Know the Feeling

Not very long ago, a friend texted me:

Miks, tanong ko lang ha.. ano ba talaga meaning ng 'stoked'?

My head went around in circles thinking of an answer, and so I just replied:

"When you finally get to try surfing or wakeboarding or skating, you'll know."

According to Mr Webster,

stoked
adj. Slang

1. Exhilarated or excited.
2. Being or feeling high or intoxicated, especially from a drug.

He doesn't mention anything about sports.. he probably never surfed.

Now before writing this, I thought to myself, who am I to define the word? I'm no professional. Sure, I can catch a wave, I can ride the wake, and I can skate a bit, but I won't claim to be the all-knowing advocate for stoke.

All I know is, I've felt it. I felt it the first time I felt my board glide across the water with me standing on it, I felt it when I finally landed a ramp attempt in the cable park. I felt it when I skated down that dreaded Pili corner and lived to tell about it (with a bunch of scars to support my story). I even felt it the first time I lifted off the ground with my pole (when I was learning to Pole Vault back in college), I feel it everytime I jump off a cliff, and I felt it when I first touched a turtle while diving.

Maybe it's just a feeling of accomplishment, or a pure adrenaline rush. I've read articles even trying to study the exact chemicals in the brain that produce the feeling, and even the author found it difficult to conceive.

Anyway, this is my feeble attempt:
I think it's a feeling of temporary ecstasy/exuberance brought about by a feat you never thought you could or would do... with an addictive property that will keep you eternally hungry for more.

It's the feeling that brought forth extreme sports, competitions, and billion-dollar industries. It's the feeling that started the company I work for, and it's the reason the company lives on.

It's true when they say that the beginners who stand up for the first time can be just as stoked as those psychotic surfers who drop down 40ft faces and come out alive with the biggest smiles on their faces.Whatever it is, it's a feeling that should be shared and passsed on from one person to the next... to add a little less stress and bring a whole lot more joy as we each strive to breathe through our lifetimes on this awesome planet.



Ok, I'm done now.