I havent seen that issue. What kind of swim fins are in the mat pic? Where can I buy and how much? Thanx- great site!
I hate to add a little darkness after the illuminating Ambrose (on this I am very serious)… but after almost 35 years of standup surfing I seem much more interested in what the experiences of bodysurfing, mat riding, paipos, bellyboards…basically the prone experience seems to offer me more of what I got into surfing for. My brain was formed when doing one thing didn’t preclude doing another, so I can write that and still write that standup surfing is my first love, as it were, but I don’t do it much anymore. So all that experience, does that make me old? “Old”, certainly, compared to most in the water these days. I’m not sure when that became such a bad thing, but in my evil dried up shriveled heart of hearts I suspect being an older surfer became a bad thing when the commerical interests realized that we were old enough not to give a fuck about knee length black surf trunks…older surfers are evil because we have historical experience and perspective. We don’t see a reason to toss the baby out with the bathwater just so someone else can take his bi-monthly trip to Costa Rica or bi-annual trip to Tavarua. Fuck those guys - but only if they think that makes them something special. Somehow within the Surf Culture the idea has been formulated, packaged, and sold to the eager masses that standing on a surfboard is the same as walking on water…like The Other JC. Like that pre-historic band The Grateful Dead once sang, believe it if you need it, need it if you dare. Keep sitting in front of the tv and maybe you too will be able to experience the life-defining moment - right up there with presidential asassinations and exploding space futures - of 1.5 seconds of pre-planned fashion-plated nipple exposure. And maybe, just maybe…next year you’ll get The Other One! Put your nose to the grindstone and the year will go by so fast you won’t even know it! Sometimes I think the only reason I still standup surf at all is to have something to do when the surf is too small and crappy to ride the mat.
I recant my ‘previous’ post.
Well NELS, in the words of the Dead: Paradise waits on the crest of a wave. No big hurry, what do you say? Might as well travel the elegant way. Never had such a good time in my life before I’d like to have it one time more One good ride from start to end I’d like to take that ride again. When I was a younger man I needed good luck, I’m a little bit older now and I know my stuff. If a man among you got no sin upon his hand let him cast a stone at me for (riding on a mat)(playing in the band)
I dont think those mats can achieve high speeds with someone weighing over say 145lbs, like George Greenough dammit.
Gee, funny how unobservant I am. 'Cos the first time I saw Greenough in those pics is back in the '70s. Just goes to show how ignorant I am, I didn’t even know they had PhotoShop back then…
it is truly unbelieveable the amount of thought and energy wasted on these topics. who gives a shit what you ride or why you ride, if some iliterate fuck from south of santa barbara who cant even count to five(see above post)chooses to let the media think for him then so what? the world is full of stupid people and your not going to change this , no matter what you say or do .thats fine .it seems most of the regulars on this site are pretty bright ,free thinking individuals, with the ocasional ignorant shit bag thrown in, but thats what makes it interesting . why is it that every time surftechs, boardworks, or anything else thats not polyurethane/polyester/handbuilt comes up some fucking cave dweller comes out of the wood work and shakes things up. look, people ride waves for different reasons,why do you ? ive found in my travels that the guys doing the best surfing are the guys who are doing just that,surfing. not pointing the finger at the next guy because he/she’s doing something different, their out ther on whatever they can get their hands on checking it out ,loading up with new experiences and not festering on some irelivant B.S… their surfing ,not TALKING about surfing. you can do that when its flat . i guess my point is , who cares? just go surf, for whatever reasons. and stop worrying about what the next guys doing. honestly , do you REALLY care?
their surfing ,not TALKING about surfing. you can do that when its flat . Actually, it’s just about as flat as it can possibly get in southern California right now, with 70 degree temps, sunshine, and the clearest air imaginable. Always a good time to philosophize…
I like mexican food today .Maybe sushi another night.I like jazz sometimes,sometimes rock even classical .flamingo guitar is nice.Maybe shorts tomarrow!!Tahiti is a nice place to go.I love piano music.Maybe a longboard today .No , MAKE THAT A MAT TODAY!!!SO MANY CHOICES!!!I like having choices !!!Don’t you???
Are you really saying the shortboard was another story and Greenough was a fraud???You guys are pathetic.You can’t be serious???Joke right???hahaha It can’t be THAT PATHETIC OUT THERE??? OR CAN IT??? You guys FREAK ME OUT.
TSJ publishes “Alternative Surf Vehicles”, Old Farts ride them, like them, buy them. Old Farts have all the money. The 'ing and ‘er realize a huge marketing blunder. The pressure is on. Rusty and Al start churning out sub 3’ tri-fins. Surftech, now several million dollars poorer, releases the Paul Gross signature El Paipo Grande. Hasbro swipes a Neu and spews pop-out, pop-proof mats (“Just Like Greenough’s!”). Since there are no pros prone to proning, they turn to Roger, John, Jeff, Tony, SC Gary and the rest to sign up - Alternative becomes mainstream. Its all the rage-three foot, bumpy blown out surf becomes the medium of choice. Deep in the backwaters of Byron, an old man with a bowl haircut smiles…it took a few years longer than he planned but the circle is complete. He pulls out a dusty red spoon and ambles up to the head of the point. Clean, spinning walls await…empty.
Lee.V are you paranoid?? It’s all a conspiracy!!!They are all in back rooms planning.What are they planning???I REALLY WANT TO KNOW!!!
they all are planning things behind my back !!!It’s all photoshop!!!
Those mats can’t be fun or go fast Dam It"!!!I hate mats !!!I will not allow mats or anything outside my box!!
Who`s George Greenough Dammit?
Contact: Prof. Greg Deets at
Thank you, ajl!! The Surfers Journal "Custom Craft" article includes Rich Pavel, Dave Parmenter, Jeff Chamberlain, John Mellor and myself. Its a glimpse at just a small slice of all the handcrafted surfing equipment created outside the mainstream. Many thanks to Scott Hulet, editor of TSJ!
George Greeno invented the Eperb system and Greeno Spoons which are the ducks nuts for mat riders, they have built in flex in the rear and are basicly a fibreglass dish with an edge of foam 3" thick…He also showed sufworld how to play in a wave… http://www.geocities.com/wunderboyi/ninetysixpercent.html