Science & SkepticismThe Glide 

Gliding Sports From The Perspective Of Applied Phenomenology*

However much we may enjoy sitting on our boards and contemplating the ocean, or duck diving unbroken waves, or chatting with our mates in the parking lot, that’s not why we surf. We surf to ride walls of water. We surf to feel the glide.

“In gliding sports, there is the quest for extended, effortless and balanced movement in interaction with nature — it is a quest for joy and freedom,” says Sigmund Loland, an avid skier and professor of Sports Philosophy and Ethics at The Norwegian School of Sports Science in Oslo, Norway. In his latest paper, Into the Glidescape: an outline of gliding sports from the perspective of applied phenomenology, Loland and his colleague, Åsa Bäckström, examined the nature of what the French call sports de glisse — practices of gliding on snow, ice, water, and through air — in an attempt to understand and describe the subjective experiences of those who seek the glide.

Scrutinising different sources of information — from empirical descriptions of first-person accounts, neuro-physiological analysis, movement studies, and reviews of sports culture — the duo identified a set of unique experiential qualities, a common thread between these gliding sports, that formed what they named ‘glidescape’ — a perceptual field in which “practitioners not only inhabit, create, and transform their environment but also undergo personal transformations.”

The first feature of the glidescape, Movement rhythm, is described as the efficient ordering of movement elements in time and space (e.g. an alpine skier floats from turn to turn); from a phenomenological viewpoint, this rhythm, which is broken down into phases, is an embodied habit or traces in the body formed from past activities, allowing us to respond effectively to the environment. “Most gliding sports imply a phase of explosive power followed by extensive phases of effortless and balanced gliding,” says Loland. “To the surfer, the pop-up is followed by the extensive and effortless ride on the wave.” This rhythmic contrast between explosive efforts and smooth gliding, in turn, contributes to the specific kind of pleasure derived from gliding activities. “Psycho-physiological studies of movement rhythms show interesting connections to human affection and emotion,” Loland adds. “Explosive rhythms connote abrupt change and power and aggression, and floating rhythms connote smoothness and pleasure. Gliding sports include both!”

Seeing that successful gliding relies on acute sensing of the constantly changing surface/air in which it takes place, Fine-tuned proprioceptive material sensitivity came up as another fundamental quality among gliding sports. “Good skiing is the optimisation of the frictional forces arising between the skis and the snow,” Loland notes. “The skis are a prolongation of the body through which good skiers sense the surface, which is why they spend hours and days adapting boots and bindings — the material is developed into extended sense organs.” In much the same way, experienced surfers adeptly 'read' the water and engage in detailed adjustments to their equipment, transforming surfboards into an extension of their senses. “This is not just a brain activity,” highlights Loland, speaking of the ability to ‘switch on’ one’s material sensitivity. “It is immediate, and, at the same time, a habitual and embodied perception of what is going on. In the gliding phase, experienced surfers operate in a zone in which the body, the board, and the wave merge into one unified dynamic movement.”

The study unveiled the concept of Ecological resonance as the third quality, describing it as a process of dynamic and spontaneous ‘ecologization’. As Loland explains, this is when practitioners transcend a narrow experience of ‘self’ and become what is sometimes described as ecological selves and ‘knots in the ecological web of life’. In the case of surfing, wave riding offers surfers a unique opportunity for ecological resonance, given that it requires them to be attuned to the constantly changing nature of the sea. “The successful riding of a wave is entering an embodied micro-ecosystem of balanced and harmonious interaction where distinctions between the body, the board, and the wave are transcended and, for a few moments, surfers are in material resonance with the ocean," Loland adds. “We hypothesise that such experiences cultivate a person’s ecological sense. In other words, nature gliding sports, such as surfing and skiing, can cultivate ecological consciousness.”

The last quality described in the paper is Authenticity and freedom, namely how seeking these rare moments of effortless movement, and facing the challenges and risks that come with it, gives us a different and meaningful way to explore the world, enhancing the feeling of empowerment and making us more aware of vital freedom. In surfing, riding a wave can be a moment where surfers experience a unique and immediate sense of authenticity and freedom as they claim their potential and act with tenacity in the face of dynamic and unpredictable conditions. “Different from many other sports, surfing involves strenuous efforts to facilitate gliding and long waiting periods: paddling out, sitting or lying patiently on the board waiting for the right opportunity, etc.,” says Loland. “So perhaps the successful pop-up and following gliding provide particularly strong experiential qualities of release and freedom.”

More than defining the act of gliding, the study sought to provide detailed and rich descriptions of how practitioners experience and make sense of it. According to Loland, bridging this gap between theoretical understanding and practical applications can, in turn, reveal valuable insights that not only help develop a sense of the value of the sport but may also be useful for designing interventions, improving practices, or informing policy in areas where a deep understanding of human experience is essential.

When asked about the potential roles gliding sports might play in the future of sports culture and industry, Loland says he sees them as part of an emerging and strong sports paradigm in which the standardised and quantifiable ideals of Olympic sports are challenged. “Most gliding sports imply close contact with nature,” he adds. “Performances are complex with elements of individual creativity and aesthetics, and they are ecologically sound and meet future requirements on sustainable practice to a larger extent than many other sports.”

*Phenomenology is a philosophy and study of subjective, conscious experience