106 Surf Everyday Until Sponsored - Silas’s Bold Mission

Podcast - SURF MASTERY

What does it take to master surfing when you start late, face fear, and dive into the complexities of surf culture?

In this episode, Silas shares his inspiring story of committing to surfing at 19 and navigating the highs and lows of his journey. From mastering line-up politics to dealing with fear and embracing dry-land training, Silas offers a refreshing perspective on what it means to pursue passion while staying grounded in the realities of surf culture. If you’re looking to improve your skills or gain insight into the unwritten rules of the surf world, this episode is packed with practical tools and honest wisdom.

• Learn how to approach line-up politics and navigate the culture shock of the surf world with respect and confidence.

• Discover the benefits of dry-land training, video analysis, and unconventional balance exercises to improve your surfing skills.

• Get actionable tips on conquering fear, entering a flow state, and even surfing through chandelier barrels with your eyes closed.

Take your surfing skills and understanding of the surf culture to the next level—listen now!

Follow Silas on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/surfendipitous

Key Points

• Silas expresses his determination to pursue surfing despite starting late, inspired by Kelly Slater's career longevity.

• Silas started surfing again at age 19 after a period of personal struggles and found passion and intention in the sport.

• Silas uses social media to document his surfing journey, aiming for opportunities rather than a specific sponsorship.

• Silas discusses the challenges of overcoming fear in surfing, emphasizing the importance of being present and in the moment.

• Silas mentions the role of flow state in surfing performance and how it can be achieved through the right level of challenge.

• Silas plans to continue his surfing journey in the South Island of New Zealand, relying on spontaneous decisions and environmental responses.

• Silas shares his Instagram handle, SurfEndipitous, inviting listeners to follow his surfing journey.

Outline

Silas' Surfing Journey and Inspiration

• Silas began surfing at the age of four but stopped after a bad experience until they rediscovered it at 12 during a family vacation to Hawaii.

• Silas' dream since age 12 was to become a professional surfer and marry a Hawaiian.

• At 18, after completing cooking school, Silas moved to Tofino and started surfing daily, progressing from a soft top to a hard top surfboard.

• Silas has been posting a surfing video every day on Instagram for 73 days with the goal of getting sponsored.

• Silas draws inspiration from Kelly Slater and aims to improve continuously, regardless of the time it takes.

Overcoming Personal Challenges

• Silas faced significant personal challenges growing up, including a mentally ill stepfather and a complex family situation.

• Despite these challenges, Silas found motivation and drive in surfing, viewing it as a positive outlet and a way to channel their experiences into something constructive.

Social Media and Sponsorship Goals

• Silas uses social media as a platform to share their surfing journey and attract potential sponsorships, though they are open to various forms of support and opportunities.

• Michael mentions Gravey, a popular surfer who gained fame and income through social media despite not being a top-tier pro shortboarder.

Training and Improvement Techniques

• Silas has benefited from having a surf coach and using video footage to analyze and improve their technique.

• Michael suggests various training methods including dry land training, body awareness exercises, and vision training to enhance surfing skills.

• Silas practices pop-up on dry land and is considering trying to surf goofy foot based on feedback from a popular video.

Surfing Culture and Etiquette

• Silas discusses the challenges of navigating surf culture and lineup politics, emphasizing the importance of being respectful and interactive in the water.

• Michael advises being friendly and acknowledging others in the lineup, even if they do not reciprocate, and highlights the importance of proving oneself as a respectful and skilled surfer over time.

Dealing with Fear in Surfing

• Silas identifies fear as a significant barrier to improvement in surfing, particularly the moment of committing to catch a wave.

• They suggest being present in the moment and not letting fear dictate actions as a way to overcome it.

• Michael discusses the concept of flow state and how it can be achieved through the right level of challenge and practice.

Future Plans and Aspirations

• Silas plans to travel to the South Island of New Zealand, specifically Dunedin and the Catlins, without a set job, embracing a spontaneous and adventurous approach to life.

• Silas' Instagram handle is Serfandipetus, a play on the word 'serendipity' and their love for surfing.

Transcription

Silas Gnarside
I understand the situation, I get it, but I don't think that means that I just shouldn't try because... And I think Kelly Slater is like super inspirational for me because, you know, he's still doing that at 50. And I figured, like, even if it takes me 10, 15 years, like I'm here for it, you know? And to be able to share that and be able to, like, you know, look back through all the progress is going to be phenomenal. There's no other thing in my life that drives me in that way, you know, that I've had this like such an intention for. I think that's probably the hardest thing about surfing is shutting the fear off, hey.

Michael Frampton
Welcome back to the Surf Mastery Podcast. I am your host, Michael Frampton. That is a couple of quotes from today's guest, Silas. And as you can tell by the episode title, Silas has a bold surfing goal. Brazen! Audacious. Borderline absurd, some may say, but he brings a lot of drive and a deeper motivation, fueled by a very strong sense of self-belief. And when I came across his story and his Instagram profile, his passion reminded me of my early surfing journey, and I reached out. Turns out he's in New Zealand. Timing was perfect, we met up, and dove into his backstory, some of the deeper motivations driving him, lots of the stuff that he's had to overcome—fear in the water, negotiating and navigating surf culture and lineup politics. The ocean is a brutal teacher and surf culture can be downright cutthroat. So in today's episode we'll hear about not only Silas's experiences with all of that and his goals of getting better, but, you know, a lot of tips on how to overcome a lot of these challenges as well, of course. Silas' bold and brazen goals are certainly on some level at least relatable to you, the listeners to this episode, and it's going to be interesting just to see how far he can take his surfing. Of course, it’ll be interesting to see if he sticks with it, given the barriers to getting better at surfing are not small, as we all know. But keep an eye on his Instagram. You know, Silas can be the guinea pig. Let's see what we can learn from his journey. But for now... Let's meet Silas. When did you start surfing?

