How would you surf?

What would you be riding and how would you surf if nobody was watching? How much of surfing is given by our pull to “look good” and be cool?

Good comment and a tough one to answer honestly. Even when we go surfing and there is no-one else around is there a little bit of practising for when there are people around? One thing I do know is that the excitement I feel when I see quality waves is not caused because I want to go out there and ripp them appart to show off to a crowd of on lookers. It is because I know what a good time I am going to have. > What would you be riding and how would you surf if nobody was watching? > How much of surfing is given by our pull to “look good” and be > cool? http://www.blasthawaii.com

I prefer to surf with few people around. A half a dozen or so in the break is great. I try and use the little knowledge that I have about the conditions and take the stick that will suit them the best. To hell with what anybody else thinks. Sometimes it’s the wrong one, that’s cool, I learned something. It what’s gonna work the best that counts as far as I’m concerned. What works for Mary won’t work for Herb. And Bonita is gonna bring something completely different from Tom. If you’re out there to impress me, frankly I’m not impressed. It you’re out there to enjoy yourself I am. We can all learn from each other but surfing is an individual thing. It’s about choices and sharing. We’re all damn lucky just to be able to go surfing. That’s my take on it anyway. Good Surfin’, Rich

I prefer to surf with few people around. A half a dozen or so in the break > is great. I try and use the little knowledge that I have about the > conditions and take the stick that will suit them the best. To hell with > what anybody else thinks. Sometimes it’s the wrong one, that’s cool, I > learned something. It what’s gonna work the best that counts as far as I’m > concerned. What works for Mary won’t work for Herb. And Bonita is gonna > bring something completely different from Tom. If you’re out there to > impress me, frankly I’m not impressed. It you’re out there to enjoy > yourself I am. We can all learn from each other but surfing is an > individual thing. It’s about choices and sharing. We’re all damn lucky > just to be able to go surfing. That’s my take on it anyway.>>> Good Surfin’, Rich You know a couple of years ago I had a friend who constantly came by and took my son (teenager at the time) surfing all the time , never called me or any of our regular crew but always called or came by and got my son --when I asked why he said “the kid doesn’t give a rip about whos what or what everone else is doing ,all he cares about is having fun even if its being the sacrifial wipeout king on a big bumpy day and its impossible not to have fun around a guy like that, its contagious”. Well needless to say it change my attitude and how I approached surfing and (back to the original question) what I ride!

Great question, As people we have a basic component inside of us that we feel a need to be recognized. I am sure we have all been guilty in the past of catching a great wave and then looking back over our shoulder to see if anyone else saw what we so graciously experienced. I have been surfing for quite some time and have never entered a contest. This is not to say I do not compete. But the competition is more of an inside thing and it is not aggro competetion, but instead competition to grow as a person, as a surfer and a spiritual being. The only person I know that is watching all the time is myself and God. When I am out surfing, my main goal is to have fun. We are all Human and no matter how hard we try, we all care how people view us. I think the thing we must remember is a point that cdb pointed out in the previous response. People recognize and envy the people having the most fun. If we go out and have the most fun we can without trying to impress others, we will impress many in the process. I myself have suffered from “Close- minded surfboard selection” in the past but am opening myself up to new avenues in my Surfing and in my Life. Exploring different types of boards, in different types of waves is a recipe for happiness no matter how hard you look at it.

What would you be riding and how would you surf if nobody was watching? > How much of surfing is given by our pull to “look good” and be > cool? proneman, "…He realized from the very beginning that what constitutes great surfing isnt how it looks, but how it FEELS." Particularly interesting because this originates from a man who has spent much of his life as a ground-breaking surfing photographer and filmmaker... both in front of, as well as behind the camera! (From The Surfers Journal, Spring 1994/Vol.3, No.1, in another excellent article by Paul Gross entitled “George Greenough: The Ageless Artist”). Dale

One word, “Ego”. We all have one, sometimes it gets in the way. Don’t let it stop you from having fun, and don’t let it stop you from being fun.

What would you be riding and how would you surf if nobody was watching? > How much of surfing is given by our pull to “look good” and be > cool? Several people have mentioned “board selection” in their responses to this thread. Could someone elaborate on that?

Several people have mentioned “board selection” in their > responses to this thread. Could someone elaborate on that? I mentioned being close minded in my board selection in the manner of surfing my 6’2" thruster in all waves. This was ignorance and being close minded to the fact that I could be riding a board more suited to the way the waves were that day. ie: I could have had a lot more fun on smaller days with a board with more volume to it: Longboard, Funshape, and so on.

