Brad Symington, Kitesurfer—Living the Life of his Dream
Scientologist Brad Symington has a dream job. Whether skimming the waves or soaring above them the kitesurfing virtuoso has transformed his passion into his profession. His profile is one of 200 “Meet a Scientologist” videos on the Scientology website at Scientology.org
In a video featured on the new Scientology Video Channel at www.scientology.org, it is clear life is a game to Scientologist Brad Symington—a game he is winning.
Symington has the dream job of teaching students 12 to 60 to kitesurf, an extreme water sport that combines the speed of surfing with the freedom and exhilaration of paragliding. And it’s as much fun for him as it is for them.
“I’ve spent thousands of hours showing people how to do this crazy sport and I still love every minute of it,” Symington says.
Symington, 38, and wife Katie run a bed and breakfast for water sport enthusiasts called “The Kite’s Nest” overlooking famous Table Mountain on Sunset Beach in Cape Town, South Africa.
Scientology has helped him pull off a dream-profession and live life to its fullest.
Symington learned about Scientology from a fellow surfer.
“We started chatting, became friends and he introduced me to Scientology. That was 12 years ago and it actually changed my life,” says Symington.
“I used to wake up in the morning and wonder why I was getting out of bed, what I could do next to have some fun. Sometimes it was good, sometimes it was bad. Through Scientology my outlook on life has changed to a much more positive attitude.”
Enrolling on a course in Study Technology developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, Symington learned that the secret of teaching a practical skill is to do it by gradients—breaking down a complex set of actions into simple steps and making sure the student masters each step before going on to the next.
“It helped me become one of the better instructors in the kitesurfing industry,” he says. “I use this technique all the time.”
He tells the story of one student who was eager to learn to kitesurf, but when it came to starting she was so nervous and afraid, she couldn’t bring herself to get in the water.
“I could have said to her, ‘Okay, cool, put your kite down,’ and it would have ended there,” says Symington. “But she would have been really disappointed with herself.
“Using the communication skills I’ve learned in Scientology, I got her to tell me what was worrying her and got her to go into the water. Then using the gradient approach I had her do a ‘body drag’—a simple technique of lying on your stomach and letting the kite drag you along in the water without standing up.
“She was absolutely ecstatic and so thankful that I hadn’t given up on her. She loves the sport and kitesurfs all the time now.”
Symington also studied Mr. Hubbard’s administrative technology and when he qualified as a kitesurfing instructor, he used this knowledge to establish and run a school that became one of the most popular of its kind in the world.
It is second nature now for Symington to use Scientology in every aspect of his life—in his work, his marriage and raising his two young boys.
Whether kitesurfing in 50-knot winds or completing a record-breaking 14-hour circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight by SUP (Stand Up Paddle surfing—paddling while standing up on a surfboard), he takes it to the limit.
Symington sums it up: “It’s a real understanding of what life’s about that gives me the ability to push things to the edge, know where the edge is and sometimes go over the edge but doing it with safety and still having fun at the same time.”
View Brad Symington’s video at www.scientology.org.
The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.
A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, which has now been viewed by millions of visitors.