I’m inclined to agree with most of what you’ve written. But that was the point of the ‘whining’. I’m glad you’ve found some solutions?
… classic scenario.
Growth has consequences - good and bad. The general pattern seems to be that we’ll relish the ‘good’ on the way up (so to speak), but at some point, the so called ‘bad’ seems to get the upper hand. Exactly where surfing is on this path, I’m not sure. But I contend that it is following this classic path.
… on the contrary… it is about design.
As for this thread’s relationship to design, of course it relates to design. I’m not the site’s historian, but the growth of the industry tells the tale. From its original lonely innovators to its now looming corporate future. That original mix and play between design and actual technique - one seemingly feeding off the other - to the use of innovative materials, and at the moment, to innovations in production, distribution and pricing.
… wonder time.
But while we’re on the topic of design, as in actual functional design - where the board hits the water so to speak, I’m inclined to look back at just what happened (in the last half of the last century for the most part) and ask what really made it all happen. And I believe the key was ‘access’. Access to waves and access to new materials and access to new ‘minds’. But in particular access to waves, which included increased leisure time. It’s all that free energy you experience at the beach, that potential for a free ride that the wave seems to offer - something which continues to this day - particularly with kids, those with the most so called leisure time – but I’m inclined to call it wonder time.
… its all mini-revolutions now.
I think it’s now a pretty safe bet that increased ‘gizmoizing’ surfcraft isn’t only going to have much more success - if any real benefit at all – aside from putting a some money in some clever marketer’s pocket (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing… there really is a sucker born every minute.) Instead I’m inclined to think, or ask, what some money-poor kid is thinking about at the beach. And I when I do I can’t help to see a future in that hybrid of an activity, which seems to be developing between skimboarding and surfing shore break.
… the barrens… that no-man land between environs
Sure they ain’t got fins, and once they get into a wave the ride tends to be over before it begins, but damn, take a few moments and really watch them - its surfing in its purest form - at least mechanically.
As for fins, yeah, they can get in trouble sometimes, but wow, talk about ‘rail to rail’ control - ‘they don’t need no stink’ng fin’. Nor do they need much in terms of buoyancy if any, nor a whole lot else. They just need a planing surface. It’s a mini-revolution in the making - or maybe its already been made.
… less is more.
You say, well yeah but the big fun is out riding the bigger stuff. I agree, but when this generation of skimboarder/surfers starts to move out into the ‘fun stuff’ in a big way, they’ll be bringing all of what they’ve learned with them and I’m inclined to believe that one of those lessens will be ‘less is more.’ And they’re impact will go far beyond equipment design, as they’ll also bring that funky extreme rail-to-rail midset with them – much like when the skater mindset started to influence surfing technique in a big way.
… it’s cheap… like dude, it’s like totally ninja.
You can get into skimboarding/surfing pretty cheap, a heck of a lot cheaper than you can get into surfing – no crap to haul around, no need for some massive ‘surf wagon’, nor fight for parking space, deal with lifeguards, or worry about restricted surfing areas, etc. and best of all you can do while Mom and Dad are up on the berm putting away the potato salad – “Don’t worry Martha, it’s not like the kid even has to know how to swim for Christ’s sake. Looks pretty harmless to me”
… the vacuum.
What pushing this? Somebody once said ‘Nature abhors a vacuum’ (some ancient Greek guy…I don’t think it’s the same guy who puts out the turbo fin, but who knows). Putting it another way, when she [Nature] finds a vacuum, she’ll grow into it - and use it up.
kc
