3 Sports to Try This Summer | A Hopeful Sign

(Post by DAVID WEBB)

Looking for a new way to take advantage of the summer weather?

American author Sam Keen stated, ?Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.?

I?ve been known to enjoy some time in a hammock or on a beach towel, to be sure, but I have to respectfully disagree with Professor Keen on this point. For me, deep summer is a time to get active. After all, the dog days come and go far too quickly?

This summer, I challenge you to try something new. Or perhaps, several things new. Looking for inspiration? Here are three sports to try out this summer:

1. Surfing

Surfing is one of the most challenging and rewarding sports in existence. In that, it is also one of the most frustrating. However, you will never forget your first successful ride ? I promise you that. Riding a wave is at once calming and exhilarating. You?ll feel close to nature ? as you?re literally riding one of the Earth?s great forces ? and king of the world at the same time. In between waves, you can enjoy the ocean scenery as you bob about, pondering life, the universe and everything. It?s no wonder that every die-hard surfer you meet has a spiritual side. Being constantly connected to the life-giving ocean tends to do that to you.

So ? while I won?t go into the nuances of standing on a wave right here, let me just assure you it?s easier than you think. However, let me also assure you that it may take a couple of days before you actually ?surf.? Start out on an eight- or nine-foot foam-top board, wear a rash-guard (in warm water) or a wetsuit (in cold water) and be watchful of other boarders. The only guarantee is that you?ll have fun.

(Top Surf Spot: Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia)

2. Sport Fishing

It?s a little known fact that almost 10 per cent of the population of Canada will engage in recreational fishing this year. That makes fishing more popular, in terms of participation, than golf or hockey! So will you wet a line? Besides being a lot of fun, fishing has many intrinsic benefits. First, a portion of the proceeds from recreational fishing licence sales go towards aiding in conservation and stewardship of fish and fish habitat (in Canada). Second, if you choose to eat what you catch, you?ll gain a better understanding of the where food comes from, and therefore gain a healthier respect for food ? as well as finding a wonderful source of organic meat. Third, spending time in the outdoors and getting up-close-and-personal with animal species, from the fish you catch to the birds that swoop overhead, teaches you to appreciate, respect and in turn protect natural environments.

To get started, I recommend you simply chat up your local tackle shop staffer. Most anglers love to see new people join the sport, and they?ll do as much as they can to help you get started. Then, peruse your provincial/state fishing regulations, as they also serve as a great ?fishable waters directory,? along with providing important legal info. If you?re really unsure, you can always hire a guide ? but many areas have fishing lakes stocked with catchable species, such as trout, and facilities like fishing piers so you don?t even have to rent a boat. Good luck!

(Top Fishing Spot: Tofino/Ucluelet, British Columbia)

3. Cycle Touring

A special feeling overtakes you when you arrive at your destination via muscle-power. And your heart, lungs and overall health will appreciate the sweat equity you?ve invested. Cycle touring, whether simple day trips or multi-week excursions, is a wonderful way to experience our world. Today, in the Jet Age, we can blindly traverse a dozen time zones in a few hours ? cycle touring is the antithesis of this. Transport is slowed down. You quite literally smell the roses as you pass, feel the subtle changes in temperature as the sun hides behind a cloud, enjoy down-slopes and work hard on inclines. You don?t just see your surroundings ? you smell them, feel them and taste them.

And the best thing? After you ride a bicycle all day long, you can eat as decadent a dinner as you want.

The good-quality touring bicycles required for long distance touring are not cheap, but it?s easy to start out on a simple rig for afternoon trips of a few dozen kilometres. Even rides in your local area will have you uncovering new sights, roads and routes you?ve never noticed before as you whizzed by in your car, sheltered from the world.

You?ll be amazed how far you can pedal in an afternoon? remember, you?re not racing anyone. Pace yourself, stay hydrated and enjoy the ride.

(Top Cycle Touring Spot: The Roads & Trails of Arizona & New Mexico)

David Webb, Vancouver, BC

David Webb is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, photographer, fisherman, motorcyclist, freeskier, surfer and curious traveller. Along with his work at?A Hopeful Sign, Webb is the founder of the popular travel and adventure blog, The Ultimate Outdoor Adventure & Travel Blog the editor of three print publications, a freelance magazine/website writer-and-photographer and an award-winning screenwriter. (See details at his website? David Webb: Writer, Editor & Photographer)?Twitter:?http://twitter.com/davidebwebb

Source: http://ahopefulsign.com/living-to-learn/3-sports-to-try-this-summer

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