Sick with the Surf-Bug
The Healing Power of the Ocean and Surfing, an interview with Megan Oberstar.
I am incredibly honored to share this interview with you all. Megan is a local shredder babe and has become a sweet friend of mine over the past few years. In this interview, she shares a beautiful vulnerability as she explains why surfing is as much mental as it is physical, and how the ocean has become one of the strongest healers when life gets really tough. There is a lot of wisdom in this piece. Thank you for your beautiful words, Meg.
Without further adieu….. Meet Megan!
Please introduce yourself. Who are you and where are you based?
My name is Megan Oberstar, I’m from the South Puget Sound area.
2. Welcome to the cold water surf community! How has your experience been so far?
It is so exciting to dive into a community that loves having fun in the ocean despite the conditions! It is one thing to try something like surfing, but it is a whole other amazing experience to connect with other people while you do it. I think sometimes we forget how important community is, so I am stoked to do something as fun as surfing with others who also love it.
3. What does being a water woman mean to you?
It means I have somewhere I can be myself, and somewhere I can find joy. It has been a source of many good memories, smiles, and connections with other women who encourage or inspire me. Spending time on the water always fosters meaningful and memorable moments. I think I always feel more in touch with myself or like I have learned something about myself after a surf trip too.
4. Where did you first learn to surf and what was it like?
My first attempt at surfing was at Mission Beach in San Diego in 2017, and it was HARD. I didn’t try again for a while if that tells you anything about how that went... Regardless, I remained intrigued by surfing and finally got back out there to see if I could figure it out. I really got into it these last two seasons and while I still consider it a hard, humbling sport, there is nothing quite like the feeling of learning to catch your first waves! It is so worth getting through the humble beginning of being slammed around a bit. I started to really learn the fundamentals by spending time at Westport and Crescent Beach in Washington and by getting some great pointers from friends who knew what they were doing. Now I would say getting out to the coastal beaches of Washington State to surf in some cold water is one of my favorite ways to spend a day. Surfing is mental as much as it is physical. One big learning curve you face in surfing is realizing that it’s not you vs. the ocean, it’s you connecting with the ocean. It sounds cheesy but it's true in surfing and in life; the more you learn to ride out the waves rather than fight them, the easier and more enjoyable it gets.
5. What does the ocean mean to you?
I grew up on an island, so I think the ocean feels very homey to me. I have a lot of respect for the ocean and how powerful it is and yet how peaceful it can be. I, like many other ocean lovers, also find the ocean to be therapeutic. To be vulnerable, I lost my mom to cancer in 2007 and my little brother to suicide in 2021. Experiencing losses or hardships, no matter what they might look like, changes you. I think I could have easily slipped into finding escapes from the stressors of life in more damaging ways, but I was lucky to find that the ocean was a great healer. When I am surfing, I always try to find a quiet moment during the session to feel the feelings, to say “hi” to my mom and brother when I’m floating in the middle of the ocean, and to let the saltwater work it’s magic on my mind, body, and soul. It can be hard to put into words, but something about being still on Big Blue with no distractions is extremely healing.
6. What has been your favorite part about surfing so far?
I love the multifaceted, holistic goodness of surfing. Personally, I have only found a few things in life that can simultaneously: push you mentally, benefit your body, help you connect with nature, learn, and practice a new skill, have the best time with your friends by your side, process emotions, and find a fluctuating balance between peaceful moments and thrilling adrenaline rushes. All in one. Surfing reaches every corner of what it means to feel human. It really makes me feel alive and present, and it always puts a smile on my face. It is addicting in the most wholesome sense of the word.
7. What is something you’re looking forward to?
I still have a lot to learn and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to keep practicing alongside others! But I also love to remind myself to forget about being “good” and just focus on having fun out there. I am also looking forward to more surf/camp trips in the PNW with good friends who also get stoked about surfing, and more international surf trips too. There are amazing surf beaches all over the world whether it’s Mexico, Peru, Tofino, Costa Rica, and more. Taking an interest in surfing has unlocked new travel goals for me and I would love to experience what surf communities are like in different parts of the world.
8. You mentioned that surfing has unlocked new travel goals for you... what is your top destination you want to visit?
If I had to pick a top choice travel destination I would say Tofino, BC. It looks stunning and I've had many friends in the surf community hype it up enough for me to really want to check it out!
9. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
It can be daunting at first but if you are curious about surfing, definitely try it! Nobody is a pro their first time and there is a whole community of cold-water surf women who can join you in the learning process and share a love of the ocean with you.
10. Something that I'm trying to highlight on this page and throughout this community is the idea that you do NOT need to be 'good' at your hobbies, and you don't need to 'perform' to have a space in the lineup, or in life in general. I think there's this underlying performance anxiety (I've personally struggled with this) thinking that I shouldn't share my love for surfing because I'm not the most impressive at it. You mentioned this in your previous answer.... Can you please elaborate a little more on this?
Letting go of the performance mindset has been a challenge in surfing. My whole life I was taught to strive to be good at things; do well in academics, be competitive in sports, perform well at high-stakes jobs working in a hospital. It is very freeing to let go of all of that when you are surfing; you truly don't have to be "good" at it to have the most fun out there. At first, I felt like I wasn't talented enough to be sitting in the water waiting for waves with people who seemed to be really good at surfing. But the more I learned about what surfing really is, the more I realized I needed to let go of all of that performance anxiety, competitiveness, and comparison. You don't have to reach a benchmark in talent to start enjoying hobbies. If you love it, you have a place out there!
I hope you all enjoyed this interview, I personally felt quite touched by Megan’s words and am reminded how grateful I am to connect with such rad ladies! To follow Megan’s adventures check out her Instagram here.