I am always excited about a surfing road trip and the Garden Route is one of my favourite destinations.For the first time in 27 years the SA Longboard Surfing Championships are being held in Mossel Bay.The Eden Longboard Surfing Association is hosting the championships, consisting of 16 divisions ranging from under-14s to legends, encompassing surfers aged from 11 to 69.One of Cape Town's longboard surfing "style masters", Alfonso Peters, has been surfing the championships for the past 12 years, and I asked him what kept him coming back."The vibe is so mellow. Longboarding is really the soul of surfing," he said.What makes Alfonso's surfing journey even more special is that he grew up in Manenberg and doesn't have a typical surfing background.For many of us Alfonso's approach to riding the perfect wave can be equated to "life's sometimes smooth and often bumpy ride".As Alf points out, we can all learn valuable lessons from surfing: respect yourself, respect others and respect your environment. Always remember to find your rhythm and have fun.Alfonso has his sights set on Sunday's finals.The championships give us all an opportunity to keep in touch with what really matters in life.Cape Town surf will be 1ft to 2ft waves tomorrow and Sunday. Head to the Atlantic coast for offshore surf and playful waves...