Several people have mentioned “board selection” in their > responses to this thread. Could someone elaborate on that? After thinking about this for a day or so, there seems to be a couple of elements in “other people watching” which can influence us all. One is what they think about what they see (us on whatever). I think we could pretty much agree on “screw them if they don’t like it” as an appropriate response. The other, and perhaps more insidious, is The Watchers ractions to what they see. If they see a mat rider, or bodyboarder, or bodysurfer, do they get the longboard and DOMINATE? Or if a shortboarder sees a longboarder, or molded board, or soft board, do they cluster around and try to intimidate? Their reactions directly affect our fun quotient. If nobody was on the beach, then things get wide open. For me? Maybe a softboard cruise if they truly are getting to be performance softboards. Or a mat. Or maybe a true Fish shape. I haven’t been on a sub 6 foot board in years, and don’t want to risk squandering what waves are available trying something new to me, plus have the multitudes see a blown wave or two and have them descend like flies.

What would you be riding and how would you surf if nobody was watching? > How much of surfing is given by our pull to “look good” and be > cool? I would be riding what I currenlty ride and surf the way I surf now-cause for me it is about feeling not pleasing someone else and if I change the way I surf an what I surf on,that feel I am use to would be gone and so would my desire to surf.

…Whatever,whenever…it’s the ocean and me.Herb

If nobody was on the beach, then things get wide open. For me? Maybe a > softboard cruise if they truly are getting to be performance softboards. > Or a mat. Or maybe a true Fish shape. I haven’t been on a sub 6 foot board > in years, and don’t want to risk squandering what waves are available > trying something new to me, plus have the multitudes see a blown wave or > two and have them descend like flies. Nice to hear from several of you backchannel…many interesting points raised. 1. Softboards are handshaped! The industry wouldn’t collapse! It would be bad for the fiberglassing industry if everybody rode a softboard, but that won’t ever happen. Plus the shapers could invest in heat bonding equipment and do it themselves with little health risk. Jeez…all I mean is a halfway decent one feels good to ride once in a while. 2. No, I won’t F-off and die, not even for $5. Send me the $5 and I will promise to think about it, though, for at least several seconds. 3. MY comment about “trying something new to me”. Hmmm, not exactly what I meant, but perhaps worth some private thought. Think of it instead as knowing the next 2 hours will be the best waves you get all year. Do you choose your favorite board or something completely new to you? It’s a choice, a gamble, a balancing act; not a cop-out. Nels

I sometimes think most people think about their next surf as if it were going to be their last surf. This of course could happen (“no one knows the day or the hour” - to quote the Good Book) but usually your next surf is the surf you surfed before your next surf after that, and so on. And it probably won’t be a session filled with epic waves because if you look at it realistically, most of us surf in conditions that just aren’t that great. After all, how many good swells are there, and if we only surfed the good swells we wouldn’t be surfing very much at all. Therefore, has anyone ever given thought to surfing a board that might focus on an area of effort that would lead to a good fitness workout for those muscles or techniques specific to a certain board. Of course you would use a certain kind of board for certain conditions, but what about surfing a certain board for a leg workout (my 7’6" wide swallow tail, hard to turn great for the legs), or an extra heavy paddling workout (my 6’5" fish, great for an upper body workout). Just food for thought. I know it works for me and I also know that I’m not always having “fun” out there because it takes a certain amount of discipline and work to get into the kind of shape it takes to compete with the crowd and surf well too. But don’t it ALWAYS feel GOOD after a surf, any kind of surf! Aloha, and malama pono to all.

I prefer to surf with few people around. A half a dozen or so in the break > is great. I try and use the little knowledge that I have about the > conditions and take the stick that will suit them the best. To hell with > what anybody else thinks. Sometimes it’s the wrong one, that’s cool, I > learned something. It what’s gonna work the best that counts as far as I’m > concerned. What works for Mary won’t work for Herb. And Bonita is gonna > bring something completely different from Tom. If you’re out there to > impress me, frankly I’m not impressed. It you’re out there to enjoy > yourself I am. We can all learn from each other but surfing is an > individual thing. It’s about choices and sharing. We’re all damn lucky > just to be able to go surfing. That’s my take on it anyway.>>> Good Surfin’, Rich Naked stoned drunk on lsd with a cd of miles davis in my headphones …oh wait a minute I.ve already done that.