Mountains of Inspiration

Last Friday I attended the Banff Film Festival when the UK tour came to town, and for the second year I was truly inspired by the films that I saw.  The selection of films was on a par with those that were shown last year.  And again I came away in total awe of this group of people who are not only masters of their chosen pursuit; they choose to live their lives in a way that enables them to focus 100% on doing what they love.

This really struck a chord with me and reminded me to not lose sight of the lifestyle that I am looking to attain.  I have nothing but admiration for anyone who chooses a different path in the pursuit of a fulfilling life; I know that doing so takes an incredible amount of commitment.  The people as featured in the films of the night clearly have the characteristics and self-belief to follow their dreams of doing what they love, without letting life’s obstacles get in the way, which I find so encouraging.  Furthermore the evening of films provided an antidote to the disillusionment that I have been feeling towards the thing that I hold dear, namely surfing.  For I get the impression that there is a large number of people who are afforded an amazing lifestyle through being a surfer, for example.  Yet they seem to lack the soul and spirit of adventure that the people within these films clearly have an abundance of.

As an aside, I have to say that professional surfing leaves me cold, and always has done if I am to be honest.  I am not a competitive person by any means, so I just can’t relate to it.  I know that plenty of people do, so I am not knocking it, I will just say that it just lacks the levels of authenticity that I am looking for, and leave it there.  I find my inspiration in a different place.

Anyway, getting back on course, I love that there are people who commit so much to pursuing that special thing that they are absolutely driven by.  Those who are not in the lime light, nor do they seem to be seeking it, are not chasing fame, wealth and huge sponsorship deals.  But rather, they do what they do for the love of it, for the sheer enjoyment and satisfaction that they get from it.  It heartens me to think that there are people out there who dedicate such huge amounts of time, energy and effort in to the thing that they hold dear.  Whether that is surfing, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, or climbing, the passion that these guys have is truly inspiring.

For me a great deal of my admiration is born from the notion that they also just ‘get it’.  Appreciating not only the excitement of riding waves, ascending mountains, descending mountains, but also the absolute beauty of these elements and how lucky they are, to be a part of it all.  In my experience there are too many people who either fail to notice the natural environment that is around them, or at least seem to take it for granted.  Amazingly this is also true for many of the people who partake in the pursuits that take place in natural realms such as the ocean.   This is completely at odds with my own viewpoint, for one of the biggest draws for me when it comes to surfing is the beauty that the ocean and the beach environment offer.

These films manage to capture all of these things so perfectly, the people who are portrayed within them are not only an inspiration, but they also serve as a really good reminder as to why I do what I do and that I should never, ever lose sight of that.



https://vimeo.com/ondemand/northofthesun


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