Duotone Magazin No.01 2019

P o w e r Sou r ces of I love sport and enjoy different games. Golf is quite relaxing in some ways but mentally challenging, it allows me to totally shut off from my normal world on the beach and still challenge myself, it is sometimes very frustrating but rewarding when it goes well. Being so focused and driven by competition it is the focus and technical precision involved with golf that relates so well for me. Whilst being similar mentally in these ways to kiteboarding, golfing is in a more relaxed and quiet environment, and is physically far less demanding. I have to say from the start I am not a great golfer, I got into it more recently and do not have a handicap yet. I probably play once or twice a week when I am home. It is more the experience and progression involved that attracts me to it. At home in the UK I am lucky to have a few golf courses down the road and there are lots of different courses available close by. It is really quick and easy to be on the course and with the long evenings in the summer I can always make some time to play. I will spend plenty of days at the driving range, short courses and 9 holes, sometimes 18. I like the pressure of performing at a proper English course. Luckily quite a few friends also play enough, Lewis, Tom, Sam Light, James Boulding and friends of theirs too. I guess it is quite normal to have some sort of game if you are from the UK. Also when I go away sometimes we find a local course if there is no wind and in South Africa there are a few that are fun and readily available. With anything I do there are good and bad days, with kiting sometimes it doesn’t work out but because I have done it so much I am always fully prepared and I can iron out the problems simply because I am so invested. With a new sport it is always hard and golf can go wrong 100% from the start and seem impossible to put right. Even when it clicks it can be hard to know why but that is part of the reason I love learning new things. If there is any way to gain mental strength then I think golf is an incredible tool. The focus involved in every single hit is hard to keep. Different swings with different clubs and just the endurance involved to the end is crazy. You really have to reset every time over the duration of hours. Being able to shut off from water sports and disappear for a day can be cleansing; it is nice to reset and focus the mind on something, but in a relaxed and social environment.  “If there is any way to gain mental strength then I think golf is an incredible tool.” AARON HADLOW P RO R I D ER Photos: Sam Scadgell T R U E 31 T R U E 30 S O U R C E S O F P O W E R