Silas Gnarside
Not until about two and a half years ago. Okay. Yeah. So one of my earliest memories with my mom is a fight we had because she took me surfing and I got up on a wave and she saw how lit up I was and how much I had just like... and maybe she hadn't seen that with other things because I was doing sports my whole life, all sorts of different sports.

Michael Frampton
Where were you and why surfing?

Silas Gnarside
And when I fell and I got the salt water in my mouth and the tumbling of the wave, I did not want to do it anymore. I was out. I was like, no, get me out of here. And she wanted to make me keep doing it because she saw how much I enjoyed it. And I was like, no. And it was this like huge fight that I'll probably remember for the rest of my life. And then I didn't touch it again until I was 12. We went on a family vacation to Hawaii. So... and then, yeah, when I was 12, we went on a family vacation to Hawaii and I did a lesson there and like really chill waves.

Michael Frampton
How old were you when the first thing happened? Four.

Silas Gnarside
Four, okay, wow. Yeah. And I like fell in love with it all over again. Like it was like I had completely forgotten that was, you know... and so I decided at the age of 12 that my dream was to become a professional surfer and marry a Hawaiian. And so, yeah, that's loosely what we're going for in some sense, you know.

Michael Frampton
Well, you made that decision when you were 12. But you're not 14 now. So what happened between 12 and...?

Silas Gnarside
A lot. A lot of stuff happened, yeah. I went through some not-so-great things in my home growing up and I had a lot of responsibility from a very early age. And I think when really bad things happen, it really stunts your ability in most aspects of your life, you know? You kind of forget, get lost in the hurt, and forget about the things that you love. Yeah. Especially at an early age, I think it's kind of hard to navigate your way through that without much experience, you know? So yeah, I guess I just kind of got caught up in what was going on. And I was busy kind of providing opposed to just doing what I wanted to do and sticking true to that. And then when I was 14, I surfed again in Hawaii and that kind of, again, almost got there, but not really. And then when I was finishing my cooking school to become a chef, my instructor was like, "Why don't you go move to Tofino and go surfing?" And he didn't know that I had surfed or, you know, anything. He just said it and this light was like switched on in my head. And I was like, my God, I have to do this.

Michael Frampton
So how old were you when this happened?

Silas Gnarside
19.

Michael Frampton
Yeah, okay.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah, like 18, 19. And so as soon as I was done my course—part of the requirements for the course is to work, I don't know, I think it's like 600 hours in the industry—so I went and got a job in Tofino, which is a surfing town. And at this five-star resort that was like right on the beach, they had staff accommodations. So, like, two-minute walk to the beach. And yeah, I just got after it. Like, I started charging. I bought like a nine-foot soft top and like a shitty wetsuit. And I just started going out like past the break. Like I had no experience really besides the one or two times I'd done it when I was younger. And I just started figuring it out. Like I didn't really, like, you know, have somebody like showing me the ropes. It was like, I was so eager and so keen and it was so outside of my comfort zone and I didn't care. Like, and it's like a passion that I have that I don't have with anything else. Like there's no other thing in my life that drives me in that way, you know, that I've had this like such an intention for, feels like, you know. And from there, yeah, I just got better and better because I was going like every day. And then it got to the point where I'd gotten a hard top. I think it was like a seven-two and I see people doing turns and stuff. And I like, I know I want to get there, but I have no idea. And that was when I got a surfing coach because I was like, I could consistently catch green waves and trim them nicely and ride them. And yeah.

Michael Frampton
Okay, so you're 19 when you rediscovered surfing and committed to it. And so you're 21 now?

Silas Gnarside
22.

Michael Frampton
22 now, okay. So I'd be remiss if we skipped past that sore point we touched on. Did you lose a parent or something at 12?

Silas Gnarside
No. So my stepdad, he was quite a mentally ill person. I don't hold any anger or hate towards him because he genuinely is like... he's in his own world. You know, he's not capable of... but he was my dad growing up. Like he met my mom when I was two and he raised me like he was my dad. Yeah. And they were married for 10 years. They had three kids together and all three of my siblings sort of have some sort of disability. And I didn't necessarily. And I received a lot of like hate from him without knowing why, you know? Like it was like, because most of the time he was like the supportive, loving father. And then other times he would be like... I felt excluded all the time because I wasn't his kid or whatever. But they didn't even tell me until I was 12. So up until that point, I had thought that he was my real dad. And then they kind of broke it to me because, you know, I'm a little bit darker than my siblings. You know, I look different. And he would like Dall-E the N-word when I was like growing up to like try and make me feel bad about being different. And like, I don't even know why I'm different, you know? So it was like always this, yeah, really not a nice game to play really. But they ended up splitting up and my younger brother—I have five siblings now—the one after me, he kind of got caught in the middle of it because it is actually his dad. And my stepdad kind of like twisted him up and really messed his head up and just kind of like alienated him. And yeah, so... and yeah, my brother went to rehab like the week that I left for New Zealand. So yeah, and it's been a struggle. And yeah, like that's my baby brother, you know? I had to watch him go through that. And I'd say that was probably the hardest thing about all of it was that there was nothing I could do. Like I just had... I was helpless. I just had to watch it happen and there was nothing I could do. It was just the way it was. And it was really hard to come to terms with that and work through that mentally. And, you know, of course there's lots of... I could go on and on about the crazy shit that happened, but that's kind of the gist. And yeah. But like I know my birth dad now. I met him after. And yeah, we're really good friends and we've supported each other a lot since we've met and made each other better. You know, we’re both very blunt people. And like even though he didn't raise me, we're like the same person. And it's so crazy to see, like genetically, because we're so similar. And I never knew him my whole life, but like when I met him, I was like, there is somebody else that's like pretty similar to me out there. Because I don't experience it a lot. It's, yeah, like a genuine good connection that I find quite rarely. Yeah. So to find that with my dad through... but like in more of a mutual kind of way opposed to like, he's my dad and I'm his son kind of thing, you know? Yeah.

