What’s tops in your surfing, opinion ?
Style ?
Manuevers ?
other ?
Okay now Lucy…Splane !
H
Maneuvers with style!
And if you could only choose one… as the most important element,…what would it be then ?
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And if you could only choose one… as the most important element,…what would it be then ?
They go together. There can be no style without knowing how to surf with good moves. I choose style over moves when it’s stylish moves. Moves just for moves…I would rather shoot skeet.
one is learned through pure practice
the other is via self discovery…
one can be taught
the other cannot
style vs manuevers
is the defining difference
of
surfing vs “boarding”
a unique style is very rare while
anyone can eventually learn how to execute a manuever
like the white wabbit used say…
trix are for kidz!
capn crunch too…
somewhere along the line once competition started
people forget about surfing the “whole” wave all the way to the beach and not just the section that got you the most points so you can paddle like a mad man to get priority to catch another hopefully better higher scoring wave.
I see so many wasted waves just because some hot shot name or upandcomer wants to pull a boost to show off and uses like 10% or less of the entire wave which eventually leads to the thinking that it’s okay to just drop in no matter what.
That single change pretty much ruined surfing along with the fact that you didn’t lose your board and have to swim in when you did something stupid. Wasting precious waves is no longer considered a sin to get you banished from the lineup.
Every wave has it’s own special line to draw and rythmn
the folks who appear to look stylish
are the folks who seem to find those lines
and stay in rythmn to what the wave is doing even if they are executing maneuvers and tricks.
most everyone else is too busy just thinking about the next maneuver they want to do.
If I can’t tell if the person I watching is riding a wake, a wave, a concrete bowl or an ice or concrete half pipe somewhere based on what they are trying to do then I don’t consider that surfing but just pulling a “board sports” maneuver you can do anywhere else.
I like watching smooth and flowing
what ever it’s doing
as far as an example of a great blend
IMHO Parko is Paul Strauch reincarnated
high performance doesn’t have to be jerky or staged.
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And if you could only choose one… as the most important element,…what would it be then ?
I echo what was said above – they always go together.
Sometimes the surfer isn’t proficient enough at a move to allow his/her style to come through, or sometimes (like in my case) the surfer has generally poor style.
So, your repertiore of mastered moves will showcase your style to the best of your ability, and the moves you can barely pull off will showcase it the least. It might therefore be said that style vs moves is a chicken-egg problem, because as you master move X, and your style is flowin’, you then try to add move Y, and start struggling all over again.
I don’t know which is more important, to achieve or to strive, but I know they’re both important.
I could use some more of both.
As a spectator, I think style wins.
That is until someone tries too hard to be stylish, just to look good. Then the style becomes posing. In my eyes some oldschool longboarders fall into that pit.
In that case I prefer a surfer who’s pulling manuevers just to please himself. Watching kids trying airs at Kuta Beach, maybe it’s all the joy that makes it stylish in its way?
But then again who am I to judge.
Fluid power with grace!!!
Am I avoiding the answer!!!
maneuvers FEEL better…
style LOOKS better…
so I guess it depends on who’s perspective.
reminds me…I was watching some young’n surf yesterday…his arms were flayling all over the place…Im talking negative style points…but Im sure he felt pretty good.
Self video, is more often than not, very humbling.
Power surfing with style still rules.
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maneuvers FEEL better…
style LOOKS better…
so I guess it depends on who’s perspective.
reminds me…I was watching some young’n surf yesterday…his arms were flayling all over the place…Im talking negative style points…but Im sure he felt pretty good.
Self video, is more often than not, very humbling.
Power surfing with style still rules.
I echo those sentiments, I guess to me maneuvers are more important, a guy standing there soul-arching every wave gets a little old, really quick. Obviously, at least to me, the two together are most important.
As for self video, I like what a wisened, older surfer said to a videographer that wanted to sell him some footage. “I don’t need any footage, I know what I felt like I looked like out there, and I’ll just leave it at that!”
Joel Parko, surely his style would please even the hardcore style purists and the manouvres, well say no more, J.H.
I think the last word on this should go to the master of modern style : Tom Curren.
He said “good style is good technique”.
To choose one… has to be style.
The surfers who stand out at any break are the ones who look like they don’t even have to try as much as everyone else. Smooth transitions form turn to turn and if they do throw something funky looking its not just to prove they can, it actually fits where they are on the wave.
Coming from more of a wakeboarding background myself, I’d rather see a big smooth tantrum with a tweaked out grab done easily than a whirlybird or an elephant or other crazy manuever.
K
Tom Curren vs Kelly Slater. Mr. Slater himself said that he can’t link his turns the way Mr. Curren does. And would you call Mr. Slater technically superior in his surfing compared to Mr. Curren? Style wise I think it’s a clear winner between the two.
Smooth, and flowing. Final answer.
Skip Frye
Joey Cabell
Phil Edwards…
Style…That’s with a capital S
A Lost Art…
?
manoeuvres are ephemeral
style eternal
the Other just feels good
parko make a 6 2 in doh look like hes ridding a mal
parko and margo my favs
but really
niether
its more about happy versus grumpy in most lineups
Smooth, flowing with power. Is that your final answer Bill or are we all suppose to stop now, H.
Its all good but hard to decide if style is better now or back in the 70’s.