FP Movement hits the beach!
Ready for adventure? We are too. Follow along with the FP Movement team as we try new things, challenge ourselves, and get active.
On a sunny Friday morning, I and a handful of team members met at Home Office, piled into a van, and headed toward the New Jersey coast. Though our itinerary for the day read “surfing,” we had no idea what we were really getting ourselves into, aside from some team bonding and splashing around in the waves.
Where We Went
We road tripped about 90 minutes to Asbury Park, where we hopped out of our chariot and headed for the sand. Today’s assignment: taking surf lessons with Summertime Surf, a surf school specializing in everything from kid’s surf camps to advanced surf lessons and everything in between.
What We Did
After changing into our Seea surf suits and applying much-needed SPF, our group met underneath a pop-up tent, dropped our personables and formed a circle. After introducing ourselves and laughing with one another about our (non-existent) surf experience, we assembled to “group stretch,” to loosen up before heading into the instructor-led demonstrations. Once we hit a few yoga poses, we lined up to grab our surfboards and met with the instructors.
Before trying out a few techniques on land, the instructors gave us the rundown on the parts of a surfboard, i.e. where they are, what they mean, and why they’re important to us:
We then segued into the actual demonstrations – how to line up our bodies with our board, proper foot and hand placement, correct paddling technique, and what it meant to “pop up,” which would essentially become the most important technique and the focus of today’s lesson. Once we practiced our paddling-to-popping-up a few times on land, we transitioned to the most exciting, and somewhat scary part – the water.
Our instructors advised that we’d be rotating in and out of the water in groups of four, so as the first quartet dove in, the rest of us lined up to cheer them on from shore. When it was finally my turn, I eased into the chilly, yet (slightly) refreshing Atlantic and my instructor grabbed my board. We battled a few massive waves before it was time for me to hop on and line up my body.
Now it was showtime.
The instructor turned me around to face the beach and gave me a huge push. I began to pick up momentum and could hear him yell “pop up!” so I tried to gather myself and my balance in an attempt to ride the wave. I gave it my best shot – but ended up falling into the water before I could get my feet on the surfboard. We continued this rotation for the rest of the day and, with the help of the instructor’s feedback, I and everyone else made significant progress. By my third try, I was able to stand up without falling off immediately, and I felt so accomplished!
What We Learned
The number of lessons shared were seemingly endless, since most of us hadn’t surfed before. However, one theme hit home more than any other – that surfing required not only physical strength, but mental focus. Of course, surfing looks easy and chill from the outside. But, wow, is it a whole different ball game once you’re on that board in the water. The ocean is such a beautiful thing, but it has a mind of its own. It takes power, strength, and determination to work in symbiosis with the sea, to catch a wave and ride it into shore. All the while heeding the instructors’ tips to: stay towards the back of the board, cup your hands to paddle, keep your feet parallel when you pop up, don’t rush trying to stand up. But honestly, their best advice regarded the metaphysical: stop overthinking, believe in yourself, manifest that you can do this. While waiting for my turn, one of the instructors said to me, “Just tell yourself this is the one, this is the wave you’re gonna catch and stand up on.”
On a sunny Friday morning, I and a handful of team members met at Home Office, piled into a van, and headed toward the New Jersey coast. Though our itinerary for the day read “surfing,” we had no idea what we were really getting ourselves into, aside from some team bonding and splashing around in the waves.
Where We Went
We road tripped about 90 minutes to Asbury Park, where we hopped out of our chariot and headed for the sand. Today’s assignment: taking surf lessons with Summertime Surf, a surf school specializing in everything from kid’s surf camps to advanced surf lessons and everything in between.
What We Did
After changing into our Seea surf suits and applying much-needed SPF, our group met underneath a pop-up tent, dropped our personables and formed a circle. After introducing ourselves and laughing with one another about our (non-existent) surf experience, we assembled to “group stretch,” to loosen up before heading into the instructor-led demonstrations. Once we hit a few yoga poses, we lined up to grab our surfboards and met with the instructors.
Before trying out a few techniques on land, the instructors gave us the rundown on the parts of a surfboard, i.e. where they are, what they mean, and why they’re important to us:
- Nose: the very tip of the board that assists in direction
- Stringer: usually made of wood or carbon fiber, this thin strip runs from the nose down to the tail and is used as a reference point
- Rails: the edge of the board, can be soft or hard and greatly impacts your balance
- Fins: located underneath the board near the bottom, the fins control speed, thrust, and turns
We then segued into the actual demonstrations – how to line up our bodies with our board, proper foot and hand placement, correct paddling technique, and what it meant to “pop up,” which would essentially become the most important technique and the focus of today’s lesson. Once we practiced our paddling-to-popping-up a few times on land, we transitioned to the most exciting, and somewhat scary part – the water.