Michael Frampton
Well, thanks for sharing that. Yeah. It's not always easy. Yeah. Like a little bit of experience. And my boys, their mother was quite mentally ill before she passed away. So I had to deal with her and that sort of thing. My kids sort of went through, sounds like something a little bit similar to you, but different, but yeah, it's not easy, but it does.

Silas Gnarside
I'm so happy. Like I wouldn't trade my life or my experiences for anything. Cause like I'll never ever be in as bad of a place as I was, you know? And I experienced that at an early age and that's like done. It's like only forward, you know? Kind of feels like because yeah, it can't get much worse than that.

Michael Frampton
I think it's a common thread amongst a lot of great people is they have a traumatic childhood often. And it can go either way, where you end up under a bridge with a needle in your arm or you can become one of the best in the world at something. Yeah. And it looks like you've chosen the right path and hopefully your brother sticks with rehab and finds his way as well. Yeah.

Silas Gnarside
And I've offered him that arm as well. Like when you're serious and you wanna come over here wherever I am and work, put your head down, like partying and like being a hooligan. I want that for you and I'm here for that. But until you're willing to take that seriously, I can't have you coming over here and like messing up what I have going for myself, you know? And it's really hard to create that boundary as well.

Michael Frampton
Well, it's like those experiences can light fires in people and obviously it's lit a surfing fire in...

Silas Gnarside
You. And he sees it too. And he's like, you know, he's... yeah, he sees it. And I think it kind of inspires him a little bit, you know? He's always like, man, I wanna be out there, you know? Like, yeah, so, yeah.

Michael Frampton
Cool. And okay, so that, and then you rediscovered surfing at 19. You've stuck with it since. And then I came across you via Instagram. And it was, correct me if I'm wrong, but posting a surfing video every day until I'm sponsored. And that started about 70 days ago, was it?

Silas Gnarside
73 days ago.

Michael Frampton
73 days ago. Okay. And we're two days before Christmas in December, 2024. And so what happened 73-ish days ago? Like what, why?

Silas Gnarside
Yeah, I've struggled on and off with social media. I see it as like a negative thing and I don't see it as something that's super beneficial and I've wasted a lot of time on it. And I kind of had a moment where I like redownloaded it and was like, you know, kind of like getting into posting stuff again. And I was like, you know, like, what am I doing? You know, like, what's the goal here? Cause I'm not... I hate wasting my time. I really do. Not that I can't relax and enjoy doing nothing, but I don't like spending my time on things I don't think are gonna like, yeah, benefit me. So I just, I wanted to start posting content, but I didn't know what, but I'm surfing every day and I've got this mouth mount for my GoPro. And I know that I want to go in the direction of dedicating myself more and more to surfing and getting better. And I just kind of said, fuck it. I was like, yeah, I'm like, let's do it. Let's see what happens. Like, you know, like I'm just gonna keep going. I don't care if I get to day 1,137, I'll do it. Like, yeah. Okay.

Michael Frampton
So, but what about the surfing side of it? Like, and like, this is such a specific, like until I'm sponsored.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah. Well, I kind of like that it just says that because people automatically assume that I want to be like sponsored by a big company and like in that top tier of surfing. I don't necessarily need that or want that. That's not like the goal for me. But to get sponsored is very broad, you know? And I think it leaves opportunity for a lot of different things, opposed to being like, I just want one thing because I don't even know what that would be at the moment, you know? So I think it's kind of nice to just leave it open-ended and like having people like you, like reach out and be like, you want to go on a podcast? That's not getting sponsored, but that's an opportunity and that's super cool, you know? And I think really anything that I get out of it is, yeah, totally worth it. Yeah.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. I mean, obviously you want to get better at surfing.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. And you know, the better you get, the more fun it is. Yeah. It's like a logarithmic thing, you know? The better you get, the more fun it is times 10 and that just keeps going.

Silas Gnarside
And going. Yeah, I make surfing films and like that trip to Tahiti, there was just 10 of us and we were all surfers and videographers, you know? Like I want that. I want to be around people who have that passion for surfing as well as me. And I know that that's like the happiest I could be, you know, living that life. And I've been working part-time the last probably six months and just surfing a lot. And it's been really good, but now I'm super broke and I'm like living in my van and I'm kind of living this like bum surfing lifestyle. And it's what I wanted for my whole time in New Zealand, but I've only gotten a slice of it, but it's been pretty good. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm pretty stoked about it. Yeah.

Michael Frampton
It sounds like things are falling into place. Yeah. I think that's what's good about social media is it can be very inspirational. Yeah. Like it does make me... do you follow Gravey at all?

Silas Gnarside
No.

Michael Frampton
No? No. Do you know who he is?

Silas Gnarside
No.

Michael Frampton
No? Okay, so gosh, I don't know his exact story, but I know that he's huge now. Like he's probably one of the most popular surfing...

