Jewish surfing legend Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz died last week at age 93. The Stanford-educated physician is credited with introducing surfing to Israel and perhaps the wider Middle East, albeit in a most unusual way. He featured in the 2007 documentary film “Surfwise” which captured his eccentric life and parenting style - like raising his nine children in a 24-foot camper. Is his long life a credit to his free-thinking credo, or to the magical powers of surfing?
In 1956, Paskowitz left his medical practice and his family for a year of solo travel in Israel. An avid surfer, he brought six longboards in hopes of cobbling together an Israeli surf team. His connection to Israel was lasting. He returned several times and, in 2007, co-founded a non-profit organization called Surfing 4 Peace to support the sport in Gaza. Paskowitz hoped that cooperation in surfing could help bring about a calmer regional groove.
Coastal Arabs had been playing in the waves for centuries. As early as the 8th Century, fishermen had developed a flat, wide boat-board hybrid called a “hasake” for angling close to shore. It was later adopted as a life-saving vessel for modern lifeguards, which evolved into stand-up paddleboarding - now the dominant surf sport in the calm waters of the Red Sea and the Gulf.
Rabid surfers persist in exploring for surfing sweet spots, with astonishing discoveries of barrels and breaks in the most unlikely Middle East places. Californian surfer Stephen Nussbaum travelled here in 2007, and blogged about his adventure at “Castles Made of Sand.” Sure, the surf was fun, but the cultural awakening? Priceless.
Surfing demands complete harmonization with nature. Surfers know that a shared love of the sport can similarly forge bonds with disparate peoples. There is no room for distraction when riding a wave. Everything is in the moment. The payoff is joy. That’s a strategy worth trying on many levels. Come on Middle East, surf’s up!
