all due respect

To falls from bikes, horses, and skateboards,

Remounting onto a surfski kayak

Does not happen on solid ground.

It’s in the deep sea,

Far from shore,

And with Waves and wind whipping by.

The remount back onto the surfski begins with

A full-body push...

Against nothing but water.

Uncertainty, disorientation, and fragility enjoy a front row seat to watch.

— — — —

Seconds 21-40

I am floating in the sea beside the middle of the surfski. I place my left hand, which holds the paddle - NEVER let go the paddle! - on the far top side of the boat. My right hand on the near top side.

In seal-like fashion, press upwards with the arms and kick with the feet -

Landing the midsection of my body frontside down across the surfski - sort of like flopping sideways across a bed.

Briefly stabilize in this precarious and unsustainable position…

Then rotate my body over, slide into the bottom of the seat, and throw my legs towards the front of the surfski.

— — — —

I can’t emphasize this enough -

This fragile-feeling remount at sea

Perfectly models

A remount in Life after a fall -

No grace, glamour, nor style.

But in a world designed for playing offense,

The remount is our most important defensive maneuver.

— — — —

Seconds 41-70

Rattled and unclear, I am back on the surfski.

What happens next is so simple… and beautiful.

First, I turn to my left

Where about 100 meters away is my partner, Maria - less experienced on the surfski but doing SO WELL on this downwind. She taps her hand on her head - the signal to see if someone far away is ok. I give the "thumbs up" sign.

Then, I instinctively feel the steepness of a Wave rising beneath me.

Paddle hard, lean forward…

The Wave picks me up and takes control.

Free Energy acquired.

The boat is flying. The surfer recalibrates.

— — — —

A 70 second window -

Messy and humbling

Yet weirdly necessary.

We always hope

For remount-free days.

But, when we capsize -

At sea or in Life,

A defensive maneuver ignites the change:

1. Move intentionally
2. Connect with those closest to you
3. Fully engage the next Wave

This is how to

Embrace the remount.

With gratitude, Joe

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