Silas Gnarside
Okay.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. He's a real stop. He's probably one of the most well-paid surfers. Yeah. And he's a very average surfer. Well, he's good at surfing, but compared to a pro shortboarder, he doesn't come close. And he's made a following and a living out of sharing his journey. I think sobriety is how he sort of replaced drinking with surfing basically. I may be misspeaking, so I don't know his exact story. And he surfs novelty waves. One of his goals was to surf every state in America. So he's surfing lakes and surfing rivers and chasing ferries on jet skis to surf the wakes off these big boats. And then he’s hooking up with Jamie O'Brien, who's another sort of ex-pro who's gone massive with social media. And they're surfing big waves and stuff. So those guys who don't take the pro surfing sponsored route, but end up being essentially sponsored surfers, they actually earn way more money. Yeah. And they don't have to be away from their family all the time, traveling on someone else's pro tennis tour schedule. Whilst it may be unrealistic when people first hear, "I wanna become a sponsored surfer, but I've only really started when I was 19," because you're competing against rich kids that started when they were five, there's so many different ways to look at it.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah. I think because I started late, it's like, I understand the situation. I get it, but I don't think that means that I just shouldn't try. And I think Kelly Slater is super inspirational for me because he's still doing that at 50. And I figured, even if it takes me 10, 15 years, I'm here for it. And to be able to share that and be able to look back through all the progress is gonna be phenomenal.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. I don't regret... you don't regret a surf. No. Even if it was a bad surf and something, you'd never regret going surfing. And I think it's a worthy pursuit and it's something that even Kelly Slater himself still wants to get better. And there's people like Skip Fry who are in their 80s who still go surfing every day. If you keep doing it, you can still... it's a lifelong pursuit basically. Yeah. Yeah. And I think you sharing it on social media, it's inspirational. It's gonna be interesting to follow your journey. You've only just started. You get to that point where you've got a certain level of follows and it will sort of... yeah. It will take on a new form, I'm sure.

Silas Gnarside
Even if it doesn't, that's okay. You know, like I don't really have any, I don't know, like expectations or like dead set intentions. I'm just like putting it out there, you know? And seeing what happens. Yeah. Kind of letting it just, instead of trying to like force it in one direction, you know, just like see where it takes me. Yeah. Yeah. Just.

Michael Frampton
Get better at surfing. Yeah. Keep it simple. I like that. Yeah. What's been, what's in the last, since you rediscovered surfing at 19, the last three years, what's been the thing that's helped you the most with surfing? A coach.

Silas Gnarside
For sure. Yeah. Definitely a coach. And even just like video footage. I think those two things are very helpful. But it is interesting starting out because, you know, I feel like I've got to pick apart from what I'm learning, what I want to keep, what style, what's not, you know, and trying to like put all these things together is, yeah, very difficult. Yeah.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. Yeah. And what else have you done? Do you do any, do you skateboard? Do you do anything else? No.

Silas Gnarside
I've surfing skated a little bit. But I think it would be debatable on whether or not that's helpful. I'm practicing pop-up on dry land. That's really nice because it can always get better. And that video that got a lot of views, a lot of people thought I was switching, I was surfing switch. Yeah. So they're like, he's just like messing around and like surfing switch. And I was like, no. And they're like, maybe you're a goofy footer. So I haven't tried surfing goofy ever, but I think I might give it a go just because enough people were like, kind of like, yeah, said that about that video. So maybe I'll give it a go because I can't even say that I'm not goofy because I haven't tried it, you know, I just naturally was regular. And I never even thought to like give goofy a chance, you know, yeah.

Michael Frampton
It certainly wouldn't do any harm learning how to do it. No. Which way do you skate?

Silas Gnarside
I skate mongo.

Michael Frampton
No, but which foot forward?

Silas Gnarside
Left.

Michael Frampton
Foot. Left foot forward, okay. And if you were to kick a football or soccer ball, which foot would you use?

Silas Gnarside
Right foot. You're probably a natural footer then. Yeah. Yeah. It's just, I think when people first start surfing, you have a... people sometimes it's called the poo stance. And it's a more sort of, it's a more balanced, safe feeling position. Yeah. And then once your balance and your comfort levels improve in the water, you sort of more, you gradually, your body relaxes and things sort of fall into place and you'd sort of develop your own style. There's a lot of reasons why that happens.

Silas Gnarside
I find that that's actually one of the things I've struggled with the most is my compression and getting down low. And I understand that's a problem that I have and I need to work on, but I still struggle like every time I get in the water to compress properly. Because I feel like I'm like all the way down, like super compressed. And then I see video footage and I'm like, my knees are like a little bit bent. Like it's super difficult for some reason. And maybe it is like a safety thing or I don't know, but it's been hard for me to like, kind of like condition myself to compress.

Michael Frampton
Yeah, what, I mean, from a technical coach's perspective, yeah, you're very... you don't bend at the hips, you bend at the knees a lot. So there's definitely some work to be done in that regard. I mean, gosh, I mean, send an email to someone like Brad Gerlach. He does a program called Wave Ki, which is all about refining your body position and technique on dry land. And ideally it's done in front of a mirror so that you're quite... how does my body feel? What does it look like? Those two things, as you know, when you watch yourself surfing, they're so far apart. I thought I was doing this, but it looks like this and it's heartbreaking. Yeah. It will be for a long time.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah, it is.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. But if you start training in front of a mirror, then the way your body feels and the way it looks, those two things start to line... they start to line up more. Yeah, that's interesting. And it increases your body awareness. It works on very ancient neurological things. Like when we learn to walk, we actually learn by watching other people walk. It's called mirror neurons.

Silas Gnarside
Okay, yeah.

