When Gerry Lopez came across yoga in the 1960s, yoga and surfing were two very different worlds, but Gerry saw the potential to bring the grace and flexibility of yoga out onto the waves.
“Watching this instructor move from one basic asana to the next, I realized, ‘Wow, if you could move like she moves on a surf board, you really would have it licked.’ … Yoga has been a part of my life ever since.”
The practice challenged Gerry not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually, and ultimately saved his life on more than one occasion.
“I remember being tumbled around and not being able to get to the surface where the air was, and looking down and seeing my body spinning around in the whitewater. … Being able to stay calm and hold your breath in those situations, that was a validation of everything I had learned and done so far in yoga.”
Watch this video to learn more about how a surfing legend discovered yoga and how it shaped his surfing.
A very special thank you to Turtle Bay for providing a beautiful backdrop for this footage.