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Professional surfing, just like other professional sports, requires incredible sacrifices and an intense amount of time and effort.

Unlike the past, where surfing was seen as the sport for those only brave enough to have a go at taming the waves, the surfing competitions of today require much more practice, courage, and a strict dieting and fitness regime.

However, the life of a pro surfer isn’t all about preparing for the next competition. Just like everybody else, pro surfers enjoy their leisure times and pick up other hobbies for the sake of having some fun in-between their daily obligations.

Now, it’s true that they don’t really go searching for places where over 300 Microgaming casinos are listed like most people do, but they do share a passion for common hobbies and sports, just like any average Joe does.

ju-jitsu

Jiu Jitsu

One of the favorite pastimes of former pro surfers is Jiu Jitsu – a Japanese martial art form that was popularized throughout the world in its Brazilian and original variations.

The Brazilian form of Jiu Jitsu has long garnered the attention of pro surfers, with California legend Joel Tudor taking the first step and others soon following.

The primary appeal of the sport is probably due to it requiring plenty of focus, discipline and stamina – all things that professional surfers need.

However, Joel Tudor is the only surfer that’s taken the sport to serious lengths, having competed in various championships and now owning his own school in California, but other pro surfers like Michel Bourez, Kelly Slater, and Jeremy Flores have likewise enjoyed it frequently.

It has to be said that fishers and surfers don't always get on. Especially when they are fighting over the same spots...

It has to be said that fishers and surfers don’t always get on. Especially when they are fighting over the same spots…

Fishing

Just like most of our dads, professional surfers enjoy the recreational fun of fishing ever once in a while.

The most famous surfer in a sea of fisherman is elite surfer Joel ‘Parko’ Parkinson, who reminisces about his fishing achievements just as proudly as he does about his championship titles.

His passion for the sport is so big that he even missed the opening round at Fiji due to a miscalculated fishing trip. But Parkinson is not alone, as ex professional surfer twins Dean and Shean Harrington and big-wave star Mark Healy also share the passion. It must be the love for the water, right?

snowboard

Snowboarding

If you’re professionally competing in an adrenalin-inducing sport like surfing, it’s only natural that you enjoy snowboarding, as it perfectly complements the danger and excitement of riding a surf board, minus the waves and the heat.

One of the most passionate snowboarders among surfers is Maui’s Ian Walsh, who can be often seen riding the mountains on what he calls an “endless wave”.

Walsh became addicted while on a vacation from surfing tours in Wyoming, where he gave the sport a try and has pursued it passionately ever since.

Other professional surfers who share the love are Mr. Pipeline himself – Gerry Lopez, but also Gary Elkerton and Nathan Fletcher.

A guitar is an easy way for Tom Curren to relax

A guitar is an easy way for Tom Curren to relax

Guitar

Ever since the surf bands of the 60s, there has been a strong connection between the surfboard and guitar, with many pro surfers picking up the instrument at right about the same time they picked up a board.

Apart from Kelly Slater, who seems to have every cool talent that you can find, a number of other pro surfers have been known to kill time by plucking away on a six string during their tours and even committing to the instrument on a more serious level by recording albums.

Rob ‘the Drifter’ Machado, for example, was Slater’s band mate in the 90s and has released several of his own albums, and Tom Curren is already as famous for being a guitar player/singer as he is for his surfing legacy. These two are only a few members of the guitar-slinging community of the surfing world.

Surf the Earth. A funky gadget bridging the two sports

Surf the Earth: The GolfBoard is a funky gadget bridging the two sports, obviously popular with Laird Hamilton

Golf

Even though it’s nothing like what they encounter while competing, one of the most popular pastimes among pro surfers is golf.

Perhaps, being the polar opposite of surfing is what makes golf a popular choice with surfers, who surely enjoy the peace and quiet of the golf field as much as the next guy/girl.

One of the most famous pro-surfers/golfers is US pro Bruce Irons, who says he fell in love with the ‘patience’ and ‘mind over matter’ approach golf requires.

His love for golf was born at an early age, when his father and grandfather would take him golfing to teach him how to play and it has remained alive ever since.

Other famous surfers that enjoy golf are Kelly Slater, who often sad that he would have turned it into a career if he couldn’t make it in surfing, as well as Julian Willson, Ian Walsh, and Benji Weatherly.

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