Michael Frampton
So dry land training does work. Yeah, okay. Things like practicing skateboarding using surfing techniques, whilst it gets made fun of a lot and can look a little ridiculous, it does work. Do you know what I mean? Because not only are you working on those positions in front of a mirror, but then you're moving around on an uneven surface like a skateboard. Obviously it's not the same as surfing, but you can kind of mimic surfing style on a skateboard. A lot of coaches swear by it and that's all they use. So that's part of the reason why watching footage and training in front of the mirror helps a lot, because it just increases your body awareness so that you know, like if you were eyeing a barrel and you know it's X amount of size, then you know your body has to compress down and become that size in order to get into it. But if there's a mismatch and you're standing taller than you think you are to fit in the barrel, then the lip's going to hit you in the head and you might not click as to why that happened. Little things like that can make a massive difference. I mean, if I had my time all over again to sort of really attack surfing, I would have spent more time just working on dry land stuff like body awareness, balance, vision.

Silas Gnarside
Slackline. Slackline's good. I like slackline. Slackline? Yeah, slackline's nice. I thought because I could ride a surfboard that slackline should be no problem, you know? Because it seems like maybe simpler balancing on a slackline because it's just there and you just walk on it. And I got on there and I was so frustrated that I couldn't do it. And it took me like a good like two or three weeks of, you know, just every time I walked past it, giving it a go. And the first time that I ever walked, like finished the slackline, was the day I got back from Tahiti. I had surfed Teahupoʻo and I was like, looking at the slackline, I was like, I can fucking do that shit. And I got on there and I smashed it. It felt pretty good. Yeah, that's a good one for balance, I think. Yeah.

Michael Frampton
Yeah, even just simple things like standing on one foot with your eyes closed. Something that sounds easy.

Silas Gnarside
I heard you can't do it.

Michael Frampton
You might not be able to, but I mean, if Kelly Slater was here and he'd never done that, and you asked him to do it, he'd probably just do it without even... because he's so gifted with his neurological system. It's nothing. You have a vestibular system, which is kind of like a gyroscope in your inner ear. And that tells your brain, am I... is my head level, essentially. It senses movement. You know, am I moving through space while it's happening? But your brain looks at your vision. Where's the horizon? What am I looking at? Am I moving? To help decide whether you're balanced. And all the information coming from your body—your feet, your entire body awareness—that... all of those inputs into the brain: am I balanced? It tells your body, are you balanced? The better each one of those things are, the better the combination of signals as well. You see surfers that surf through barrels like chandeliers. They can't see, but they still come out. So all of a sudden their vision's gone, but they're still balanced because the body is so good with the other sensory inputs. So in training, we can isolate those. For example, standing on one foot with your eyes closed sort of makes you, forces your brain to go... to only use your vestibular system and your body awareness to, "Am I balanced?" And because we rely on vision so much, most people can't even do that.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah, like when, as soon as the water is in your eyes and you can't see, you just give up almost. It's like, that's it. Game over. Yeah, it's powering through. Yeah.

Michael Frampton
But there's so many things like that—if you take a top athlete and get them to do it, they'll just laugh at you. I'm like, "This is easy. Give me something challenging." But most other people just can't do it. So there's a big gap between elite athletes and average athletes. And I think... but the thing is, you can isolate those things and train them now. We know so much about the nervous system and athletic development now. And whilst it's... deadlifting or doing Olympic lifting is so... well, it looks so good on social media, right? Do you know what I mean? It's so, "I wanna be big and strong and lift weights like that" or whatever. But in reality, the pro athletes, they aren't doing much of that. They're actually doing a lot of other stuff and they're naturally gifted in other ways. So you're actually better off, if you're really serious about becoming a better athlete, you're better off working on things like balance and body awareness, even the speed at which your eyes move from there to there, for example. Like if I'm looking down, I look what's in front of me, what's happening down there. If your eyes can literally move from looking down the line, see what that wave's doing to right in front of you, twice as fast and then back and then over there than anyone else, you're taking in more information than other surfers. You're reading the wave on a more detailed level simply because your vision's better. And you make better decisions, time slows down, your body relaxes because you understand your environment more. I mean, it's things like... even average surfers are doing a lot of big wave breath-holding training. Even if they don't have the intention of surfing big waves, the fact that the brain knows that you're comfortable with being underwater for a certain amount of time—every time you go surfing from then on, from that training—you're just so much calmer, you're more relaxed because you're not subconsciously scared of drowning as much. Yeah. Little things like that. So this... anyway, I could go on and on. It's like.

Silas Gnarside
I've heard it before, like stacking the confidence, you know, like proving to yourself what you can do that's gonna help you out there. Yeah. And just collecting them, as many as you can, yeah. Yeah.

Michael Frampton
Point is there's so much you can do because obviously with surfing, you're limited to there being good waves and sunlight and time off work to go surfing. Yeah. But there's so many other things you can do to get better at surfing, not necessarily directly from a skill perspective, but in terms of increasing the way your body works, your body awareness, your strength, and all those... and just getting better at other sports.

Silas Gnarside
Things aren't limited to surfing either. Exactly. So it's win? Yes. Yeah.

Michael Frampton
You find a lot of athletes, they do a lot of other sports as well. And they're always busy, you know, pro surfing, and they're at the golf course or they're playing table tennis or they're doing something else. No.

Silas Gnarside
I played a lot of sports. I did ice hockey for like eight years, did soccer, baseball, American football. Yeah. Yeah. I was always playing sports. That was something I was super lucky to have growing up because I just naturally was fit growing up. You know, it was never an issue.

Michael Frampton
Do you still play any?

Silas Gnarside
No.

Michael Frampton
Just surfing?

Silas Gnarside
Just surfing. Yeah. Yeah. It's, yeah, it takes the cake for sure.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. Once you've got the bug.

