Quiksilver skateboarder and yogi Reese Forbes.

I’m a southern California girl, which means I grew up skateboarding and body surfing. I didn’t pick up a surfboard until later in life but when I rode my first wave in Hanalei Bay on Kauai, I quickly realized all those years of Chataranga Dandasana (Four-Limb Staff Pose) and Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose) prepared me for that sweet moment.

The folks at Quiksilver and Yoga Works have also figured out the connection between board sports and yoga. That’s why they're hosting a free “Yoga for Surfers” class every Saturday at 10 a.m. until August 25th at the Quiksilver Edition Mission on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice.

Last weekend, skateboarder Reese Forbes joined the group for a well-balanced hour class led by Yoga Works program director Julie Kleinman. Kleinman, who always braves the chilly Los Angeles swells in a wet suit says, “I really believe I was able to pick up surfing faster because yoga gave me the upper body strength, endurance and balance I needed.”

To prepare for board sports, Kleinman recommends balance poses, like Vrksasana (Tree Pose) or Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) and core strength builders like Navasana (Boat Pose). When it comes to upper-body boosters like Chataranga, Kleinman says, “If you don’t use your core, you’ll never be able to stay standing.” Also crucial are shoulder openers like Dolphin Pose and passive backbends.

For Forbes, Bikram yoga gave him the ability to trust his body again after he blew out his knee. He also realized there was much more to the practice than the poses. “In skating a lot of the stuff we do requires that we constantly challenge ourselves. It’s kind of the same in yoga. You may not think you can do it but eventually you come to a place where you’re not over-thinking, you're just doing." And that's when you can really enjoy the ride.