Maximum Impact: Greg Long on Breath, BWRAG & Becoming a Voice for the Ocean
Welcome to On Water, the Session Magazine Podcast. Here, we talk to water athletes, entrepreneurs, scientists, and earth friendly folks about the experience of a life well lived connected to water. I'm your host, Evelyn O'Doherty. Let's dive in. Lucky enough to be here in Montauk.
Evelyn:Special guest, Greg Long dropping into town. He is here for the Surfrider benefit here at Is it at The Crow's Nest tonight?
Greg Long:It's at the Crow's Nest tonight.
Evelyn:Yes. Yeah. And Greg is a very special honored guest as part of that gala. So thanks Greg for taking the time to just have a chat.
Greg Long:Happy to be here with you.
Evelyn:Thank you. I dropped in yesterday to, Greg was teaching a mindful breathing and breath apnea class, over at Sole East, which is something that, I believe you do on on the regular. Right? Just not just in the brag setting, but outside as well because it's, you know, just a practice that's become such a great part of your life.
Greg Long:Yeah. So that particular class that I was teaching yesterday, it's kind of derived from the mindful breathing, surf apnea training in that we teach in the big wave risk assessment group Right. Courses. Mhmm. And depending on who I'm teaching it to, I will kind of curate that to the group.
Greg Long:So if it's primary surfers, primarily surfers, you know, we'll kind of focus on that. If it's not, it kind of just goes into more, you know, the everyday, you know, practice of conscious breathing. Something that we've kind of dismissed in large part in Western society. Absolutely. Yeah.
Greg Long:You know, and now there's so much, you know, science supporting, you know, how that really affects our, you know, physical and mental health and well-being. So it's a really fun one. You know, obviously, it came from surfing more people being turned on to this and so more requests coming. It's just something I really enjoy sharing. It played such a big part in my life Sure.
Greg Long:In the from a sporting side obviously, but just for my own kind of daily practice and especially in my years where I was really kind of going down the path studying yoga, meditation, and all the rest. Kind of taking the best bits of wisdom that I've learned along that path and passing them along for others who may benefit from them as well.
Evelyn:It's amazing. I mean, who better to I mean, I always feel like, you know, the teacher for me is important. Like, who are they? How do they apply this? Not just teach it.
Evelyn:And in that regard, right, you definitely have all the experience and the skills. And and I love I always love hearing you talk about your yoga practice and meditation because it's it's a bit of a standout in the big wave surfing world, you know, aside from like Jerry Lopez and people like that. I I don't hear a lot from other, you know, large wave chargers about practice of meditation. How do you feel that impacts your experience out there?
Greg Long:So I kind of regard both my yoga practice and meditation practice is really being the foundation for my big wave surfing career, or at least a big component. There's obviously, you know, father was a lifeguard, so came from a life saving background. So there's always a huge emphasis on safety decision making and you know, really understanding the environment I was putting myself in. But then Okay. You know, people always ask me what's more important, the physical training or the mental training Exactly.
Greg Long:When it comes to big wave surfing. And the two are equally as important. You can't have I don't want to say you can't have one without the other because, you know, for years, there's a lot of people doing it without training at all. And if you had the mental fortitude and the ability to be able to relax in those, you know, incredibly challenging environments Mhmm. You know, underwater being held down multiple waves, you could see yourself through to the other side of that, and people got away with it for a long time.
Greg Long:Yeah. Now obviously, if you can complement that with the physical training, then obviously you've got, you know, the best of both worlds and can lean on, you know, one and the other. You know, which you know, somewhere in blending those two is where you kind of see your optimal performance. But, Cool. Yeah.
Greg Long:It was really the tools from that practice that I was able to then bring out into the, you know, big wave surfing environment. Mhmm. And you know, better understand how to kind of control my emotions, you know. Mhmm. And understand that, you know, even when everything's taken away from you, you still have the ability to, you know, choose your perception, your mindset
Evelyn:Mhmm.
Greg Long:You know, in those moments. And, you know, where the mind goes, the body follows. So Wow. Having that sort of baseline understanding and, you know, regular practice and absolutely no, not perfect by any means. Yeah.
