Surfing is all the rage among the MZ generation. There are Glovis employee who is immersed in the immersion and freedom of being at one with nature while banging their whole bodies into the waves. Let’s learn more about the charm of surfing from Heo Hong-seok, Senior Manager of Asia Auto Parts (KD) Biz Team, who enjoys the surf life.
The surfer’s heart is pounding as he waits breathlessly for the wave to come in, come out, and come in again. The moment of riding the wave and passing through the waves and light is overwhelming. Heo Hong-seok, Senior Manager of Asia Auto Parts (KD) Biz Team, is a surfer who enjoys the beauty and excitement of the moment.
“I was introduced to surfing in Bali in 2016, when I went there on vacation by myself. I knew Bali was famous for surfing, so I signed up for a few days, got hooked, and changed my entire schedule to surfing. I got sick when I got back home, but I still remember my first time surfing in Bali. It’s been eight years since surfing became my hobby.”
Senior Manager Heo Hong-seok can’t remember the difference between before and after he started surfing. He mainly rides a longboard. When he sees a forecast for good waves for the weekend, he rushes to the ocean and doesn’t make plans until three days before the weekend. he travels abroad more often. The problem is that if there’s a good surf spot, he’ll plan a trip, and if there’s no ocean, he won’t go at all.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t immerse himself in surfing. Senior Manager Heo Hong-seok tries to strike the right balance because surfing is a time-consuming and expensive sport. Depending on the weather forecast, he goes to the ocean about twice a month and travels abroad once or twice a year. He saves a certain amount of money every month to buy new equipment and travel.
For Senior Manager Heo Hong-seok, who enjoys free diving and snowboarding in addition to surfing, the importance of hobbies is clear. “Everyone needs a time to refresh and recharge in their daily lives,” he says. He believes that no matter what the activity, it can become a hobby and one of the driving forces of life. Surfing has become much more than a hobby for Senior Manager Heo Hong-seok, who says that surfing has taught him to appreciate the ocean and even nature.
Tell us what you love about surfing.
First of all, there’s the ocean itself. When you’re out in the middle of the ocean, sitting on a board, looking out at the horizon, it’s so beautiful, especially when the sun comes up and the sun reflects off the waves, it’s phenomenal. And when you’re in the ocean, you can’t help but leave your phone behind. As a slave to my phone, I feel like I’m in nature, away from electronics for a few minutes, and all my worries disappear and a sense of calm comes over me.
You’ve probably tried surfing at some point in your life, and you’ve probably surfed in a straight line with an instructor pushing you along. Surfing is all about riding sideways on the face of a wave. I still can’t forget the first time I successfully rode a wave sideways.
How good are you at surfing?
I wouldn’t say I’m a good surfer, but I’m good enough to take a surfer with me anywhere in the country and abroad. When the waves are good, I can even do tricks like logging (walking) and re-entry (turning the board) on the board.
At the beach in Kuta, Bali
Surfing is affected by the environment, so how can an office worker in Seoul enjoy surfing?
I check the weekend forecast for swell, wind, etc. and plan my trips, but sometimes I show up and there are no waves, and sometimes I show up and the waves are great. For transportation, I carpool with friends who surf with me. I usually go to the east coast of Korea, but if the waves are good, I’ll plan trips to the south and west coast of Korea.
Surfing events are divided by board size and type.
· Longboard Boards are 270cm to 360cm long, these boards are wide and thick enough to be buoyant, stable and not overwhelming for beginners or heavyweights.
· Shortboard Boards are 165cm to 210cm long, narrow and thin so they don’t float. They’re easy to turn and trick, and are great for riding big, steep waves fast. They’re the main division of the WSL (World Surfing Competitions) and are often featured in movies.
· Funboards Boards are 210 cm to 270 cm long and are often ridden as a transition from longboards to shortboards. They are faster than longboards.
· Fishboard A round board that resembles a fish and is less than 210 centimeters long. It has good buoyancy and is perfect for riding small waves.
· Gunboard A larger version of a shortboard, gunboards are used to ride big waves and are rarely seen in Korea.
What are the pros and cons of surfing as a hobby?
Honestly, there are not many pros, I just do it because I like it. The cons are too many to mention. First of all, it’s very time consuming and expensive. If you want to go to the east coast on the weekend, you have to spend 4-5 hours in traffic, and the transportation alone is 74dollars round trip, including tolls. You also have to rent and buy equipment like boarding suits, which doesn’t pay off in the short run.
