Did I over react?

General Discussion
1

Yesterday at our local beachbreak I took out my wooden fun gun. It was my first time in beachbreak and the board worked great- gets in early , super fast down the line speed. It’s heavy so it just busted through small sections.

At a certain point a grom ( a teenager…I’m 45) blatantly shoulder hopped me. I was going so fast and the board was so locked into a line that I crashed into him.

He made me lose my board so I sounded him. “Watch what you’re doing! Look before you go!”

A few minutes later, on a really clean peak, he looks back at me paddling and shoulder hops me again! I couldn’t believe it. This time when I reached him I grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him the full on Mickey Dora treatment, just chucked him back as hard as could. I made it by him this time and when I paddled out I sounded him again, this time using harsher words of the four letter variety, basically calling him a kook for shoulder hopping.

Afterwards I kind of felt bad. No Aloha Spirit running through my veins at that moment. So did I overreact? What would you have done?

2

Similar situation, different outcome…

After sunset some 30 years ago a young kid dropped in front of me just after I took off… he looked back thinking I’d probably get stuffed. But as the backlit wave heaved out

over us, I caught up to him… and placed my hand firmly on his shoulder. We made it through the tube and kicked out grinning from ear to ear. Since that day we’ve been close friends.

Good happens, too.

3

I try to keep my hands off the drop ins, but am not always successful. I think it it is important to always let them know when you are coming down the line…kinda create an expectation that they dont belong there. If they still go, I believe it is important to then have a conversation. If it is an a-hole…then that conversation might be very public (embarrassing) and for others listening…if the shoe fits…they get it to. If it is a novice…then maybe they just don’t know better and it is our job to educate them.

After having surfed away from Malibu for most of the last 5 months…when I got back there, I was overwhelmed by the summer scene and had forgotten how bad it gets. I gotta admit I did launch a couple of em recently who. after seeing me (and hearing me), they still continue to impede my progress down the point. Better to come up underneath and gently steer them up and over the top with no malice.

Of course, if you are droppin in on anyone then none of the above matters!

Roger

4

A common problem with Gun type boards. Guys will see you twenty yards down the line, and think you can’t make the section, and take off on you. Only to be surprised. Understandable the first time, unforgivable the second time. You DID NOT over react. The punk was stupid not to figure it out, and deserved to be embarrassed out loud. I would have done the same as you, at a minimum.

5

Since our sport doesn’t have a surf patrol (per se) we have to regulate ourselves at many breaks.

Just for safety if not for other reasons.

Response needs to be proportionate.

Check that he’s wise to protocol. If he is, then sound him and tell him that an ill-mannered surfer

like himself should expect trouble. Did he think you were hogging the best waves? Maybe he cut

you off out of frustration BUT maybe you thought that the best waves just kept coming to you.

Give him a wave.

Just one wave. It can change the entire vibe and make your exit from the session a great one.

Response needs to be proportionate. I try really hard not to touch the other guy until my safety

is in question. Some guys will get a beat down but only after they cross a line, like dunking, a

punch, or deliberately flinging their board at me. When I take a cautious approach before this

escalation, it comes as a bit of a surprise and almost every time they realize they are about to get

into real trouble with me if they choose to cross that line. Hopefully you are prepared/fit enough

to back up any heightened action: I find the average surfer typically is not, maybe just in their

head…

…but escalation is rare. Don’t go there if you don’t have to

It’s just surfing- you can go years without hostility if you try at it.

6

yeah bro!

george has got a good atittude

try and talk to them first

fighting in the water is bad news

someone could drown

actually guys that start swinging/yelling/abusing over a wave ruin the vibe for everyone

is that how you deal with your teenage kids when there rude or talk back

hit them?

my favourite saying in the water is

besides"fuckein lovely day eh wot"

“you go mate! its yours”

7

Ive pushed dropins off their boards a few times. But in hindsight -

I’ll never do it again,

I don’t own the wave

Surfings only a bit of fun.

As somebody signature on Sways says;

“The way we treat people is WAY more important”

Mind you thats easy for me to say today after having a perfect wave all to myself for a couple of hours this morning. Just me, my Bonzer and the Dolphins.

The water was full of kooks the previous night, every single ride I had to bail or run over one, but I just smiled at them and took Dales approach.

