Good Vibes Come from Good People

I look out at the shore break, taking in the large rocks that line the beach. I am sitting in a ’74 turquoise Volkswagen van with my feet up on the dashboard. The sun is about to set and surfers are out catching a few last waves. I look over at Liv Johnson, my longtime friend who is chatting up an older local from the side of her car. She has short, bleach blond hair, blue eyes, and a toothy smile. Most of the time she is smiling.

It’s an unusual day because Johnson would normally be out in the water, as the sun sets and slowly dips into the ocean. Sunset is Johnson’s favorite time of day; in high school she started a “sunset club” in which students would gather at Windansea and watch the sun set and then proceed to dip in the ocean, no matter the temperature.

Johnson believes the ocean is healing.

“The ocean is the real heartbeat connection to nature,” she says. “When you get to go in the ocean you’re tapping into a whole different forcefield, there’s an energy in the water, you become a part of it unlike anything else.”

Johnson has been surfing since she was 16, but it wasn’t until this past summer that she started surfing WindanSea, the spot known for its intense localism that sometimes can lead to violence in the water. The aggression coming from locals is not unusual, as newcomers that “steal” waves are often looked down upon and sometimes yelled at to get out of the water. This localization has been happening for generations, as the locals take pride in passing down this tradition.

So what lead Johnson to start surfing this competitive and mainly male-dominated break?

Johnson spent her junior year of college abroad in New Zealand, in Raglan, a popular surf town. Unlike other study abroad students, Johnson decided to do it her own way, much like how she goes about the rest of her life. After the first semester of school she decided she didn’t want to be tied down to an agenda while traveling, so she bought a Volkswagen van and lived in it. She surfed everyday, besides the days she travelled to inland locations. With her vivacious personality, she made friends in the water and met many locals with whom she still stays in contact today.

This past summer she went to Scorpion Bay with the Beachams, a family that profoundly influenced her passion for surfing. Debbie Beacham, the mother of Johnson’s friend Marion, is a surfing legend. She won the Surf World Championship in 1982 and was the president of the Women’s Professional Surfing Association from 1982-1986. Debbie was also inducted in the Surfing Walk of Fame in Huntington Beach.

Johnson recalls that, when she first started surfing, Debbie would tell her and Marion to “get out in the water” no matter how big or small the waves were.

This past year during their annual Scorpion Bay trip, Johnson said her mentality on surfing changed. Some of the people in the lineup told her that she “commanded respect,” which gave her the confidence to go home and surf Windansea, while taking their advice to show this confidence with the other locals.

She began to surf Windansea and started developing relationships with the older locals that were out everyday. Once she created these relationships, they started giving her waves and allowing her to be a part of the lineup. I asked her how she created these relationships and she said, “Just say ‘what’s up’ to the best guy in the lineup and you will get respect right off the bat.” She also says she complimented surfers on good waves and is just a nice person when she gets out there, which people appreciate.

Debbie used to tell Johnson, “Don’t ever go for a wave you won’t get, because if you don’t get it then the other surfers in the lineup will not let you take another one.” Johnson says this is some of the best advice Debbie gave her at a young age.

Johnson now surfs Windansea every day, sometimes twice a day, and she wouldn’t want it any other way. “Surfing is not like any other sport, you are a part of the element, you are riding the waves it creates for you, and you’re in conjunction with them.”

“Hey boysssss,” Johnson screams as she cranks down the lever of her window. Several boys wearing wetsuits come over and say, “What’s up, Liv? You missed some great waves out there.” She smiles and says, “Tomorrow is another day, guys.”