Greg Long:Still catch myself even you know decades later, know reacting to trivial unimportant things in a way that I know isn't the way I should be you know behaving in the situation. But we're all all human. So, yeah. That was a huge part of I think what gave me the confidence to go out there and and push myself in in big waves. Alright.
Greg Long:It's quite a statement.
Evelyn:Yeah. I mean, my the biggest takeaway I had from yesterday was, you know, obviously stay calm, but also the practice. Right? This isn't something that you just go to a, you know, hour and a half workshop with Greg Long and then you've got it. It's something that it requires the daily practice.
Evelyn:It even requires the body movements to expand your rib cage capacity to, you know, build that lung capacity. And, anyway, just there was so much packed into that that, that workshop with the first half being really informative, science based, educational, and the second part being so experiential.
Greg Long:Yeah. I always say, you know, in that class, I'm I'm not an expert in any of this. I have had the good fortune of working with people who I would consider experts. You know, that's you know, studying the science or those, yeah, who have dedicated their lives to, you know, becoming the best free dive, you know Yeah. World record holding.
Evelyn:Mhmm.
Greg Long:And, you know, the only thing maybe I would be considered an expert in is obviously the, you know, big wave surfing side of it Yeah. Where, you know, put in as many hours as probably anybody out there. Possible. Yeah. Yeah.
Greg Long:What that class is is, like I said, taking the best information that I felt for me was really course altering.
Evelyn:Mhmm.
Greg Long:You know, the Cool. The pieces that helped push me past when I was maybe at a you know, limit or a barrier Yep. Kind of get to that next stage beyond. And put it in a way that I feel like is tangible, relatable, and that people who sit through the class can you know come through. Apply, you know, that afternoon or tomorrow in their session.
Greg Long:But as you mentioned, everything is needs consistent practice. Exactly. Exactly. You know, attention put onto it. So it's one thing to, you know, read something or hear something, but to then embody it.
Greg Long:Mhmm. You know, I always, you know, laugh that I'm still far from, you know, as many years as I have been. Yeah. As I have been studying all of this, you know, far from where I I probably should be because, yeah, life is a complicated thing, you know, especially as your mind and mind that's often over times overly analytical and Yeah. Going in a thousand different directions.
Evelyn:Yeah. Distracted. Yeah. One of the other things I find interesting and I'll I'll shift off of this, but is that even as a surfer, like you've channeled your energy into sort of teaching a little bit, you know, and also certainly picking up the big wave risk assessment, surf safety programs, and and just sort of moving along those lines of surf safety because it's such a part of who you are and also the breath class within that surf safety program is such a sort of important component. And so many athletes that I've seen don't know what to do after they've reached a certain point of biological age.
Evelyn:You know what I mean? And you've sort of gracefully transitioned, are transitioning, still out there chasing the biggest, while you've got this other whole lifestyle and business going. And and I'm just here's the question. Is like what what would be your words of wisdom to the next guy who's You know, because you know what happens, people reach that limit and then it's like ego gets in the way of what's next.
Greg Long:Mhmm.
Evelyn:You've found a way.
Greg Long:I was always very fortunate that my parents from the very beginning of my surfing career.
Evelyn:Yep.
Greg Long:They could not have been any more supportive. But simultaneously, always reminded me that there will come a time where this this is over. Wow. You know, where you're no longer gonna be paid to just go surfing.
Evelyn:Yep.
Greg Long:So as you have the fortune of so much free time, start to cultivate other skills and you know, from an early age, start thinking about what you might want to do you know Wow. Afterwards.
Evelyn:Yay, parents.
Greg Long:And obviously my big wave surfing career extended far beyond that which even I you know, imagine. And it could have continued on even more. So I kind of voluntarily took a big step back. A lot of things, multiple injuries, nearly nearly drowning a couple of times. Right.
Greg Long:It really makes you reflect and so Yeah. It was a conscious decision. And then I absolutely had that, you know, couple years of, you know, sort of tumultuous contemplation of like, okay, you know, what now?
