44-Year-Old Surfing Star Once Had to Abruptly Quit the Sport Despite ‘Never Going More Than Six Weeks’ Without It Since 12

Published 12/12/2022, 5:30 PM EST

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There are times when a certain sport is dominated by its player and times when the sport dominates the player’s life. The sport of surfing has a lot of thrills. It is also as dangerous as it demands too much decision-making and body control. The waves of the ocean won’t listen to the surfer so the surfer has to manage through it always.

Former surfer Jason Borte discussed his history with surfing in an interview. He loved surfing more than any other thing in the world. For a long time, he had good moments with the sport. Later on, he realized something that made him leave the sport.

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Lesson for the surfing addict

Jason Borte loved surfing more than anything else. Whenever he would go surfing, he would forget everything that existed in the world. But there was a time when Jason had to leave his beloved sport and face reality.

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“I’ve never gone more than six weeks without surfing since I was 12 years old. Before I started this project, I was out there several times a week. Anyone who knows me knows how active I was still in surfing. It’s impacted my life in every way – from where I live to my family, any trips we might take or free time I have,” Jason said. He described how his life was when he was fully into surfing. There was only one thing on his mind at the time, and that was surfing. He didn’t think of anything else other than the sport he loved. It was becoming an addiction for him, and any kind of addiction is indeed bad.

“I think stopping surfing has been a positive thing for me. My family see a lot more of me than they ever have. It’s also made me understand all aspects of surfing a lot better. Having that distance helped me see why I surf, what I got out of it and what I want to do when I get back into it,” Jason added. Holding out all his love for the sport he decided to quit it. He did quit it for the better, as it made him learn a lot more about the sport and, most importantly, about himself and his surroundings. Jason had more family time, and everyone was glad to have him back.

Coping mechanism for the surfer

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Some people accepted him after he dropped out of the sport, but some were angry at him. They saw a talent getting wasted, so that justified their anger. Although the surfer wasn’t going back to the sport.

The first few months of the surfer’s new life were tough for him. Dropping the sport wasn’t easy on him, as he loved it a lot. But he was successful in it as he explored a lot of things other than surfing. He also started writing a blog about how surfing ruined his life. This surprised a lot of people, as they knew surfing was everything to him. He still teaches young kids to surf, but he isn’t just interested in getting into the waves anymore. Writing a blog was the best coping mechanism for the surfer.

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What do you think of the surfer? Are you also addicted to any sport? Let us know in the comment section.

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Written by:

Rahul Goutam Hoom

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Rahul Goutam Hoom is a US Sports writer for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Master's in Mass Communication and Journalism from Birla Global University. Rahul does photography and gaming during his leisure hours and likes to watch anime.
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Edited by:

Gideon Mathson