Silas Gnarside
It's over. Yeah. I find one of the hardest things with surfing for me is the people. I just like, I wanna go out there and I don't wanna interact, but I want to be interactive enough to be respectful. And like, you know, like I'm not out there to just be the silent asshole who's like, you know, like lurking around. I just, I don't, I'm not there for that, you know? And it happens naturally. And when it does, it's great. But most of the time I'm not like going out with the intention of chit-chatting with somebody for 15 minutes while a bunch of waves go by, you know? I'm like, go. And I'm trying to paddle. And especially at a place like Manu where it's just so busy and there's so many people, you gotta be on, you gotta just go for everything and pick your moments and yeah.

Michael Frampton
Yeah, that's... I think a lot of newbies to surfing find that culture shock quite strange. Yeah. But it makes sense. Like, because as a surfing coach, coaching new beginners, it's one thing you have to deal with a lot because they just sort of... especially if you want to go out and surf in a crowded lineup and get waves and not be ostracized for it or... my advice is always be friendly to everyone, but don't expect them to be friendly back.

Silas Gnarside
Whatever. Yeah, that's a good way to go about it.

Michael Frampton
So acknowledge people. You might just give them a nod and they might not even look at you. You can't judge that person on that because they might have been surfing for 20 years every day and that's their one hour a day where they don't want to talk to anyone. They just want to focus on surfing. That's their life, that's their art form. And then when you meet them in the car park, they're the nicest guy ever. But they might... as soon as they put a wetsuit on, so there can be exaggerated mismatches like that in...

Silas Gnarside
Surfing. And I think I've definitely... I don't know. I notice it in my life as well. There's just some times where I draw negative attention from somebody and it's never out of a place where I intend to do so. It's always kind of like a... just like a weird, like one-off kind of thing. But I've, yeah, I've definitely pissed some people off in the lineup for sure. I had a dude in Kuaotunu, he tried to like punch me in the water. And I've never experienced anything like that before. In Tofino, it's mostly beach break, so it's pretty spread out. And there's only a handful of like, you know, good surfing. So coming to New Zealand and surfing my first point break with, you know, 40 people and, you know, at least half of them are really good or like, you know, pretty decent, it was, yeah, super challenging. Like facing the fear of surfing over shallow, you know, rocks and dodging 40 people is a very huge leap from the comfort of the beach break where I come from, because there I knew the beach so good and I'd surfed it so many times. I could go out in like a 12 to 14 foot storm swell by myself and I know I'm gonna be okay. But here it's just like it's a whole different ball game and I kind of did get shocked by it quite a bit. It was almost discouraging. Almost. Yeah.

Michael Frampton
That's almost... surfers don't want you to be there because waves are a limited resource. However, having said that, if you prove to them that you can be respectful and that you are in it for the right reasons and that you can share waves, that person who was an absolute twat the first few times they saw you... it might take a year, literally, of you surfing with them every day, they're not even looking at you. And then one day, they'll just... they'll acknowledge you one day and then you might end up being best friends. But it's sort of like... especially the older surfers, because surfing used to be... gosh, even 10 years ago, the wetsuits weren't even that great. Fifteen years ago, the wetsuits weren't that great. And there was no forecasting. Do you know what I mean?

Silas Gnarside
I don't.

Michael Frampton
Like forecasting.

Silas Gnarside
I don't like forecasting at all. I don't like the cams. I don't like the forecast. Because it's like, if you don't have cams and you don't look at the forecast and you just go look for yourself, even if it's shitty, you're probably gonna get in the water, opposed to looking on your camera on your phone and being like, it doesn't look perfect, I'm not gonna go.

Michael Frampton
If you're serious about getting better, you'd surf every day in all conditions. And some of the best surfers come from parts of the world where the waves are terrible. Kelly Slater comes from Florida.

Silas Gnarside
There's a kid that I surf with in Rags. His name's DeMellon. That's his nickname. And we're usually the only two people out when there's a shitty wind swell and nobody else is in the water. And I'll be out by myself and then he'll paddle out or vice versa. And it's funny, because it's usually him. Like on those shitty days when everybody's like, yeah, whatever. Yeah, it's usually me and him out there. It's pretty nice. I love surfing shitty swell and then going into work and everybody's like, you surfed? I'm like, yeah. Like how was it? I was like, it's awesome. Like what do you mean? Like, yeah. And they're like, it's supposed to be bad today. Like, yeah. Waves are waves, you know? There's work to be done there. There's improvements to be made. Yeah, always. And I understand that it all comes down to time in the water too. Yes. The more time you spend in the water, the faster you can improve. So I definitely live by that in my routine and everything, for sure. Even on just like half-foot days, borrow a friend's longboard and go and skim. You know, like, yeah. I was trying to always, because.

Michael Frampton
Always. You never regret a surf. Yeah. No, you're right. You cannot beat time in the water just...

Silas Gnarside
And I've got a lot of catching up to do too. So it's like, it really... like, I've got that fire under me and yeah.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. And even if you don't catch any waves, it's still worth it because you... pattern recognition, you're reading the ocean, you're trying to catch waves. That wave did a weird thing. And then you look, it was because it was this period. And then one day when it's pumping, you might get a little wind chop on the wave and you know how to negotiate it because you've surfed so many junky conditions and you knew that was coming because you're so familiar with the break and you've seen that wave pop up in that weird place or whatever. And so your time in the water, you cannot...

Silas Gnarside
Substitute. I think that's hard as well though. Like having the money to be able to travel and to surf in different places is obviously like kind of like the surfer's dream to just like go to different countries and surf, you know, really nice breaks. But you don't get familiar with one place, you know? Like staying in a place for a long time and getting really familiar with just one break. So it's a lot of like... I feel like always kind of being sort of fluid in that sense of like, you never really know what you're getting, kind of, you know? And like being in a new place at a break that you've never surfed with people who don't know you. I feel like experiencing that over and over again, it's almost like the first time over and over again.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. Yeah, you gotta have a home break. Yeah. Obviously travel's amazing and important.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah. Yeah.

