Every morning, the sound of my phone’s alarm clock slices into an expanse of dawn. I grab my bag, packed the night before, complete with my wetsuit and gear. My skateboard accompanies me as I exit the door. The early morning darkness engulfs me, and the birds greet me. I rub away the sleep left in my eyes and leave the desire for comfort behind. As I head to the subway to make the trip from Brooklyn to Far Rockaway, I keep one end goal in mind: experience the euphoria and magic of surfing.
A deli order, only complete with a Yerba Madre, helps fuel my prologue as I make my way to the beach. Soon, I’m transported from the concrete to the sand, and the Rockaways become my outdoor oasis, my slice of peace in the “Big Apple” pie. It’s in this moment when my senses calibrate that I’m reminded that in the pursuit of greatness, it’s sometimes the hardest path that is the most rewarding.
My name’s Yaz. I’m a skateboarder, surfer, and snowboarder who finds power in my passions. I personally love to think of myself as a boardsport rockstar, but I'm also an up-and-coming culture shifter championing authenticity against the status quo. But any lifestyle that appears exciting online has a reality to face in its inner workings. Managing my life isn’t easy, but having the tools and support to keep going definitely helps.
The root of my love for boardsports started with skateboarding. As a Brooklyn-born-and-raised city kid, I never imagined that my skateboard would lead me to my two other passions: snowboarding and surfing! As someone who's blossomed from a city skater to a surfer of water and snow, I’ve learned so many lessons, particularly about discipline.
Both snowboarding and surfing are condition-dependent passions. The season, weather, and snow/waves have to be appropriate enough to ride for the sesh. Mistakes happen, reports are misread, unpredictable weather comes—there’s so much that can go right and so much that can go wrong. It’s good to set some routines to keep yourself straight. Packing your bag the night before, double-checking condition reports, and releasing yourself from strict expectations can foster grace in such a raw lifestyle. Having a booster like Yerba Madre has also been the perfect support to keep me moving, giving me a smooth takeoff and a clean landing with no crashes. It’s my go-to for a crazy adventure ahead.
These days, I make an effort to look towards long-term satisfaction rather than instant gratification. With snowboarding, I work for a charter bus company that shuttles people from the city to the mountains during the snow season. I make the pilgrimage weekly, getting up before the crack of dawn to make an hour-long trip to our HQ bus pickup. The same thing goes for surfing: I have to be out the door at five AM to make an hour-long trip to the beach. Despite the REM-destroying wake-ups, these newfound passions have tripled my love for the outdoors. I’d rather face a few hours of discomfort to experience the spiritual cleanse of the ocean than to sleep in and wake up to a mundane life. Whether snowboarding or surfing, my intention is to express, be in harmony with nature, and feel magic.
I make riding waves look easy, but it’s still a risk-taking, injury-prone lifestyle. Falling is part of my growth. I’ve built my courage to have faith in myself when going into the unknown, while developing the resilience to get back up and try again. Progress isn’t linear. You can reach plateaus, regressions, breakthroughs, just about anything in your timeline, but it’s up to you to see things through and have faith in the process. Consistency is key.
Skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing all helped me learn important lessons that I carry with me in both the outdoors and my day-to-day life. Like my Yerba helping me to get up, these life lessons help me to get down! With the wisdom bestowed upon me from my passions and a Yerba Madre on my side, I know I can dive into the magic of movement and conquer it all.