Evelyn:Right. Right.
Greg Long:I think most people do that, you know, when you've dedicated your life to anything. You see people who, you know, retire after occupation as a teacher or whatever. The you know transition into teaching is really a natural one. Know my mom was a teacher.
Evelyn:Okay.
Greg Long:You know my mom's whole side of the family have been teachers and that was something that as I was younger, always thought that maybe, you know, one day, this is before surfing was a even a possibility. I was like, maybe I'll be a teacher too. So Cool. I feel like there was always, you know, that you know, subconsciously in my being. But really, it came down to seeing the necessity for that type of information.
Evelyn:Mhmm.
Greg Long:In Mhmm. Our first and foremost big wave surfing community. And then, you know, really looking at a gap of, you know, available education and training in the global surfing and ocean going world. That unless you're going into a profession, know, as a lifeguard or you know, in the EMS service as a firefighter paramedic, in our world of surfing, there's really nowhere that we could readily go and get that basic training. In the ski and snow world, they had it.
Greg Long:Right. And kind of a lot of other back country worlds, they had it. And I had taken a lot of those classes and trainings, and realized that, you know, we have such a dynamic and different environment that there's obviously a lot of, you know, the foundation medical side that translates over immediately, but Sure. There's a lot that doesn't. And so, you know, it was Cole Christianson, Daniil Acuto, Brian Kailana who originally founded Right.
Greg Long:BRAG, the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group. And I was quickly asked to come in and start to help teach. And from there, it's grown, you know, a more diverse array of instructors who are experts in each of these Exactly. Fields. And together, we've compiled a curriculum that really focuses on, you know, the surfing environment from two feet all the way up to, you know, the biggest of waves.
Greg Long:And starting last year, I actually took over the organization Exactly. Converted it to a nonprofit. And really looking at It's scaling it's scaling this and making it globally available for everybody. That's my goal within the next five years that on every continent, you know, every Yeah. Surf community Yeah.
Greg Long:You know, go and find a team of instructors who can share this information. Because it absolutely saves lives. Yeah. And I think a big motivation for me is, you know, looking back at my surfing career and knowing a 100% I would still have some of my best friends here if we had only known how to react in emergency situations the way that we do now. Okay.
Greg Long:So a large part is kind of you know honoring them.
Evelyn:Sure.
Greg Long:And hopefully people can learn from our mistakes and our hard learned lessons and not have to deal with them. Yeah. As we kind of did as we're, you know, figuring out what we could actually do, you know, big wave surfing or as we all know, surfing in general Yep. Accidents happen regardless of size of waves.
Evelyn:Oh, yeah. That's cool. I didn't know the history of that and sort of your personal connection, you know, deep connection to that. As anybody who knows me knows like I've taken the BRAG, Surf Safety Summit and I'm not just I haven't I'm not just a participant. Like, I'm a believer, you know.
Evelyn:I think everybody
Greg Long:biggest champions. We always when we see a I'm a believer. Post from the magazine.
Evelyn:Yeah. Yeah. I know. I'm into it.
Greg Long:I'm really into Appreciate it.
Evelyn:So if what like what are you most excited about right now? What's going on in Greg Long's life that that gets you up in the morning?
Greg Long:I still love surfing more than Yeah. More than ever. Mhmm. And Cool. Though I don't do it.
Greg Long:If Yep. Remotely close to as much as I used to. Yeah. I I love it more than ever. And I think it's because I'm not in the water every single day that you know when I do get out there, I appreciate it so much more.
Greg Long:Same with the big wave sessions, you know, I still love surfing big waves, but I'm not, you know, actively chasing you know, swell to swell. Just don't have the desire. But when I do get out there, you know, on those nice beautiful glassy days, which I'm more selective when I'm Sure. You know, paddling out there.
Evelyn:Sure.
Greg Long:I have so much fun. So that's still a huge part of my life. Great. Still wake up in the morning and you know, check the global wave models and just you know out of you know decades old habit. Right?
