If you were invisible, and could travel back to any time period in surfing`s history, with the absolute power to permanently alter its original course… when and what might you be tempted to change?
If I could go back andchange something, I would like to change the evolution of surf fasion…not becaue I care so much about it, but I would try and plant some seeds of utter UNCOOLNESS in so much that surfings image would not be one of extreme trendiness…no, no-one would want that surfer image…people wouldn’t want to be associated with us due to the fact that we were so lame. People who didn’t try surfing for sake of fun, would never even consider picking up a surfboard…or hanging out with those KOOKS down at the beach! In turn, there would be far fewer people dropping in. If it meant that we never got better wetsuits, never saw surfing on ESPN or never had anything but single fin 50 lb longboards to play on, I would be okay with it. I hate to be an elitist, but I culd surely do without some of the BS I see and endure in the water.
I’d go back to the early 1970’s and uninvent the leash. If people still paid the price of a long swim after a wipeout there would be less people surfing today.
i agree with tuna regarding the whole leash thing. -steve
i agree with tuna regarding the whole leash thing.>>> -steve>>>>>>>>>>>How about going back to the 20s,LongBeach,Ca.I would have liked to have surfed a cleaner LosAngeles River Mouth(I have some pics of L.B.in the 1930s),and stopped the construction of the federal breakwall.YEA!!!>>>>>>>>>>Then DanaPoint…Then Stanley’s Dinner…Then The Atomic Bowl…Then…Herb.
what about the newport harbor? that used to be a great spot too (before the jetty was put in). now it has its days every once in a while, but nothing like it was. another thing i think i would change is all of those beach blanket bepop surf movies like gidget. i mean, they’re fun and all. but without them i think far less people would have started surfing. -steve
I agree with Herb. Especially on the breakwater. At least remove it from the Long Beach Harbor opening south. A nice southern facing beach with waves again. (Not to mention an immediate $100,000 increase in Long Beach property values.) For those in Long Beach who like the breakwater and it’s creation of the world’s largest “casting pond”, well there’s a nice casting pond at Recreation Park.
i’d go back a few years and take out joel tudor. ok, maybe just pull a little tanya harding…he’s just a little too inspiring, having helped make surfing, or i should say longboarding, cool again. i suppose if you surf one like joel it is, the prob is all the rest of ya that think you do.
my uncle is one of the head guys of the south bay chapter of surfrider and he said he’s working on part of the long beach jetty being removed and installing an artificial reef (if needed) so we can all surf there again. yeeehaw. -steve
my uncle is one of the head guys of the south bay chapter of surfrider and > he said he’s working on part of the long beach jetty being removed and > installing an artificial reef (if needed) so we can all surf there again. > yeeehaw.>>> -steve DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE! What kind of help does he need? Magoo
The Surfrider Foundation has been trying to get the breakwater removed in Long Beach for many years. That proposal went before the Long Beach City Council again a month or so back. Front page news in the local newspaper. It was shot down again citing the terrorism threat. (I guess they think the Taliban’s camels are good swimmers) In today’s world, the protection the breakwater affords the two harbors could be compared with trying to drive a Model T Ford on one of our freeways. It just doesn’t work. Outdated as a redwood board. If you want to surf Long Beach, wait for a big south-west swell and hit 72nd Place. To help the Surfrider foundation in their efforts, go to their website.