Surfing's Origins - Tom Blake part 3

Never enough Blake. Tom was so instrumental in the development of surfing and the surfer lifestyle that two posts on him aren’t enough. Again, I want to thank Spencer Croul and the Croul Family Foundation for the help in creating Addicted to Joy. Images in this blog are courtesy of the Croul Family Foundation. Most of my information has been obtained in conversation with Spencer and from the book “Tom Blake: The Uncommon Journey of a Pioneer Waterman.

Tom Blake was always a spitirual person, not so much in the way the western world looks at but he had a deep slant to the eastern side. Tom’s Blake was known to have been interested in Eastern philosophies, including Hinduism and Buddhism. These traditions often emphasize spiritual growth, mindfulness, and the interconnectedness of all beings. It's understandable that Blake's exploration of these philosophies influenced his understanding of life and the universe.

To take a lesson from that insight, during my interview with Paul Strauch Jr., Paul said “It’s all connected”. I have come to that realization myself; the water is connected to the air, and the ocean heals and purifies me.

Blake remained a vegetarian throughout his life. He had a profound reverence for nature, which is a common theme in many spiritual traditions, and his connection to the ocean and surfing stands alone. I don’t think I could say it any more plainly - this pretty much sums it up.

In his master work “The Voice of the Atom”, his writing is right on point for the conditions we see around us today. Here is a taste for those willing to seek it out.

“One of the best kept secrets of all time relates to a rational meaning of the word, God. Science has proven that each atom, with its mass and energy system is a complete unit of nature, with all the devine attributes, sustaining power and intelligence found in all substance. As man is but an aggregation of atoms in molecular form, the atom becomes man’s ultimate identity : the order, rhythm, harmony and power of the atom are identified as man’s rightful needs. The voice of the atom tells us God is part of everything, everything, part of one God, one universal nature.”

Then the ultimate statement:

NATURE = GOD

(Tom&Eve)

T.E Blake 1964

I urge you to hunt down a copy as you hunt your next wave; the journey is just as exciting as the end. Ride on Tom…

I can say that Tom Blake may have changed surfing more than any single individual, ever. I hope you find inspiration in his story and in the film Addicted to Joy. I’d like to thank you all for reading Wood Water Soul. We’d like to announce we have moved Addicted to Joy to a new streaming service, we have some very cool things planned for the future, we’re excited to share it with you, please share it with a friend, I invite you to watch, Aloha.