If It Weren't For Surfing, We'd All Be Climbers
“The best day surfing is better than the best day climbing.”
Randy Leavitt
Legendary big wave surfer and climbing hard-man Randy Leavitt once infamously said: “The best day surfing is better than the best day climbing.” Which adventurous pursuit is “better” has been debated for decades; on surf and climbing forums, around campfires, and over truck beds. What is rarely debated is that surfing and climbing are parallel pursuits — similar trips if you will. They draw kindred personalities and give back equivalent feelings and experiences; forcing you to be fully in the present moment.
The modern development of climbing and surfing came to exist around the same time.
In the early 1950’s America was all Leave It To Beaver: strait-laced and gadget hungry. Not surprisingly, this spawned a generation of rebellious youth who were seeking something greater; a thrill, and a connection with nature. Something with soul. Surfers were living off nothing, living out of vans, and spending their days pushing the limits of what could be ridden, while constantly tweaking and improving their equipment. At the same time, in Yosemite Valley and elsewhere, climbers were putting up bold first ascents. Creating new ways to protect themselves out of angle-iron and stove legs, they were constantly inventing new ways to ascend bigger and harder routes. Many of these OG surfers and climbers, like Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, crossed pursuits with the seasons and the swell.
Yvon Chouinard, first ascent of the North America Wall on El Capitan. End of pitch 11, Fall 1964. — Tom Frost/Aurora Photos
Yvon liked to think of the connection metaphysically, saying, “We believe that the granite is alive. If life is movement, then rock - with its atoms flying around like stars in the cosmos - is alive.” It’s like cliffs are waves that are unfurling at a drastically slower pace.
Circling back to another Randy Leavitt quote, who is undoubtedly the most accomplished surfer/climber ever: “I’ll never forget, as a beginning surfer, sitting at Lower Trestles on a double overhead day after failing to paddle out because I got my ass kicked by the waves on the inside. It was humbling to get denied even though I could climb 5.14 at that time. I went out for another try because climbing, above all else, had taught me tenacity.”
At Stone, we believe that the adventurous spirit and tenacity of our forebears must live on. We are thrilled that soon we are going to be able to not just surf in our awesome little beach town, but climb as well. Climbing is the perfect parallel pursuit to surfing. The ideal activity for “victory at sea” days, early sunsets, and Lake Atlantic. And, when the waves are firing, can you imagine getting barrelled in the morning and sending your climbing project in the evening? What a glorious day that will be.