Michael Frampton
Home break.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah, that's nice. Yeah. I like that.

Michael Frampton
Even if it's a different home break every year.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah.

Michael Frampton
Like, I mean, if I was you, I'd be emailing the Four Seasons in the Maldives saying, hey, do you need a sous chef?

Silas Gnarside
Yeah, to move to French Polynesia so bad.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. I wanted.

Silas Gnarside
I told the guy on my way out of the country when he stamped my passport, I was like, I need to find a wife. And he's like, you'll find one in there. And he pointed to the waiting room. I was like, all right. Didn't find a wife though. Not yet.

Michael Frampton
No. You said you wanted Hawaiian though. You gotta go.

Silas Gnarside
Hawaii. I'd settle for French Polynesia. Yeah, I'd settle for French Polynesia. I think that'd be... like I said, it's very loose—professional surfing, marrying a Hawaiian. It's just kind of like, yeah.

Michael Frampton
Yeah, if you want to reach high, you've got to aim high.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah.

Michael Frampton
Have you been to Hawaii?

Silas Gnarside
Twice, yeah. So once when I was 12 and that was when I went to Maui. Super beautiful, but pretty touristy and like American kind of modern. And then Kauai. Kauai, I really loved Kauai. It's called the Garden Island.

Michael Frampton
Yes, I've been there. Yeah, and.

Silas Gnarside
It's so good. All the jungle and like the localism. And yeah, I really liked it there. It did still have that touch of, you know, tourism for sure, but I found it a lot more enjoyable. Like easier on the eyes, a little bit more friendly.

Michael Frampton
Yeah, it's a gem. Yeah. Yeah. You surfing there?

Silas Gnarside
Yeah. I did a lesson and then I actually, I did really good on my lesson. And I thought the next day I'd take an eight-footer instead of a nine-footer. And the swell had picked up as well. And I went back to the same beach and it was like I didn't even recognize the beach because of how different it was. It had rained. So all of the debris from the river had flowed into the water. So it changed the color of the water. And the waves were probably like four times bigger than when I was doing my lesson, you know? So they looked huge and I was like, okay, here we go. You know? And I was by myself and I just kind of sent it and I could barely balance on the eight-foot. And I was like, what is this? Like, it's only a foot of difference. Like how could it be that much less stable? Because on the nine-foot, it's like a tank. It's like a rock. It's not going anywhere. Yeah. And then I thought eight-footer, surely eight-footer, no problem. And I shocked myself. I was like, whoa. Like, and I didn't catch a single wave that day because I was so uncomfortable and out of my depth, it felt like. And I tried to paddle for a wave, but I couldn't commit to it, you know? I was too scared. And that was at 14. And I think that's probably the hardest thing about surfing is shutting the fear off, hey. Like you really have to like swallow it in that split moment, you know, when you go to catch a wave and you're looking down the line and then you see it, it's like that make or break moment. Like you either gotta like take a breath and fucking go for it, or you just gotta, you know, pull out or eat shit or whatever it is. But it's so intense, that moment of just like letting it go and just going for it. It's unreal. And I'm familiar with the sensation from other aspects of my life, but not on that level of intensity. It's such a, yeah.

Michael Frampton
Yeah, that's a big roadblock to people's development in surfing is fear, whether they realize it or not. Yeah. Yeah. It's good awareness though. Yeah. You would have noticed it on steroids in Tahiti with the clear water and the shallow reef.

Silas Gnarside
Unbelievable in Tahiti, because I've only surfed in like Canada, the water's not super clear. It's like dark blue, you know? And same with here in New Zealand, like you do get some clear days, especially on the East Coast, but like on the West Coast, usually it's pretty murky. Yeah. But Tahiti is like another level. Like you're on the wave and you can't tell the middle of the wave from the bottom of the wave because it's so glassy, see-through. And it's just like, yeah. Insane. And I think that trip was very substantial for me. It was very like a pivotal point for me because it was like, I can go and I can surf a wave like that. And I really did a lot better than I thought I would. You know, like I took myself by surprise and I was just like, I just couldn't even believe it. It was like, yeah.

Michael Frampton
So how did you overcome? How do you deal with fear?

Silas Gnarside
I think it's kind of similar to like instead of feeling like you're not where you're supposed to be or like you want to be somewhere, but you're not there yet. And instead of appreciating how far you've come to get where you are now, you're worried about the next thing. I kind of feel like it's similar to that. Like every wave that I ever didn't take because I was scared, I regretted it. And it's like, it's such an in-the-moment thing, but to like be present enough to remind yourself that you can't listen to the fear is, I'd say, as difficult as staying in the present and not appreciating what you have and where you've come from, opposed to where you want to be.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. Yeah. It's essentially what it is, being in the present moment. Yeah. Because even if you were thinking half a second into the future while you're paddling into a wave, yeah, it's taking you away from...

Silas Gnarside
Every time I go to do my pop-up and I'm already thinking about, you know, my first maneuver, I just lose it. It's... you gotta be just like... yeah, you've really gotta... and I think I've experienced moments in the kitchen where I'm on, like I'm in the zone, I'm in my flow state. It's happened like twice, you know? And I always try and like, in those kinds of moments, like what was different? What did I have for breakfast that day? You know, like what led to that? And it's an interesting dynamic in the kitchen as well, because you can enter the flow state as a team. And not just in the kitchen, but, you know, in general. So it's, yeah, it's a very interesting thing because it's attainable and there is a way to get there, but going through the trial and error of figuring out how to like always be there is super challenging and super frustrating because you know you can do it, but a lot of the time you just can't. Like that's what it feels like to me.