And even though Korea is surrounded by the ocean on three sides, I can’t always do it when I want to because I don’t have the best wave conditions. I often sigh when I look at the wave forecast. Oh, and the sun and salt water ruin my skin and hair.
It’s almost like I’m anti-surfing. (Laughs.) I think the reason I’ve been doing it for so long, despite all the downsides, is because it’s so fascinating and fun.
Were there any attempts to say, “We’ve done this much for surfing”?
I was an expat in India for two years, starting in 2019, thanks to a great opportunity from my company. I really wanted to surf at the time, but the location was in the center of the country, so it was hard to access the ocean. I was busy with work, but I remember flying to the ocean domestically for two weekends to surf. I used to surf abroad up to five times a year – Bali, Taiwan, the Philippines, Hawaii, and I’ve lost count of the places I’ve been.
In the early days of surfing, I did yoga to improve my balance, landboarded(skateboarded) to improve my technique, and swam regularly for fitness.
It’s a toss-up, so I’m going to put both places at #1. I’ve been to Hawaii once, and it’s a ‘BEST’. The surf is great from the south side of Honolulu Beach (famous for honeymooners) to the north side, which is the big wave barrel point where the WSL is held.
Waikiki Beach in the south of Hawaii, a favorite spot for surfers
Bali also has plenty of surf breaks and a lot of Korean camps, making it perfect for beginners and experienced surfers alike. Whatever your infrastructure or budget, you won’t regret going to either place.
Uluwatu Beach in Bali, a paradise for surfers
If you’re just thinking about the waves, the Jungmun coast on Jeju Island is good, but considering the lack of accessibility, it’s definitely the east coast of Korea. There are surf shops and related infrastructure all over the east coast, and Yangyang, the place that comes to mind when you think of surfing in Korea, is also on the east coast.
Korea’s most famous surfing spot, Jukdo Beach in Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do
I would also recommend Wave Park (https://www.wavepark.co.kr/), an artificial surfing center in Siheung, Gyeonggi-do, which is close to the city and can be enjoyed at anytime regardless of the weather, but it is expensive.
Surfing can be enjoyed alone, do you have any clubs or activities?
I don’t belong to any clubs, I have a surf shop that I’ve been going to since I started surfing, and I go on surf trips with friends and instructors that I’ve met along the way.
What is the process for a beginner to learn to surf?
All you need is a willingness to try surfing. Most equipment can be rented at surf shops, so all you need to bring is a swimsuit and sunscreen. You can start slowly with equipment and other exercises when you feel that surfing is right for you and you’re ready to enjoy it. If you have any questions about surfing, feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to answer them. (laughs)
To make surfing more enjoyable, do you have any tips?
To be good at surfing, you have to love the ocean, and no matter how passionate you are about it, there are many times when you can’t enjoy it depending on the wave conditions. It can be frustrating, but over time I’ve come to love the ocean itself, the time spent idly watching it, and other beach activities. I’ve also come to care about nature. I pick up trash when I see it on the beach and try to use less disposable products in my daily life. I think surfing will be more enjoyable if you have that kind of mindset.
· First as a beginner, always listen to your instructor’s voice – it’s hard to hear your surroundings in the water and it’s easy to get distracted by taking pictures.
· Second as with any sport, be sure to warm up and stretch to stay safe.
· Third there should only be one surfer per wave for safety’s sake – multiple surfers can collide and cause accidents, so be always aware of your surroundings. At popular surf spots abroad, it’s not uncommon to get kicked out by local surfers for breaking this rule.
Has surfing had an impact on other activities like camping and landscape photography?
Sure. When you’re surfing you have a lot of free time and you’re always looking for good food on the way to the beach and in the summer and fall you’re camping or in your car and you’re driving around looking for beaches. It would be nice to have a hobby like filming, but I’m more of a hands-on guy, so filming is still… I’m very grateful when someone takes pictures of me (laughs).
Do you have any other hobbies besides surfing?
I love most activities in the water. I’m a regular swimmer and often take part in amateur competitions, I’m a member of the company Breathe and I go freediving about once a month. I also do snowboarding and water wake sports from time to time. If there’s a hobby I want to try, I try it, even if I’m not very good at it.
“They say surfing is 99% waiting and 1% riding, and there’s a lot of waiting for a wave to ride. From the moment you paddle out to get in position to catch the wave, to waiting for the right wave, to finally catching it and riding it, it’s hard to contain the excitement. It’s hard to put into words, and I think if you’ve ever surfed, you know how I feel.”
By Editorial Department
2024.05.24