Greg Long:Love to you know cheer on my friends as they do jump on a flight and you know chase waves around and you know keep up with what's going on. But the majority of my other time is being put towards building the BWRAG organization. This year we're really making a concerted effort to build out a larger instructor instructor team. Cool. And figuring out a sustainable way in which we can, you know, start to bring this to the countries that don't have lifeguards, EMS services, you know, that really need this type of training.
Greg Long:And not just you know, show up one time, teach class Right. And leave but you know, in a way that we can leave that information there which, we just did our first, formal instructor training on Puerto Escondido, which was one of the most rewarding classes that
Evelyn:Oh, that
Greg Long:we've been a part of where Yeah. We brought in 25 of the local surfers, lifeguards, and kind of community leaders and spent a week training with them, know, it's basically a train the trainer, you know, on how to run a class, scale down the curriculum, so they could run it in one day.
Evelyn:Right.
Greg Long:And kind of meet the needs unique to, you know, their geographical region Yeah. Community. And from there, they trained almost 300 people over the course of another week. We sat there kind of overseeing as they took the program and really made it
Evelyn:Ran
Greg Long:made it their own. Yeah. So when we were all wrapped up and everybody got back down to beach together, he said that was one of the most rewarding classes I think I've ever, you know, taught and been a part of. And hopefully building that out, you know, globally. So, you know, and it's hard when I have the vision of, you know, what I see and I want this to
Evelyn:Yeah.
Greg Long:Happen, but understand that, yep. Well, it's scaling. It's a slow process and it's not gonna all happen at once and to be patient with myself and Everybody. Our our whole team to be patient with each other and Yeah. With themselves as well.
Greg Long:So yeah, that that's been very rewarding and then But
Evelyn:like recently, you've been to Peru. Right?
Greg Long:I'm going to Peru next week.
Evelyn:That's what it
Greg Long:is? We just did a class that training in
Evelyn:Mexico. Yeah. Mexico.
Greg Long:We were down in Chile. Taught classes there. That's it. Were in South Africa teaching a class in May. So it's been a lot of traveling, but you know, you can probably see me smiling.
Greg Long:You know, people are always looking at the schedule like that looks like a pretty idyllic surf travel schedule you set for yourself, Greg. Not by chance. So we do have Sure. A lot of fun as we're going there. Obviously, teaching is the number one priority.
Greg Long:Mhmm. But then, know, spending time with the community and surfing and enjoying and, you know, getting to know these regions better we're gonna be coming back again. Anything that you do in life, know, especially you know, work related, you should be having fun as well.
Evelyn:Right. Because that's part of the sustainability factor. Right. Honestly.
Greg Long:Yeah. Energized, showing up for the next class.
Evelyn:Yep. And engaged. Right? Connecting with people and the ocean and the breaks and
Greg Long:Yep.
Evelyn:We I just, you know, I saw that Zicatela, right, just was designated as one of the world's
Greg Long:World's Offering Reserves by Yeah. The waves.
Evelyn:March. Yeah. It would save the waves. Exactly. I mean, I know you were a part of that.
Evelyn:I saw you sort of promoting that effort. Yeah. Like tell me a little bit about how mean, that's a big deal designated like that. And that is a small community Mhmm. To bring that attention to.
Evelyn:Like what what was a little bit of the process that went along
Greg Long:with So that designation is given by organization called Save the Waves. Yeah. And what it really does is help those communities build out a framework for protecting and the conservation of their community and their surfing resources. So understanding the economic value. Yep.
Greg Long:It's really a massive community building initiative and getting everybody to truly understand. And there's a lot of, I think pride in in receiving that to understand that Yeah. Even though, yeah, you were born and raised there as we kind of sometimes do, we take for granted just how special it is that Exactly. The world recognizes where you live, your home as being one of the greatest you know places in the world. And I think that alone instills this, you know, inspiration to
Evelyn:Mhmm.
Greg Long:You know, go above and beyond what they're already doing. And they've been so thoughtful, you know, well before that of trying to manage the, you know, the new development that was
Evelyn:Exactly. Happening Yep.
