Heyall
I keep hearing talks of traditional longboarding vs modern longboarding.
I tried to answer this question to a friend and couldn’t come up with a satisfactory answer…
What are the differences between traditional and longboarding? In terms of manouevres and styles etc?
What do the modern longboarding judges look for?
Cheers
Ant
Modern longboarding judges look for the longest time spent standing on the nose while doing an aerial.
I would say modern longboarding is more progressive. Sort of like shortboarding on a longboard. So you have people doing round house cut backs, big floaters, helicopters, fin first take offs, yes there is tip time as well of course, but the style is just more aggressive. Also the boards are lighter and would have a more modern rail set up.
I might speculate the ‘‘modern’’ is synonamus with high performance
emphasis on manuvers i.e articulated direction changes.
traditional would base self esteem on refined placement within the curl line
and refined trimmmmm sensitivity…i.e. not losing speed and connecting all the dots from a-z emphasis on smoothe transitions and smoothe executions
of direction changes.
…ambrose…
Why does “traditional longboarding” sound synonymous with “modern mat surfing”?
Modern longboarding judges look for the longest time spent standing on the nose while doing an aerial.
HAAAAAAAHAHAHA, nice one Balsa, made me laugh out loud!
I think “Modern” longboarding is mostly about scoring contests. Judges don’t really know how to score longboarding, so they just do it like shortboarding. So to score points, participants have to work in the same stuff they would do on small equipment. To do that, you get longboards which will allow it - 3 fins, thin tails, lots of rocker, barely hitting the 9’ minimum…and then you get guys who spend their time on those boards. Its mostly surfing off the tail, with an occasional charge all the way to the tip and a retreat all the way back.
“Traditional” also starts with the equipment - flat, wide, single finned - and then you get surfing which works best with that. To bring a board like that around, you’ve got to be right over the fin, so you step back. But to get it to speed up, you have to reduce fin & tail drag, so you walk forwards and find trim. Start moving around like that, and you’re bound to want to learn to do it with a little grace… 
Why does “traditional longboarding” sound synonymous with “modern mat surfing”?
er…a slight difference in the weight between a 9-10’ volan glassed 3" thick tanker , and an inflatable surf mat , I think .
[The D-fin on the original “traditional” mals [“longboards”] probably weighed about as much as a surf mat]
I would imagine , Lavz, that a “traditional” mal would probably have something like 50/50 rails , and some possibly may have hull [convex] type bottoms and big heavy glassed on fins [again , possibly volan cloth used in the layup , back in the '60s…]
If you get in touch with Cottesloe Longboard Club [they run the "Whalebone Classic " ] , I’m sure Mick Marlin or any of the other older guys there would show you the difference [they have a “traditional” division in most of their contests , from memory …as the Scarborough “Wave Walkers” do too , I’m pretty sure !]
okay , I hope this helps …
cheers ,
ben
Eli , my 25yo nephew , just won the Victorian titles recently , mixing traditional and “progressive” [modern] manouevres… [not bad for a bloke who rides a shortboard 90 % of the time , I reckon !]
I don’t think modern is the right term…but it I guess thats what it’s come to. Modern equip. gives the impression of something that is improved over older equip. The fact is…modern longboards will do all the same moves as older longboards…with more speed. Modern longboards are easier to turn and therefore allow more modern or progressive surfing moves. I am not speaking of the ultra rockered out thin longboards made for one style of surfing, but improvements in blanks and design in the basic long surfboard. I guess it should be called modern surfing vs retro surfing. Most of us were happy when boards loosened up and we were able to perform more radical moves or older moves easier. Certainly it’s gone to a silly extreme where it no longers reflects much style or beauty…but there is really no such thing a modern surfboard or modern surfing. There are simply surfboards that work at certain things better than others and surfers than can do more tricks than others. Alot is made of a name today and for little reason exept to pigeon hole people or surfboards in to certain categories to match the magazines or personal prejudice.
