Surf, a beautiful showcase of how movement can be mastered into elegance. A game that is so simple to understand yet so complex in its technicalities that it has fostered a community that has lasted over twenty years through creativity, improvement, and innovation. No other game can make you have the determination to be faster than yourself by thousandths of a second, or complete something only hundreds have done before you. When you finally do achieve that goal after tens of hours of running the same few seconds of triangles, tunnels, spinners, and whatever other technical structures you'll see on your surfing journey, you will feel great success, will truly appreciate yourself for your mastery, the work of the maps creator, and the engineering of the Source engine.

But before I even explain the art of surf, I must discuss the digital world wonder that is the Source engine. I have lived my whole life playing on this masterfully crafted piece of software and even after it has been long abandoned by its creators, it still lies as one of the best places for small communities to be born. They may become giants to the world stage as with Counter Strike or Titanfall which millions of people enjoy, or they may become subcultures of subcultures of subcultures with only a few dedicated fans.

There is truly nothing that compares to it. Source isn't just that though. It is a surreal place to be. You may have heard the term "liminal space" used online. A transition place, where you know something is meant to be different, but it just feels a bit off. Maybe it is nostalgic and comforting, or eerie and confusing. It is almost as if the entire software is a liminal space, though this may be due nostalgia speaking. Low resolution textures and unique comforting lighting, with the blocky, sharp edged geometry and the knowledge that map is just you in a box, create a somewhat cozy feeling that can only be experienced. It makes you wish these places were real.

However, where the Source engine shines the most in my eyes, is in its physics engine, or to be more specific, its movement mechanics. Surf, Bhop, Rocketjump, StickyJump Conc, Slide, kz... none of these could be possible without the phenomenon of strafing. Strafing allows for players to fully control their movement (with a high enough sv_airaccelerate value at least), something many other games which are specifically movement based struggle with. They usually limit movement for balancing issues, or don't have a community mapping scene.

I now want to go back to Surf (and if you want to read this as Bhop then it still applies, the game modes share almost all skill sets and actually combine mechanics on many maps.). It is the game I had always been searching for in life. Fast paced movement and constant engagement, but you can take a break whenever you want, nobody's waiting for you. A small welcoming community which shares knowledge, skills, and creativity to make some of the most enjoyable and artistic maps created which when completed can be worn like a trophy. The ability to let my mind be free of the real world just for a few moments to focus on something so simple and engaging, the stress just melts away.

Its almost like a drug, and in fact, is very addicting. No game can make me get lost in my own mind with visualization, coordination, and memory. My love for these sets of triangles has gotten so far that I have dreamed them, even made whole courses in my head and written them down in hopes I will one day also master the hammer editor. I can see ramps that could be, the smooth flow of the map, and the satisfying finish. I can make maps in real time in my mind like a musician can imagine music and I love it, with that creative obsession I will never be bored.

Thanks to the surf community for being one of the most welcoming and most dedicated group of people I have ever met. Thanks to all the server hosts and the people who donate, allowing them to be maintained and improved. Thank you to the artistic creators who have spent years mastering their works to be a casual tier 1-2 or a more formidable 3-4, and for the dedicated, 5+. Thanks to geniuses at Valve for making millions of people childhoods and hobbies. You people make my day, every day.

See you on the triangles!
KSF US main server connect command (paste in console): connect 74.91.123.51