Greg Long:Especially post COVID to really protect the heart and soul of of their community.
Evelyn:Yes. So,
Greg Long:yeah. That was something that I was championing behind the scenes. Yeah. You know, and really kind of pushing their, you know, their home, you know, to the forefront. Yeah.
Greg Long:Because there are a lot of communities that are submitting applications Exactly. To receive that award. Yeah. And then, you know, the work doesn't stop from there. You know, it only is actually getting busier.
Greg Long:Right? So there are a multitude of you know local you know programs, different regions within Puerto Escondido that they're specifically focusing on you know, protecting and passing you know state and federal policy that you know really puts you know, an iron clad kind of end to Right. The stamp The you know, ecological detriment of their, their home. So so yeah, that's, you know, you're asking before, you know, what I'm you know passionate about in this kind of conservation space and which what brings me out to Montauk here. I have the honor of being recognized by the Surfrider Foundation for decades I've been working alongside, them.
Greg Long:That's kind of the other you know, part and I guess Cool. Of this chapter of my life. You know, really looking at the space that I've created in the you know ocean world through my years of surfing and how I can use that to you know, support organizations Right. Like the Surfrider Foundation, Save the Waves, you know, multitude of others to amplify the work that they're doing. Where I I laugh and, you know, though I'm being recognized, I really don't feel worthy of it because I feel like I am just a messenger of the people who are truly out, you know, in the forefront I hear that.
Greg Long:Doing the heavy lifting and the hard work. You know, so much of what I've done has been at the guidance and advice of the real activists, you know, on the front lines. Yeah. The policy makers, the ones who wake up every single day and you know, ask, okay, what am I doing today to make the world a better place. And unfortunately, we live in a world where people don't tend to listen to those, you know, they want to hear it from somebody that they admire for another reason and, you know, it's
Evelyn:It works.
Greg Long:It's statistical fact that people's minds are persuaded more by, you know, actors, athletes, Right. Entertainers than they are the actual Scientists. Scientists or policy makers. Right? Yeah.
Greg Long:So yeah, I often joke that I'm a, you know, I'm an armchair activist, know, sitting there, you know, tell me where you need to put me in coach and all. Right. Right. Right. But, know, regardless it is, you know, a real honor to be recognized and a big part of, you know, moving forward, really working heavily along Surfrider Foundation to get Nice.
Greg Long:More community engagement. You know, there are millions of surfers out there, and, you know, the more that are involved, the more power we have when we do go back, you know For legislation Yeah. Back to DC, lobbying Mhmm. To actually, you know, move the needle and implement, you know, dramatic policy changes that yeah. I think regardless of where you stand politically, you know, we all love our ocean.
Greg Long:We all love the natural world. You know, that shouldn't be a bipartisan, you know, topic. And to collectively stand together and protect those places that we love for the future generations. So, A lot of time and energy on that and
Evelyn:Cool. Makes a huge difference. Yeah. I have to I have to disagree a little bit with your saying like I'm not the person because everybody needs that person to look up to. Right?
Evelyn:Like it it just helps move people forward in life. And so you know playing a critical role in sort of disseminating that information or being you know, this this sort of point of focus Mhmm. Is is pretty darn important, you know. And it's not like you haven't put your time in. So anyway, just alright.
Evelyn:I have to back I have to back you up even if you won't. Cool. So what I love about Surfrider these days is how like you can join for any amount of money. Like you can become a Surfrider member for $15. Although, it would be nice if it was more, you know.
Evelyn:But in order to get like younger people involved, you know, students and and young athletes and stuff like that, like you can become a Surfrider member for the year for $25 and reap all the benefits that comes with that. And I just think that's the smartest move that I've seen made in any nonprofit in a long long time. And, yeah. I'm excited about it.
Greg Long:Yeah. It really is an invitation for people to just come and join. Yeah. From there, you know, it's
Evelyn:Check it out.
Greg Long:Yeah. You know, the amazing thing that the community that they've built around it, and community is something that I think everybody is is looking for.
Evelyn:Yeah.
