On a beautiful early October day, my family took a surf lesson on a beautiful beach in Portugal. Although we were only a short distance from the big-wave hub of Nazaré, the waves were gentle and rolling—perfect for beginners.
Since it was the off-season, the beach town was sleepy, and the day was great. Our surf instructor was a local, but it was fascinating to hear him talk about different surf locations around the world, from Fiji to Hawaii, and even the New Jersey shore.
His personality and mannerisms reminded us so much of the surf instructor we had in Hawaii that summer. The topics he discussed, the questions he asked, and the places he wanted to travel were all so similar. This experience made it clear that surf culture isn’t unique to one location. You could place this guy in Hawaii or Southern California, and he would fit right in. His cultural identity seemed to be based more on his passion than on his home.
Shifting Lenses 
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