Gerry Lopez connects the surfing & yoga dots

Gerry Lopez © Jeff Mull

Speakeasy Sessions

Words of Wisdom from Mr. Pipeline: Gerry Lopez Speaks at Surfer, the Bar

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 7 March, 2013 : - - Stacked to the brim with eager guests hanging on his every word, Gerry Lopez recently took to the state at Surfer, The Bar to engage the crowd at Wanderlust’s famed Speakeasy sessions.

Calm, cool and collected, Lopez has come to embody the best of surfing and his speech this night was meant to draw parallels between the sport of kings and Yoga. Commonly referred to as “Mr. Pipeline” Lopez’s experience in finding zen through yoga walks in lockstep with his efforts to find zen through surfing.

“I’ve been both studying yoga and surfing for a long time, and I can tell you that the two can be very similar,” said Lopez. “It’s so difficult to master either, and that’s part of what makes them both so appealing.”

Through his speech, Lopez recalled what it was like growing up in Hawaii at such a formidable time for the sport. He waxed poetically about honing in his ability to surf Pipe, a wave at the time was deemed “unsurfable” by the generation that came before him. Lopez spoke in depth about finding peace in your mind through yoga and true focus through surfing. “There are so many different factors coming together that you have to be completely focused to catch the right wave at the right time,” Lopez said.

“Back in my day, when we didn’t have leashes and you took a wipeout because you weren’t focused and lost your board and were forced to swim to the shore…well, you had plenty of time to dwell on what you did wrong.”

As the Speakeasy session came to an end, Lopez was met with a standing ovation. Clearly humbled, he simply smiled and waved back to the crowd before taking a few questions. All in all, whether you were there to hear Lopez as a surfer, yogi, or both, it was impossible to walk away from Surfer, The Bar that night without feeling that you had just witnessed a great figure dishing out his life story and a few words of wisdom.

Turtle Bay Resort is host and a part-time home to many of the world’s elite surfers, stand-up paddlers and surf industry executives. It is the official partner and headquarters to some of the world’s premier ocean events including The Vans Triple Crown of Surfing, Pipeline Masters, SURFER Magazine Peer Poll Awards, SUP World Tour, Volcom Pipe Pro etc