Greg Long:It brings such a group of such diverse and amazing people with that shared love and passion, you know. And what I've always seen showing up you know at beach cleanups that you see the people there and those are your people, you know, that obviously have that same love for surfing Love for the beach and and incredible you know, friendships made. Those are the easy on ramps that you know then lead to you know, really understanding what a difference we all can collectively make. You know, there's that belief that you know, what I do by myself, you know, doesn't Right. Matter.
Greg Long:But we're At this yeah. It really is worth this, you know, place and time and facing the ecological challenges because of billions of decisions made by billions of people. You know, it's the accumulation of you know, of everybody's actions, you know, for better or for worse. Right. And we've all contributed to both of those.
Evelyn:Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. Like we're all responsible.
Greg Long:Yeah. Yeah. So to say that, oh what I do doesn't matter. It it absolutely does. It's a little tiny piece of Yeah.
Greg Long:Of the big you know puzzle that you know we're trying to rearrange and and clean up at the moment. So
Evelyn:we all got here together. Right. Like we all drank the single use plastic soda. You know what I mean? Yeah.
Evelyn:We all had a Gatorade at some point. So, yeah. I'm a believer in that. It's like Yeah. We got here together so we gotta get out of this Mhmm.
Evelyn:Together.
Greg Long:The kind of community based conservation initiative and their ability to mobilize, know, at the local level, state level, federal level, and really implement change effectively is is very impressive. And obviously their global Yes. Their global network is second to none in this Yeah. Know, surf ocean conservation space.
Evelyn:In this space until BRAC gets there. Well,
Greg Long:that's what we're, you know, we're hoping to build community in a in a different way.
Evelyn:Of course.
Greg Long:Yeah.
Evelyn:Of course, in the surf safety way, which is which is so fascinating. Yeah. So not necessarily thinking about nonprofits or your work your work. If you had like what would you do if you had a magic wand right now to change something? Like it could be personal.
Evelyn:It could be worldwide. Don't feel don't feel the need, Greg, to go and save the world with your magic wand. But like, you know what I mean? What would you do?
Greg Long:Well, that's what I would obviously go try and try and do. Yeah. So okay. We've we've bypassed Perfect. Yes.
Greg Long:Don't know.
Evelyn:Yeah.
Greg Long:That's a really good question. What would I do if I could just change anything right now? Well, I guess it without sounding too cliche and along the same line of like, save the world, world peace. Yeah, people just understand that we are one human family. And you know, I I think a big challenge is that we've become so disconnected from nature and the natural world.
Greg Long:And understanding that we're not separate from it even though we've kind of adopt this mentality that we need to be controlling every everything and we're better than the understanding that we're just another animal here trying to exist and we've been gifted the ability to really change and manipulate, you know, things. Yep. Right. Sadly, oftentimes for the worse.
Evelyn:Negative. Yep.
Greg Long:So if anything, it would just be the gift of allowing people to reconnect with nature and kind of feel like they are a part of it and not separate. And simultaneously, know, we are a part of it you know, together. You know, the Well, won't go too down the rabbit hole of, you know, we see the separation that we've created, not just from nature, but from one another Yeah. Know, based on Social ideology. Yeah.
Greg Long:I mean, the multitude of things, but Mhmm. You know, ideologies, political affiliation, you know Geography. Geography, you know, that we're all just The big picture, Hopefully trying to coexist peacefully on a you know, incredible planet with an abundance of resources and figuring out a way to do so collectively. So I guess in prefacing that I wasn't gonna say, I wanna save the world. That would be my magic wand stroke and brush to repaint the way we exist together.
Evelyn:Yeah. It's a good one. You know, I am I'm right now I'm taking this workshop called Ocean Therapy Healing Program with Sophie Pines. Okay. She's out in California there and I love it.
Evelyn:And it's about sort of just bringing people experiences of the water because it has so many positive psychological, emotional, physical benefits. And one of the daily homeworks we have is to spend twenty three minutes connecting, consciously connecting to the water. And twenty three minutes was coined by you know doctor the blue mind. Yeah.