Our instructors advised that we’d be rotating in and out of the water in groups of four, so as the first quartet dove in, the rest of us lined up to cheer them on from shore. When it was finally my turn, I eased into the chilly, yet (slightly) refreshing Atlantic and my instructor grabbed my board. We battled a few massive waves before it was time for me to hop on and line up my body.
Now it was showtime.
The instructor turned me around to face the beach and gave me a huge push. I began to pick up momentum and could hear him yell “pop up!” so I tried to gather myself and my balance in an attempt to ride the wave. I gave it my best shot – but ended up falling into the water before I could get my feet on the surfboard. We continued this rotation for the rest of the day and, with the help of the instructor’s feedback, I and everyone else made significant progress. By my third try, I was able to stand up without falling off immediately, and I felt so accomplished!
What We Learned
The number of lessons shared were seemingly endless, since most of us hadn’t surfed before. However, one theme hit home more than any other – that surfing required not only physical strength, but mental focus. Of course, surfing looks easy and chill from the outside. But, wow, is it a whole different ball game once you’re on that board in the water. The ocean is such a beautiful thing, but it has a mind of its own. It takes power, strength, and determination to work in symbiosis with the sea, to catch a wave and ride it into shore. All the while heeding the instructors’ tips to: stay towards the back of the board, cup your hands to paddle, keep your feet parallel when you pop up, don’t rush trying to stand up. But honestly, their best advice regarded the metaphysical: stop overthinking, believe in yourself, manifest that you can do this. While waiting for my turn, one of the instructors said to me, “Just tell yourself this is the one, this is the wave you’re gonna catch and stand up on.”
"
It was at that time that I realized, while we were definitely getting a workout, we were getting a sort of therapy as well, a lesson in self-confidence and getting out of our comfort zone."
What We Thought
Of course, a day at the beach is never a bad day, so we all anticipated having a great time being together and having fun in the sun. After all, since most of us work remotely, it was great to put a face to everyone’s name and clock some genuine team-bonding time. Everyone looked so happy and confident, and we shared many laughs and smiles before we even got in the water.
Through the warm-ups, many of us shared a collective fear of what was about to happen, and maybe even a collective doubt in our abilities to do what we were about to do. Yet, we prospered, as we each hopped in the water, left our fears on the sand, and went for it. As we all spectated along with the rest of Asbury Park beach, waiting our turns, we eagerly anticipated each FP team member catching their respective waves. We cheered as they came in, rooting for each one, and exclaiming when someone got it down and popped up. It’s safe to say we made a scene, but the positive energy was infectious and absolutely undeniable.
Individually, and personally, this experience proved a challenging mental and physical test. It showed me that I can truly do anything I put my mind to. Growing up, navigating the ocean was never my strong suit, but it felt so good to jump into that water and face my fears. I think a lot of us shared that same experience, and by the end of the day, most of us had gotten up on our boards at least once! Even the instructors said we had done extremely well for a group of beginners. Through believing in ourselves, and each other, we conquered the waves and had the best time ever, so much to the point that no one wanted to leave. As my teammate Savannah said: “I would do it again in a heartbeat. I didn’t want to leave the beach. I would have stayed there until sundown living out my surfer dreams.”
We all agreed a second beach trip must be planned, along with an investment in some Seea surf gear. Shaka!
Of course, a day at the beach is never a bad day, so we all anticipated having a great time being together and having fun in the sun. After all, since most of us work remotely, it was great to put a face to everyone’s name and clock some genuine team-bonding time. Everyone looked so happy and confident, and we shared many laughs and smiles before we even got in the water.
Through the warm-ups, many of us shared a collective fear of what was about to happen, and maybe even a collective doubt in our abilities to do what we were about to do. Yet, we prospered, as we each hopped in the water, left our fears on the sand, and went for it. As we all spectated along with the rest of Asbury Park beach, waiting our turns, we eagerly anticipated each FP team member catching their respective waves. We cheered as they came in, rooting for each one, and exclaiming when someone got it down and popped up. It’s safe to say we made a scene, but the positive energy was infectious and absolutely undeniable.
Individually, and personally, this experience proved a challenging mental and physical test. It showed me that I can truly do anything I put my mind to. Growing up, navigating the ocean was never my strong suit, but it felt so good to jump into that water and face my fears. I think a lot of us shared that same experience, and by the end of the day, most of us had gotten up on our boards at least once! Even the instructors said we had done extremely well for a group of beginners. Through believing in ourselves, and each other, we conquered the waves and had the best time ever, so much to the point that no one wanted to leave. As my teammate Savannah said: “I would do it again in a heartbeat. I didn’t want to leave the beach. I would have stayed there until sundown living out my surfer dreams.”
We all agreed a second beach trip must be planned, along with an investment in some Seea surf gear. Shaka!
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