Today was Karma

8

Yeah, in retrospect I wish I could go back to the kid and explain to him in rational terms why shoulder hopping is bad. Educate him (in my “real” life I’m a teacher after all). Instead I’m sure that kid is cursing me in his heart. I guess it just seemed blatant after I had just told him to look before going.

And yeah, maybe I was catching a lot of waves, but I’ve paid my dues and even when I am the only shortboarder surrounded by hoardes of longboarders my sense of etiquette prevents me from dropping in.

Now I have to do penance and let some grom go on a good one when I’m totally in position (even if chances are he’ll eat it).

9

No, not overreaction.

Especially here in Florida, you’ll have guys look right at you and still drop in.

If it’s blatant as that, and if they absolutely know they’re dropping in on you, they deserve to get dumped.

In the end, you could save a life.

It’s no fun being stranded in the impact zone with your leash entangled with someone else’s.

10

The older I get, the less I care. Dont like getting dropped in on,but I’ve gotten a LOT of waves in 35 years. Hope to get a lot more. I don’t put my hands on anyone unless they are coming for ME with violent intent. Not worth entering the legal system. Local guy here is in trouble for assaulting a minor. Dumb. Very expensive. Might be in jail instead of surfing. Mike

11

forgot to mention:

I have 3 friends all from this area that have been fined, ordered to do anger management, and basically

had their lives turned upside-down. One got released this summer and still has $6000 in fines- not sure

on his legal costs…

Oh yeah, and 2 other buddies that had to fly back to Hawaii to appear and receive sentencing, they got

off lucky but still not worth it.

Proportionate response. Or in my case mutual combat and STILL not worth the stress.

Show what you got through your surfing

12

treat others as YOU would want to be treated .

People who drop in on others …why are they surprised / angry when OTHERS drop in on THEM , do you think ?

…small-mindedness and overblown egos, I’m guessing .

13

First time, I’ll just let the guy know I’m there. Maybe (maybe) it was an honest mistake.

Second time, same guy, I’ll crouch down and lift up under his board. Gentle, no body contact, but he’s definitely off the wave. Had to do it today, as a matter of fact… Gets the point across quite nicely :slight_smile:

14

Verbal assalt is OK

Contact from a grown man towards a teenager is a no,no…

We’ll let you slide this time…tell us more about the wood board and how it rides

“Share the stoke!”

15

Stingray, there is certain surf location in Carlsbad that I use to surf almost every day until the hi skool P.E. class TOOK OVER a few years back. nothing like a aloha killer when 50 teenagers hit the water when there were only three surfers out up till then. . I came real close to loosing it a few times. I don’t surf there no moe because of that. It’s just not worth it. . anyway I like the aloha vibe and spirit down at Eddies and The New House. Much better on the nerves, and what a great crew too.

Ben

16

I got dropped in on today. i raced the section and did a reo pretty close to the bandit and left it as that. i didnt really bother me.

the best i’ve seen was out at the point on a 5’ day. One of the pro guys (17) got dropped in on by a spider gremmie (13ish). the gremmie pumped and pumped and throw ugly chop hops for a while while the pro just sat back and cruised in the curl, then a good section came and the pro took control comming from below the dropin and cutback forcing the guy of the wave. after that the pro ripped into some sick tubes and whacked the lip for the next 150m.

totally turned a dropin in to a spectacular wave!

17

some times the guy on the shoulder droppin’ in

encourages the merv in the curl to highest form

just so he can say hey.BUDDY?

the performance driven surfer needs to perform

to/for an audience.Ka peesch?

down at my local beach break with my chrome rod Knock

escalliber I was dominating the sand box of 9 year olds

when I just couldnt take the disrespect from my chosen peer group

whaaaaaaaa?

9year olds at any age are a piece of work

unruly,sniping,contemptuous,disrespectful to all convention

teach them somthing to take with them for a lifetime

yell at someone in the water

push somebody off their board

hog a couple sets

assume a haughty aire

so some day you in a crowd can pick out an attitude

copped from a day of bad judgement.

if you are the hot trim master … pass em drippless.

push em ? ha

you are the 9 year old.but you are the 9 year old bully.

