Chasing Mavericks: Children of the Tides

"We all come from the sea, but we are not all of the sea. Those of us who are, we children of the tides, must return to it again and again, until the day we don't come back, leaving only that which was touched along the way" -Frosty Hessen, Chasing Mavericks

This is the blog post that I have been waiting to write. The one I have been thinking about in order to make it as thoughtful and impacting as possible because the subject matter is so unbelievably important to the way I live my life and the mantras that I gravitate towards to get me
through the human experience and all that comes with it. Chasing Mavericks.

If you know of Chasing Mavericks, or even if you do not, I must say that it is a movie. But it is not just a movie. It is a story of adolescence and bravery and unmatched courage and pushing the limits to achieve a goal. While those themes appear in a multitude of different movies and shows and novels, Mavericks is a story of courage honoring the life of a figure who embodies this courage: Jay Moriorty. When I tell people about this movie which has had such a profound impact on my life, I stress that while the subject matter is surfing, that is not the takeaway from the film. The takeaway is putting heart into everyday, showing the world more kindness than it has shown you, and pushing boundaries.

Jay Moriarty was a young boy who was born in Georgia, and after his parents spit and Father's disappearance, moved to a grungy Santa Cruz, Californian neighborhood. Being 8 years old at the time and coping with the absence of a father figure, he did what most kids in this position do: find an escape. For Jay, that escape was surfing. Despite adverse circumstances, he develops a passion for living and specifically for surfing. This passion is fostered by his eventual mentor and father-figure, Frosty Hesson, a real-life prominent figure in big wave surfing and pioneer at the most storied break in California during El Nino: Mavericks, in Half Moon Bay, California. This relationship is depicted in the movie as it, reportedly, unfolded in real life. It started out as a reluctant agreement between a young boy and an older man equipped with waterman skills and the same passion for the waves as Jay. This relationship, although formed with an element of tough love, becomes one of mutual companionship and the exchange of life lessons.

"What's going on inside of you, Jay? What are you afraid of? You've got a chance to change everything. Take it. This is about more than just surfing. This is about choices you make in life. This is about finding that one thing that sets you free. You need to believe in yourself or none of this matters." -Frosty

This quote is one that I take into consideration in my own life, and find it vastly applicable in some facets to all humans going through their own variations of life. Making the choices that you need to make to get you where you need to be, and affirming your own strengths. Standing fearless in the face of your own "drop", even if it's not a wave break. 

While the end goal of the duo is to train Jay to surf Mavericks, a wave many people did not think was real up until this point,  the journey to the point before he makes the final drop is where the magic is.
He trains to survive of the most dangerous waves in the world despite all odds, setbacks, and warnings about the possible outcomes of such.

His success at the end is only a small attribute to the full life he lived and the hearts that he touched along the way. While it is not depicted in the movie itself simply because it is not the subject matter focused on, Jay Moriarty dies a few short years later during a free dive in the Maldives due to drowning. His life is celebrated by the mantra live like Jay, and his legacy is one of positivity, and fearlessness, and love. The end of the movie commemorates his death as a collateral of pushing the limits.

"Don't take anything for granted, because one minute it can be there and the next minute it can't, and it happens so quick. When the negative stuff comes around, just let it go. It all leads to the positive as long as you keep a positive attitude. Enjoy everything you get. That's one of the most important things in life is really appreciating it because we only get to do this once and it's not for a long time." -Jay