Re-grom

Grom, shortened from grommet, is slang in Hawaii, Australia, and Cali, for a young, often super stoked  surfer.

Re-grom! I was reminded of this phrase randomly and it instantly brought me to write this down. I originally heard it in the Summer when surfing with Andy. When he said the word, I instantly understood the genius behind it. Do you remember when you were a kid and were doing your favorite sport or hobby? Do you remember how much fun you were having and the passion you had for it? This is what re-grom is all about. Here is my interpretation. 

Fun in everyday life.

When I was a kid I wanted to do everything. I wanted to travel the world, be a ballerina and a mermaid. Everything inspired me and I thought becoming an adult gave you the freedom to make all of your wildest dreams come true. To my surprise, being an adult also came with the pressure of making that dream a reality. The infamous question: “what do you want to be when you grow up?” had a different answer every time someone would ask me. That is until I found something I truly loved. Then the answer was unanimous every time. I loved the ocean and I especially loved surfing. I have always known the ocean to be my greatest teacher. When I was younger I would spend all day surfing so it was my second home. My connection and passion was unbreakable.

In the past few years I have been given the opportunity to take my surfing to the next level. This was my goal: when I grow up I want to be a surfer. Contests became a driving force in each session and I wanted to be the best I could be. With this came pressure. As a kid I never felt the pressure to be my best. I would surf because it was the most enjoyable thing I knew existed. In the recent past I have been putting so much pressure on my performance in the water that if I didn’t meet my own expectations, I would be upset. Something I never wanted to do was take the fun out of surfing. 

Innovation comes from joy.

I knew something was off and I didn’t know why because I have been working really hard at doing my best in the water. The pressure. I took a few days off of surfing out of respect for the ocean. To bring this pressure and frustration with me to the ocean did not seem fair. The ocean has taught me to leave that at the shore and come with respect. In my few days of reflection, I was reminded of the word re-grom, invented by Andy. I instantly knew exactly what I needed to do.

I packed up my surfboard and went straight to one of my favorite waves. I called up some friends and the waves were good. 3-4ft offshore at Makaha. I saw kids running with their boards out to the water with the biggest smiles on their faces. I forgot all about the pressure I was putting on myself and had my best session in a long time. Each wave brought so much joy and appreciation for the sport. It was like a 180 degree change of mind. 

On my way to Re-grom with a good friend.

Something I wanted to take away from this is the mindset aspect. Bringing the fun back into why you do what you do is incredible. If you made it this far reading my thoughts, I hope you go and do something you truly enjoy and reconnect with your younger self. Re-grom!

You CAN. Re-grom!