The hottest guy in the world dropped in on me,

world tour surfed surfs every where

spun and dropped in on me and

blocks me safely from going arround a

scientist paddling out.

I just straightened out

and was denied the joy

of making a perfect

flatrock to-through the bowl connection

I just looked at him

on the other side of the flatrock peak cutting back.

like puk you you puck.

that move will be replayed on him over and over throughout his life

because He taught the kids observing thats what to do.

I never drop in on any body ,bull shippe

surf some place shifty,bumped out,with the hottest board in the world

the dolphin dogs dont care they are just there to eat fish

the day you misjudge a take off in a crowd

yoou may be dressed down and humiliated

by a nine year old turned thirty

yonder the orphan at your door

standing in the clothes you once wore

the sky is folding under you

its all over now

the old loud wave hog kook is you.

the pleasure point moustache boys are old farts

with arthritus and Diabetes

they yelled at everybody when they were twenty two

they stopped surfing before some

young twenty two year old

yelled at em cause the were slow standing up.

code:do you wanna surf with a guy that yells at you?

will some body take off behind you just so they can push you off?

Life is way too short to waste perfect potentially

harmonious oppertunities with bad manners squared.

ride the worst wave better than the hot guys ride the good ones.

ride the junk spotswhile the good spots fill up with

performers in puffy shirts.

take my picture?

good luck

I be out at the remote wierd spot

where the light is bad.

drop in on me?

I wont grace you with my presence

ever.

shame on all that debase the form

the guys that drop in maliciously

And those that respond Haughtily

you are all the same,

victims of your own devisivness

surfing together is a gift.

body surfing in a group of scramblers

caught one out of the middle of the peak/pack

dont get me wrong I am not a good body surfer

dropped in broke free opened my eyes in time to see the 280lb

guy on the body board was in front of me

but low

I dropped onto his back and we spun down the line

In the curl,yep in the curl silence…

my grumpy self rightous attitude shift

never got a foot hold

all we could say was HA HA HA

me and that 280lb kid will share that

wave experience for ever.

that pro surfer that dropped in on me is teaching

7 year olds how to behave badly.

maybe he was seven years old once

maybe he still is

how old are you?

…ambrose…

I Owe something to some one

that cant be paid back

it can only be passed on

I caught a wave today

it took me 15 minutes to paddle back to the peak

you wern’t out.

18

part of surfing is getting an education in the water and no one bothers with this anymore

when you realize that a surfboard is nothing more than a tool than you’ll have no problem using it as needed to get the message across. The options are many but include

if no leash

board across the bow

board between the legs

board in the middle of the back

if leashed

run over the board to cutoff the nose

and if you are built for it

bust off one or more fins then hand the board back nicely

or just take the board and break it in half then hand it back nicely

Never take it personal or make it seem personal just like Dora he’d do it to anyone even his friends

no sense getting into a fight about it

it’s just a surfboard

taking it out of the question gives one time for one to contemplate the consequences.

also teaches one how to do board repair

nothing like a all around good education

I hear guys complain all the time but no one wants to ding their board doing what sometimes just needs to be done.

Always warn and advise the innocent first

then let what happens happens

you can tell a young child never to put their hand on a hot stove all you want if they refuse to believe you once they get burned they’ll never do it again.

Life’s lessons are through experience

talk is cheap

19

…yesterday was my first surfing day after 105 days out of water…

…I d taked, droped bottom turned, the guy saw everything (and the guy is a veteran…) and droped in , he nevermind

and in a pointbreak, so I had no choices…I hit a big rock, cause no chance to pass… so I was 1´´ to stay in a wheelchair

20
Quote:

First time, I’ll just let the guy know I’m there. Maybe (maybe) it was an honest mistake.

Second time, same guy, I’ll crouch down and lift up under his board. Gentle, no body contact, but he’s definitely off the wave. Had to do it today, as a matter of fact… Gets the point across quite nicely :slight_smile:

I came across this technique as a grom. I would pull up alongside, grab on and somewhat push the front end of the board way from me. I’ll never forget the puzzled looks of some of the older guys to be put in their place by a grom. When i got older i eventually grew the balls to do the lift.

Non-violent, and always gets the message across.

Works better than yelling/threatening to kick someone’s ass.