Michael Frampton
Elusive. Yeah. Is. There's been some good books written on it though. Like The Rise of Superman, great book. Actually, Steven Kotler has written a couple of books. His most recent one is called NAR Country, where he teaches himself and a bunch of older people, 50 plus I think, skiers, to start park skiing.

Silas Gnarside
Just like normal skiers? Who's...

Michael Frampton
Never skied a park and has never slid a rail or anything.

Silas Gnarside
Okay.

Michael Frampton
And he teaches them how to do it. Cool. He taught himself how to do it. Everyone said, "No, you're too old to learn how to park ski. What are you talking about? You'll break a hip." And he did that. And he threw just... because you enter the flow state when you're being challenged enough to not be boring, but not so much that you're gonna hurt yourself or you fail. It's that sweet spot. I think he says it's between three and four percent. Yeah. Challenge—like it has to be a little bit harder than yesterday, but not so hard that you're just gonna fail or hurt yourself.

Silas Gnarside
And I feel like surfing is all that, you know?

Michael Frampton
Yeah. For sure. Because even if you get the same waves every day, you can still surf deeper or you can always... yeah, it's like the wave is a canvas for whatever you wanna do on it, whether it's longboard or shortboard or whatever. So yeah, that's a good awareness too, flow state stuff. There's plenty of reading to be done on that too. There's other things. He even started an institute—I forget what it's called—where they really studied flow states. And I think there's a list of 12 things that need to happen in order for you to increase the chances of entering flow state.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah, there's actually a girl in Raglan, I can't remember her name or the name of her company, but she does that. She does like flow state training, whatever that would entail. Yeah. And immediately I just went to individualism, like she's doing one-on-ones with people. And I kind of said something that made it obvious that I'd made an assumption. And she was like, "No, like I do whole teams of people, like kitchens." She gave off a little list of environments that you would do that in. And it's quite interesting. Yeah.

Michael Frampton
It's really fascinating, the flow state science. Yeah, I took a deep dive years ago and I learned a lot. Yeah, I mean, that's key if you wanna... in surfing, it usually sort of... it often just happens.

Silas Gnarside
Automatically.

Michael Frampton
Yeah, naturally.

Silas Gnarside
But I think you definitely tell when it doesn't. That day that I was out was probably the worst surfing that I had in a really long time. And it was super big swell—a video that blew up. I was on the inside, that wave that I caught. The ones out back were like twice the size and like super heavy. And there were so many, like, just balls in the air. Like crazy, like good surfing out there on their guns. I was on my little 5'10 because my step-up's out of commission. And I had like four hours sleep. I was like a little bit hungover, I think. And I just... my head was not there at all. It was a really tough day in the water for me. And then it blew up for like no reason. And I was like, why? Like, why that day, you know? Yeah, it's kind of funny. Yeah, ironic a little bit.

Michael Frampton
Life is mysterious. Yeah. Especially surfing. So how long are you in Raglan for?

Silas Gnarside
I leave on the 7th of January, going down to the South Island. Yeah. I'm probably gonna spend most of my time in Dunedin and the Catlins.

Michael Frampton
Yeah. Have you got a job down there?

Silas Gnarside
Not yet.

Michael Frampton
Yeah, just winging it.

Silas Gnarside
Yeah. I love it. Yeah. And I don't even have like a financial cushion to wing it but I'm just gonna wing it anyways. You know, like I...

Michael Frampton
Just—You're young and single, who cares?

Silas Gnarside
But not even like that. I just, opposed to like trying to force things, I really like making decisions and seeing how my environment responds to me. Because like I said, when we were calling earlier, I just feel like sometimes you feel a lot of resistance when you make a decision or like, maybe some signs that it's not a good idea. And sometimes you make a decision and everything just kind of clicks into place, almost like a domino effect, like the shuffling of the cards, you know? And yeah, I'm just kind of following that.

Michael Frampton
Awesome. I think you're gonna do good, man. You'll do fine.

Silas Gnarside
Hope so. Yeah. But if I don't, it's okay. You know, I'm just here for it. Yeah. Good or the bad. Yeah.

Michael Frampton
Awesome. Tell us your Instagram handle.

Silas Gnarside
It is surfandipitous.

Michael Frampton
Can you spell that?

Silas Gnarside
S-U-R-F-E-N-D-I-P-I-T-O-U-S.

Michael Frampton
I'll put a link to that in the show notes.

Silas Gnarside
Awesome. Yeah, I like it. It's like serendipity. Yeah. It's a good thing. Surf and surfing, I figured they go pretty good together. That's how I came up with the handle, yeah. Awesome.

Michael Frampton
I love it. And I urge everyone to give you a follow and follow your journey. And I think there's a lot of my listeners who will be interested to see what's possible. And, you know, I think we'll all be able to learn something by following.

Silas Gnarside
Nice. Yeah. I'm super excited. And thank you.

Michael Frampton
Sweet.

Silas Gnarside
I appreciate.

Michael Frampton
Sweet. Thanks for coming by. Yeah.

106 Surf Everyday Until Sponsored - Silas’s Bold Mission

For the passionate surfer—whether you're a weekend warrior, a surf dad, or an older surfer—this podcast is all about better surfing and deeper stoke. With expert surf coaching, surf training, and surfing tips, we’ll help you catch more waves, refine your paddling technique, and perfect your pop up on a surfboard. From surf workouts to handling wipeouts, chasing bigger waves, and mastering surf technique, we’re here to make sure you not only improve but truly enjoy surfing more—so you can get more out of every session and become a wiser surfer. Go from Beginner or intermediate Surfer to advanced.