[monkeynotes]

I think that's a common conception of many surfers. Surfing is somewhat entrenched in philosophy. Surfers have philosophical concepts of individualism, territory, ecology, morality, and existential concepts surrounding their place in nature and what is truly important in life to be happy.

Surfers can be considered to live their life like any spiritual individual. Their _god_ is the ocean, their pursuit is happiness in the moment recognizing risk and danger is a necessary component for a full life.

[DanCarvajal]

I wonder how that came about, and how a culture like that could have come to persist into the 2020s?

My initial thought is to the limited range to actually peruse the sport, leading to a closer knit culture. It's coastal dependent and coast culture always has a distinct identity in my experience, more so than Mountain culture in my experience.