Nature, Presence, Love: A Formula For Life by Rocco

Rocco is our guy…

Late last year Whalebone was fortunate enough to meet Ben, Sara and Rocco and lend us not only their time but their’s and Rocco’s story. Also known as the day we decided Whalebone needed to get their message out into the world.

Nature, Presence, Love is the visionary formula that Rocco Intonato taught his father, Ben, in the waves of Montauk over the past 11 years during their surfing journey together. It is the formula that inspired an entire beach, an award-winning documentary, and now a mission to help others in need to heal, find joy and connect with the miracle that is nature.

The formula can be used anywhere. It is a call back to nature and its therapeutic abilities to heal and lift up anyone in need. Go into nature with someone that needs you, be present, and find the love within yourself and together.

A man, child and woman are walking hand in hand down a sandy beach next to the ocean during the sunset. The man and child have brown hair and are wearing black wetsuits The woman has blonde hair and is wearing a mauve pink coat.
A man with long, curly brown hair kneeling on a surf board out int he water helping balance a young boy in a black and blue wetsuit standing on the same surf board.

Rocco Up is a short film to be released later this year that will follow along as Rocco blooms under the motto of “nature, presence and love” all through the lens of unconditional family support and a couple of good surfs.

“From Ditch Plains Productions, “the award-winning, game-changing documentary directed by John Madere, is a true tale of limitless family love, the stoke of community support, and the neuroscience behind our enchantment with water.  Rocco is a nonverbal child with autism who has a pure, inspiring love of surf and the magic of our precious ocean. The documentary has already begun changing the world on its current film festival tour.”

Whalebone kindly asked Rocco if he wouldn’t mind spreading his message with our audience in the form of music, part of his journey has also evolved his love for music and so for a few select issues of Whalebone Magazine, Rocco will be curating a Spotify playlist just for you, but first, a quick word from the man himself:

For more, follow along at @roccoupfilm and roccoup.com