1/ I live on the beach, anon, in front of a surf break. There’s a reef with a well-known, consistent left. And when winter storms roll through and it’s breaking far outside, some pretty serious dudes come by.

2/ The local crew has studied this spot for ages and treat it like it’s the only wave they will ever care about. Sometimes, they still spend hours studying it from the cliffs before paddling out. It’s their life: they’re maximalists.

3/ In the winter, the serious dudes, who live far away, appear out of nowhere just hours before a swell rolls in. How do they do it? They’re professionals: they’ve mapped out every wave around, they consistently monitor weather patterns & have the resources to arrive on time.

4/ On a big day, it’s interesting to see the pecking order evolve. The local guys know the takeoff spots and get early waves. The serious dudes recognize patterns fast and, once they have their markers, it’s really no contest. On a good day, though, the whole lineup is gmi.

5/ A guy named Mike just bought the house next to mine. I’m not sure about Mike: he talks a lot and is a little too flashy for my taste. I was watching my new neighbor the other day. Without studying the ocean at all, he sprinted across the sand, board under arm.

6/ The tide was wrong & Mike missed the obvious channel. He spent the next 20 minutes eating shit before finally making it out. But he was 200 meters too far to the left. I shook my head and went inside. Later, I saw him paddling in looking miserable and exhausted.

7/ Mike aped into the ocean like it was the hot shitcoin. As he was coming back across the beach, he smiled at me and yelled “you should have seen the waves I was catching out there man! Come out later and I’ll show you!”

8/ Anon, if you’re dedicated, you can just be a maximalist: choose a decent spot & you’ll do fine. If you have the skills and the resources, maybe you can be a pro. Or maybe you’re like me, and you’re happy to catch a few waves & soak up the energy of the ocean.

9/9 But whatever you do, don’t be like Mike. And for the love of god, don’t follow him into the water. Mike is getting held under. Mike is busted on the reef. Mike is ngmi. Surfing can be pretty hard. Anon, you didn’t think crypto was going to be easier, did you?