Does anyone have any tips for how to win longboard contests?
If Crystal has tought us anything, it’s that you have to throw lots of spray (I believe it’s called spitting chunks) in the faces of your competetors… try that, even if you don’t win the contest, you’re sure to get picked up by a team.
Just surf better than everyone else on the day.
coffin rides
A friend of mine won an ESA contest by being the only person in his division to enter(senior men).Drunk as a Skunk…caught one wave (barely) and fell down.He got a big trophy and his pic in a surf mag.Funny thing is he became a State Senator and kept the trophy on his desk for all to see during his term which ended early due to his affinity for bribes.A true Surfer…made me proud.
3 to the beach buddy, three to the beach.
show up at dawn get a few unreal inspirred rides, dont enter, park your car way up the beach paddle in way up there , get in your car and leave in time to preserve your integrity… un compromised …, after surfing the real 1st heat…ambrose…winning contests for years by not showing up for the huurry up an wait U.V. over exposure mid day sociological excercise
Heres a hint: Watch a few heats see how the other guys are doing. See what the judges are scoring high on. Go out there be stylish and do some good turns. Do floaters, fin slides, nose rides or whatever come to mind. But remember drop knee turns and cross stepping. Otherwise you will not get as high of scoring
I once tried to impress the judges by drinking a whole gallon of chocolate milk during my 20 minute prelim heat. I missed the cut by one. The judges said I was too far away to see the milk in my hand. I was also on a 13’9" homemade assymetric board, made from a Clark fishing blank. I also had a guest on the nose, doing headstands. I was the only tandom in the contest, but it wasn’t a tandom contest. I found out 8 years later from a judge that they would have given me the win if they could see the chocolate milk. Me and my partner didn’t barf, but we couldn’t belly paddle after that heat. If the contest is close to the beach, try it. I also surfed a heat once with my only fin broken off of an old Royal Hawaiian. The fin had been glassed on with toilet paper and polyester resin, no glass. I hit a rock on the paddle out, and knocked it off. Some poor lads somehow finished behind me in my heat.
over the last few years 50/50 has been the new catch phrase… now in competitive longboarding the judging criterea is based on 50% traditional and 50% modern or progressive ,to put it in a nutshell you could get a wave and do 4 nice clean noserides and score a 6 or do 4 hell belts in a row and score 6 …or do 2 nose rides and 2 belts mixing it up and score 8… be patient and wait for set waves , a smokin set will always add another 1 to 2 points to your potential score … relax ,just pretend your out surfin with your mates and dont put any mental pressure on your self or else youll go weak in the legs and question whether you can make a turn youve made hundreds of times before… never get angry ,hit the water,hit your board,or throw your arms up in frustration,during a heat … a little butt kissin goes along way,be friendly to the judges and respectful … dont give up after 1 comp and think your no good ,it takes years of working out the finer details ,plus you can hang with other good surfers who inspire you to progression ,be up to date on the latest equipment advances,and after a while youll get to know the crew and they will notice your commitment… hope that helps regards BERT
Yeah dont enter and go surf way down the beach.
Excellent response. Thanks
Look at the point spread between first and last in your typical 4 man heat. It’s usually under 10 points with best 3 wave being judged. This means that you must get the best waves in the heat, perform well and ride the wave all the way in. Many kick out before the wave ends giving up 2-3 points per wave. If you catch lousy waves, that’s a loss of another 1-3 points per wave. Not everyone has the ability to perform on the same level but “ring generalship” can get you a long way. Catching the best waves and riding them to their conclusion can definately get you through many heats you would have otherwise lost.
I just had a flash back! Nineteen seventy something. My buddies and I watching the Pipe Masters. Probably Wide World of Sports with Henning and Jenner? A skinny kid with long blond hair from Florida charging from way to far back and pulling into crushing close-out tubes. We thought the kid won on balls alone. I think they gave it to Mr. Lopez or Mr. Russel. Was that you Mr. Loehr? Mike
That was Jeff Crawford. He ripped!
That’s right! Sorry, Greg. Here’s another one. Old Surfer Mag photo caption about the same time. “Jeff Crawford Shoulder Flexing at Black’s” I can still see the picture in my mind. He did(still?)rip. Mike
the only way pay the judges off !
Thank you Mr. Loehr. Very helpful. What is “ring generalship?”
So its better to ride the foam all the way in? Or should I pull out of the foam soon after it closes out? Also, if its small and blown out, which is better: trying to ride the unbroken part of the wave struggling to make some good moves or just riding the foam doing spinners (on a longboard), switching feet, standing on one foot, maybe a coffin, riding backwards etc.
when you are good and tired go back to the contest beach to ogle the groupies