--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We grew up quickly, surrounded by guys…" description: "\"We grew up quickly, surrounded by guys eighteen and older, in their prime. They lived to surf, drink, raise hell and score heavily with women. I saw th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/greg-noll-49785_coast_we-grew-up-quickly-surrounded-by-guys-ei_1824703.png" --- # We grew up quickly, surrounded by guys eighteen and older… ![“We grew up quickly, surrounded by guys eighteen and older, in their prime. They lived to surf, drink, raise hell and score heavily with women. I saw these guys going up and down the coast on surf trips, drinking and bagging girls, and all I could think of was 'What a neat life!'” quote by Greg Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/greg-noll-49785_coast_we-grew-up-quickly-surrounded-by-guys-ei_1824703.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/greg-noll-49785_coast_we-grew-up-quickly-surrounded-by-guys-ei_1824703.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5f/greg-noll-49785_coast_we-grew-up-quickly-surrounded-by-guys-ei_1824703.png) > “We grew up quickly, surrounded by guys eighteen and older, in their prime. They lived to surf, drink, raise hell and score heavily with women. I saw these guys going up and down the coast on surf trips, drinking and bagging girls, and all I could think of was 'What a neat life!'” [Greg Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-noll/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes youthful, reckless surf culture and admiration for a carefree lifestyle. **In simple terms:** Youthful freedom and reckless fun. Key Takeaway Reflect on the costs of a hedonistic lifestyle. Themes youth freedom recklessness surf culture Mood nostalgic critical Type reflective cautionary When to use this quote - college life - vacation - party scenes Key Concepts masculinity risk taking Questions to Reflect On - What values are missing in this lifestyle? - How does this affect long‑term wellbeing? A Different Perspective May romanticize harmful behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hell/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Up and down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up-and-down/) ## Related quotes > [As the only girl growing up for a long time with only boys, as you pointed out, it seems like I was always surrounded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/as-the-only-girl-growing-up-for-a-long-time-with-only-boys-as-you/) [Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/) > [After becoming established as a surfboard manufacturer and surf film producer whose films were shown on TV, all of a sudden all the teachers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-noll/after-becoming-established-as-a-surfboard-manufacturer-and-surf-film/) [Greg Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-noll/) > [Writing is pretty flexible work, don't you think? 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It was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-carter/the-experience-of-seeing-a-surf-movie-in-the-1970s-as-a-teenager-and/) [Chris Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-carter/) > [People laughed at me for setting up a surf shop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hobart-alter/people-laughed-at-me-for-setting-up-a-surf-shop/) [Hobart Alter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hobart-alter/) > [When I moved to L.A. in 1989, the very first thing I did was this horrific pilot called To Protect And Surf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-haden-church/when-i-moved-to-l-a-in-1989-the-very-first-thing-i-did-was-this/) [Thomas Haden Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haden-church/) > [I box a lot, I spin and I surf. I try to mix it up. 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What matters is when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/we-re-all-trying-to-get-to-the-same-island-whether-you-swim-fly-surf-2/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [An FBI agent ought to be able to surf the net and look for sites that instruct people how to make bombs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/an-fbi-agent-ought-to-be-able-to-surf-the-net-and-look-for-sites-that/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [We’re all trying to get to the same island, whether you swim, fly, surf, or skydive in, it doesn’t matter. What matters is when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-seinfeld/we-re-all-trying-to-get-to-the-same-island-whether-you-swim-fly-surf/) [Jerry Seinfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-seinfeld/) > [I thought I would come to Australia and learn to surf. Instead, I learned to walk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bari-weiss/i-thought-i-would-come-to-australia-and-learn-to-surf-instead-i/) [Bari Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bari-weiss/) > [You cant stop the waves but you can learn to surf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cant-stop-the-waves-but-you-can-learn-to-surf/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Tell me what it's like. The race." "What it's like is a battle. A mess of horses and men and blood. The fastest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/tell-me-what-it-s-like-the-race-what-it-s-like-is-a-battle-a-mess-of/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) ## More by Greg Noll > [It took me longer to get through this site, than to get outside at Waimea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-noll/it-took-me-longer-to-get-through-this-site-than-to-get-outside-at/) [Greg Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-noll/) > [With some guys, drugs became a way of life. They went through tremendous personality changes, or they died. Drugs didn't do them any good.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-noll/with-some-guys-drugs-became-a-way-of-life-they-went-through/) [Greg Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-noll/) > [I didn't want to be like a punch-drunk fighter, going around and reliving the big moment...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-noll/i-didn-t-want-to-be-like-a-punch-drunk-fighter-going-around-and/) [Greg Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-noll/) > [I'd love to say something heroic. I'd love to say we made history. But basically it was a bunch of guys parked around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-noll/i-d-love-to-say-something-heroic-i-d-love-to-say-we-made-history-but/) [Greg Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-noll/) > [People turned around and came back to watch. An enormous crowd formed. Ampol Oil took films. 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It chilled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-james-audubon/from-the-top-of-a-high-rock-i-obtained-a-good-few-of-the-most/) [John James Audubon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-james-audubon/) > [I met a genius on the train today about 6 years old, he sat beside me and as the train ran down along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/i-met-a-genius-on-the-train-today-about-6-years-old-he-sat-beside-me/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) Browse all 719 Coast quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We grew up quickly, surrounded by guys eighteen and older, in their prime. They lived to surf, drink, raise hell and score heavily with women. 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