Increasing performance and working to counter the rigorous manoeuvres and specific strains of surfing, Miles Masterson speaks to the “big wavers” about how yoga is transforming the sport

Though surfers sometimes call surfing “natural yoga”, this is of course not an accurate appraisal of the sport. While it is true that surfing does involve immersion in the outdoors and is a vigorous pursuit that benefits overall fitness, the physical dynamics of surfing are also incredibly taxing on the human body. Even the act of paddling a surfboard (which surfers do far more than riding waves) is an unnatural face-down prone position that wreaks havoc on the shoulders and neck.

Thanks to the rigours of standing sideways on the board and twisting and contorting one’s torso and limbs into and out of the different manoeuvres – not to mention body-wrenching wipe outs – prolonged periods of surfing often result in painful injuries and can have a detrimental effect on posture and alignment. Without a basic stretching regimen to counter
the sport’s specific strains, many long-term surfers suffer from a plethora of ailments, particularly those of the spine, rotator cuff, elbows, hips, knees and ankles.

Fortunately, yoga has long been recognised as a great way to thwart these negative side effects and increase surfing performance. Of late, yoga has become so popular in surf culture that scores of surf resorts worldwide now offer “yoga retreats” to cater for the sheer number of surfers bringing the practice into the core of their lives…