Most people I know did not want to go back to heavy…slow…stiff old longboards after more modern ones came out until it became the vogue thing. I know some that never left those old designs. If you want to nose ride long pointbreaks and thats the only move your interested in then heavy flatter entry rocker more rockered tailed boards work great. Those same boards suck in beach breaks. If you want to surf a longboard similar to a shortboard…more rocker…less volume. Toss a coin and have fun. There are hundreds of variables and even more opinions.
Proper tool for the right job maybe should be the question. Once your past the basics in surfboard design of floatation support for the surfer riding it…it’s pretty much all personal preference anyway.
Are you losing your grip? That’s the most rational post youy’v ever made. Ha! Ha! McDing
Are you losing your grip? That’s the most rational post youy’v ever made. Ha! Ha! McDing
Dang …and here I sit thinking I usually type rational post. Thanks McDing. I guess one will come out of me every now and then.
Pretty sure he was referenceing ambrose’s take on the matter. Not that your musings were anythng less than stellar. Very insightdul Solo.
After reading ambrose’s post I was left with the same feeling …“that I actually understood what he jsut wrote”
hmmmm perhaps ambrose, has hired a “ghost poster”???
Drew
too much understandability
at once could be damaging.
thats why I feel rational posts
should be only provided
in measured amounts
at regulated intervals.
…ambrose…
call it rationing
mmmmm
my ghost poster
is waiting for
my going to
my great reward
before starting
to post for me
meanwhile
its just me.
mebe cause I got some waves
ahhh I seeeeeee
ambrose + waves = prose for even the most common of swaylockers.
either way my friend, I’ll take it!
Drew
I like to think aggressive longboard surfing is called “Hot Dogging” Remember that term? I was fortunate to Hot Dog Threes with 2 guys out this morning… Very fun…
Most correct answer:
I like to think aggressive longboard surfing is called “Hot Dogging” Remember that term?
well said solosurfer. i mean really well said.
thats what i dont get when i see people riding traditional longboards. i see them doing lots of stylish things, but going really really slow. they could flatten out the tail and throw somewhat of an edge in it, and do the same things going much faster. even draw out their turns more.
like actually have speed to race out onto the shoulder and do a big drawn out cutback instead of not having speed to do more then a little pivot turn 4 feet in front of the whitewater.
but everybody likes something different, and they should.
but a lot of times i feel like people ride traditional logs because its cool and stylish to have one and to ride at inside c street or inside malibu. but spending a grand on a surfboard that unversatile to me is a waste of money. id rather have a modern board to ride here in town or to take wherever i want in the whole world, and spend the extra cash on a plane ticket.
Having just completed my first year in competetive longboarding (amateur), I can give you some feedback on what I think judges like. The ability to mix nose riding, cross stepping (no hopping brah!), drop knee turns, and re-direction on waves while maintaining good balance. Then I’ll bust a hard bottom turn and float a section and do a big roundhouse on the next wave. Basically, I mix it up. I have no real ties to classic vs. modern, as I only starting riding longboards a few years ago. In Florida, you basically need two boards; A longboard and a fish. Oh, I like to play with fin combo’s a bunch too, thanks to you guys.
I have a 9’0" ultralight epoxy that I ride in contests, and I have a 10’ balsa (more pics soon) that I’m impatiently waiting to ride. I don’t know what traditional may entail, but I know I’m going to have to run to the tail, stomp, turn, trim and cruise. I can’t wait. Thanks to Swaylocks it has a veneer abalone logo, cut with sharp scissors! Richie Buehn is an under-appreciated craftsman in our area.
comp. epoxy.
chambered balsa
To do that, you get longboards which will allow it - 3 fins, thin tails, lots of rocker, barely hitting the 9' minimum...and then you get guys who spend their time on those boards. Its mostly surfing off the tail, with an occasional charge all the way to the tip and a retreat all the way back.
Sometimes “longboards” are even shorter because some contests have the 3-foot rule, meaning a guy who is 5’8" can have a 8’8" while 6-footers like me have to have a 9’0".
Brose------That’s more like it! Out there like we feel. McDing