Kook

At 45 years old, author Peter Heller sets out to not only learn to surf in six months but to also pass the “kook” aka beginner stage by the end of that timeframe. The appropriately titled Kook: What Surfing Taught Me About Love, Life, And Catching The Perfect Wave is just that – a first-person account of a hell-bent Heller embarking on surf trips to California and Mexico.

Kook is the fifth Heller book I’ve read and marks my first time delving into his non-fiction work. Actually, this book goes beyond non-fiction and into more of the memoir category because it’s the author’s tale of packing up his life into a ridiculous beach camper (which he talks about as if it is a female truck driver: “She was so unabashedly rough…She just looked tough and true. You knew she wasn’t concerned with frivolous things…”), convincing his girlfriend-turned-wife Kim to join him, and embarking on an obsessive journey to become a surfer. It’s kind of an On The Road meets Point Break situation except Heller is sober and no one robs any banks.

It is great. Heller is a journalist turned author which is one of many reasons I enjoy his writing. I also can relate to several aspects of the story because my significant other grew up surfing in San Diego which led to his professional snowboarding career. Like Heller, he is very serious about the time he gets to ride big powder and does not want to wait for anyone. There are many instances where instead of being patient with Kim – who dropped her life to do this with him – Heller acts like an antsy child who has to surf right now or he’s going to throw an adult tantrum. “Sometimes I catch myself being a person I wouldn’t tolerate for five minutes at my own kitchen table.” He also recognizes his tendency to act like a “maniac who thinks [Kim] needs to toughen up, who thinks every day is some sort of Outward Bound character-building exercise.” Kim I have felt your pain. I’ve been made to feel that way and it can break your spirit.

But the difference between Wookie and Heller is that Wookie is forever a pro. He’s also a teacher and the snowboarder version of the type of person Heller looks for throughout his journey. The author wants to meet the people who grew up surfing, know the best breaks, and can teach him the secrets of the surfing lifestyle. Wookie is that guy. He knows the best lines, how to read snow and weather patterns, and cares deeply about the environment. Heller cares about the environment too but in a more scientific/journalistic way which is fascinating but also leads to some long tangents about whales.

That being said, through this surfing journey, Heller learns valuable life and relationship lessons including what it means to have empathy and think about other people. He clearly loves Kim, possesses an intrinsic respect for the ocean (“I felt honored and humbled to take my place among the fishes and the birds”), and is beyond determined to complete his kook mission. As always, his observational skills are top-notch as he quickly realizes that surfers are more Tone (Anthony Kiedis) and less Bodhi (Patrick Swayze): “The problem is that the aloha spirit is generally a myth – surfers have always been aggressive, driven, and territorial.” The ocean is no joke and no one wants to get hurt which is true of local snowboarders too. Similar to the kooks that swim into the ocean without any clue about what they are doing, some tourists come through Eagle County and leave their manners, self-awareness, and fundamental understanding of humanity back home. It’s exhausting and dangerous. But then there are people who come here and are excited to be in such a beautiful place doing something they love but hardly have the opportunity to do. That’s the best and that’s what the author tries to achieve.

Heller is a seeker – similar to Wookie and Bodhi – but not in a hippie surfer way. Instead, he is intent on learning something that’s physically, mentally, and emotionally tough – no matter what it takes. Bodhi and Wookie are naturals who are all about searching for “the ultimate ride” which is what sets them apart. Throughout the book, Heller meets his searchers: a California dude who teachers surf school and whose “greatest gift as a teacher was his warmth and sense of fun,” a surfboard shaper named Bruno, and Mexican locals like Jaime whose “enthusiasm was infectious,” Otto aka “local numero uno,” and Leon. They all help the author see the bigger picture of what the ocean means to them and what surfing well really entails. Heller describes Leon as “a man completely shaped by the sea…He was not overly demonstrative or easily impressed, but he was truly mellow and tolerant and adventurous.”

A big part of Heller’s mission is immersing himself in their surf culture and knowledge. He is a literary sponge as he  documents these people’s backgrounds, how they started surfing at a young age, and how the sport became a lifestyle that informed the trajectory of their lives. As predicted, Heller completes his quest – all while giving credit to Kim and the people he meets along the way. Although the book ends abruptly (and without punctuation) it’s clear that the author is both exhausted and proud. Most importantly, he is aware that his growth goes beyond the surfboard which reminds the audience that “the joy of breakthrough” is exciting to experience and read about.

Quotes:

“Surfers are an intense bunch and they love their coast they way they love their mothers.”

“All myth is based on a rock foundation of truth.”

“I realized that getting beyond the most basic level took a lot of power and stamina and that would take time.”

“How often do we get butterflies and feel aquiver with expectation and fear? When we date. When we marry. When we have a child.”

“Every segment of society now surfed. The culture used to be edgy and rebellious, and still thrived on that myth.”

“It was tribal out there.”

“Waves were a new language. They had a lexicon and a syntax.”

“I always loved that: how people got bigger than themselves when they reentered their world of mastery.”

“Grief is the thing we run from and toward our whole lives.”

“Formality is one way of not taking something for granted.”

“I was worried…about bringing Kim into this harsh world of desert and backbreaking surf and wayward souls.”

“Things can happen out here, they can happen fast and spin out of control. It changed me.”