Greg Long:Was a dear friend and a mentor.
Evelyn:Yeah. I I am Anyway, you want to talk about what else I'm passionate about? It's that. But I've So I've been doing this now like, you know, I'm pretty connected to the water anyway, but this idea of having a like going to the water to greet it, to be with it, to experience it, to allow it to experience me. Wow.
Evelyn:It's just really shifted my mindset. Mhmm. You know? And I I think people need to consciously connect to nature. You know?
Evelyn:And then connect to the person who's also doing that. Because guess what? You're like minded. Yep. You know?
Evelyn:Mhmm. Yeah. It's just it's been such a powerful practice and it has in internally affected like my parasympathetic nervous system. And my thoughts have sort of leveled a bit. Yeah.
Evelyn:It's been a a powerful practice. Do you do anything like that? Are you like if you get I I'm sure as any surfer knows, if you spend too much time on land, your gills get dry and then you're grumpy. Right? So But like is there anything you do to just sort of stay water based?
Greg Long:So in a perfect world, I would obviously stay water based.
Evelyn:Yeah. Yeah. Surf every day.
Greg Long:I don't need to surf every day. And I actually prefer not to surf every day. When I was younger, it was without question. Full on. I would get in regardless of conditions.
Greg Long:I find that if I surf every day, I It's kind of like that lot of diminishing return.
Evelyn:Right. Right? Yeah.
Greg Long:So I find that if I do have those little breaks, and hopefully it's not for more than a couple days that you know, when I when I do get in the water, you know, it is that like, oh my gosh, this is the most Right. Glorious thing. I've missed it so much. Yeah. And then, you know, you obviously go longer than that and I did Man, I was just out of the water from surfing for for a year, having reconstructive knee surgery.
Greg Long:Okay. It's the longest I've ever been out of the water.
Evelyn:Hell yeah.
Greg Long:And when I got back in surfing again this year, it was just it's like being that, you know, kid again.
Evelyn:Frothy Yeah. But
Greg Long:anyways, if I'm not in the ocean, you know, I do obviously prefer to, you know, place myself in quiet spaces surrounded by nature if possible. Yeah. Okay. Obviously, life and the world and work, you know, takes you to some, you know, hectic spots at times. Mhmm.
Greg Long:Especially as you're, you know, traveling, transiting through cities. But, always taking that moment first thing in the morning to just sit and be, you know, sitting here in, you know beautiful Montauk, came out here, watched the sunrise over the Mhmm. You know, Back Bay Lagoon here and
Evelyn:Mhmm. Mhmm.
Greg Long:You know, listen to the reeds, blowing the wind which you might be able to pick up in the back of our podcast and, yeah. That twenty thirty minutes was just a nice, you know, reset and
Evelyn:Reconnect.
Greg Long:Reconnect, you know, before the day gets underway. So usually, I always try and make at least one or two moments like that, typically morning and evening, know. Yeah. Kinda set the intention for the day and then, you know, close it out and, Yeah. And if I can be in the water, you know, doing something active out in nature in between, but it
Evelyn:But you learn. Right? You learn to Yeah. Navigate. Exactly.
Evelyn:Yeah. Yeah. That's nice. Yeah. That's really
Greg Long:Doesn't always happen in that perfect, sequential order. Right. But, yeah. That's kind of my way regardless of where I'm at. As I've gotten older, I learned to just, you know, appreciate being being everywhere.
Greg Long:Yeah.
Evelyn:Yeah.
Greg Long:If I am you know stuck in the city. Yeah. Yeah. The admiration for you know, the hustle that people are putting into like going after whatever you know goals they have and you know, when I'm there it's you know, the reminder of okay, this isn't meant for me and it makes me it makes me love and long for those places. Now lucky I am that I can you know You have whatever period of time I can you know exit this and go you know back and reconnect you know be somewhere you know quieter and
Evelyn:That's great.
Greg Long:Oceans, mountains, know, whatever it is to you know be able to sit and just enjoy and appreciate it. Yeah. Yeah. There's magic, you know, all around if you know where to look for it.
