Powerful feminist nature writing by the pioneer of women's big-wave
surfing in Ireland. Easkey Britton provides a rare female perspective on
surfing, exploring the mental skills it fosters, and the need to
recognize the value of the ocean and of nature's cycles in our lives.
This is an incredibly inspiring exploration of the sea's role in the
wellness of people and the planet, beautifully written by Easkey
Britton - surfer, scientist and social activist. She offers a powerful
female perspective on the sea and surfing, explaining what it's like to
be a woman in a man's world and how she promoted the sport to women in
Iran, surfing while wearing a hijab. She speaks of the undiscussed taboo
around entering the water while menstruating - and of how she has come
to celebrate her own bodily cycles. She has developed her own approach
to surfing, which instead of seeking to dominate the waves, works in
tune with the natural cycles of her body, the moon and the seasons. In a
society that rewards busyness, she believes that understanding the
influence of cycles becomes even more important - and we all have them,
men and women.
For Easkey, the sea is a source of mental and physical wellbeing. She
explores the mental toughness needed in big-wave surfing, and presents
surfing as an embodied mindfulness practice in which we can find flow
and connect with the movement of the waves. She stresses the need to
recognize the ocean as our most powerful ally when addressing our
greatest global challenge: the climate crisis. Above all, Easkey's
relationship to the sea has taught her about the need to meet life and
evolve with it, rather than seeking to control it. By such wisdom our
planet might just survive and thrive.