Evelyn:Yeah. That's the truth. Any good books you're reading recently? What's on your playlist? Like
Greg Long:Gosh. My playlist. You know, it's funny is I've never really understood the way that some people become so obsessed with a particular band that they're, you know, following them around watching them all the time. Totally. I feel like I'm on the verge of becoming one of those.
Evelyn:Oh, no.
Greg Long:Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Yeah. Goose, the jam band. Yeah.
Greg Long:Yeah. So I've always been a big jam band fan. Grew up listening to the Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic. Yep. Love Fish.
Greg Long:Mhmm. And Yeah. Here here's kind of a new, you know, up and coming emerging one in the last few Yeah. Years and you know, every time I'm in the vicinity of being able to go see them live, it's it's a really fun show.
Evelyn:That's
Greg Long:cool. And I'll Yeah. Starting to go out of my way a little bit to see them more often. So yeah, and playlists, yeah, that's some music I've been listening to a lot lately. And yes, kinda feel like most time is really filled, know, working on the BWRAG organization, working pretty full time for Patagonia product development, you know, fronts.
Greg Long:So, yeah,
Evelyn:it's Busy. Busy. Yeah. Busy.
Greg Long:Yeah. Feel like, you know, it's like coming into the stage there was you know, a few years ago where I was like, I wanna slow down, travel less, you know, be in one place more. The world has just taken me in a complete opposite, you know, more time on the road, you know, jumping around, more time on the computer working. I heard that. But having a lot of fun, you know, and Yeah.
Greg Long:Learning a lot, you know, being challenged and pushed a lot in the process, which is I feel like one of the important things we, you know, should be doing in life.
Evelyn:Is learning
Greg Long:Yeah.
Evelyn:Growing
Greg Long:Yeah.
Evelyn:Getting challenged. Yeah. I agree with that, you know. And and as long as you have your intention to bring yourself back to those moments, right? Then hopefully we grow we grow forward with grace.
Greg Long:Yes. You
Evelyn:know, so Yeah. Wow. This has been amazing.
Greg Long:Thank you.
Evelyn:Thank you. I
Greg Long:And I'm really glad that we didn't talk about big wave surfing.
Evelyn:Yeah. That was my that was my whole intention. Yeah.
Greg Long:So thank thank you for not.
Evelyn:Yeah. Well, we've been the people have been there. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.
Evelyn:Yeah. I No. I'm interested
Greg Long:appreciate having conversations that, you know, transcend
Evelyn:Well, this is the work. Yeah. You know, like that's the that's the fun. And this but this is also such an interesting time, know, for BRAG, for you, for these organizations that you you stand up for, you know, in this next issue of the mag that's coming out next month in September. We have a beautiful article by Miles Masterson
Greg Long:Oh yeah.
Evelyn:About the whole protect the West Coast of South Africa organization. And anyway, you just brought all of that like all the visuals. I can see the layout and and just his passion. Uh-huh. You know, the same It's the It's We're all the same.
Evelyn:Yeah. You know? But to have the ability to have impact is the gift. Yeah. Right?
Evelyn:So, anyway, big wave surfing, surf safety, rescue programs, you know, protecting the environment. Sounds like a good life, Greg.
Greg Long:I'm very fortunate and blessed to be living the life that I am.
Evelyn:Yeah. No. I'm really Thank you for taking
Greg Long:so many amazing people along the way.
Evelyn:Yeah. Yeah. Well, thanks for taking the time to Of course. Really appreciate you. Absolutely.
Evelyn:We hope you enjoyed this episode of On Water. We certainly love bringing the myriad and diverse group of characters from our water community to you to share their experiences. If you enjoyed what you heard, please like, share, and subscribe to this podcast. This podcast grows out of the publication of our quarterly print magazine, Session. Session celebrates the ways in which we all, as water lovers, engage in our world's aquatic playgrounds, from surfing to foiling, kiting, stand up paddling, and more.
Evelyn:We encourage you to visit our website at www.session-magazine.com. We'll see you next time. Thanks for listening.