To the U.S “Loggers”.
Your contests…
Do they give points for manuvers like Fin firsts, Helicopters and 3-0s over there??
In Australia our contests are pretty stupid.
They dont reward good traditional surfing eg. no points for hang heels, nose kicks and style but they also dont reward good progressive surfing… eg heli’s on the nose, fin firsts etc
the only thing you pretty much get points for in most comps here is bloody reo’s and cutbacks or barrels
cheers!
Howzit josh, I have been involved with an annual L.B.contest for over 25 years. in The beginning it was all scored on traditional riding but as the surfing became more modern and more tricks we have been judging on both traditional and modern manuvers. It’s not that hard if your judges know what to llok for. We have had good results using this format.Aloha,Kokua
Good to hear Kokua!
Cheers!
In Florida, land of no real point breaks, it is a blend of things, I think. At least I try to blend traditional moves with progressive moves to mix it up. At the last regional amateur contest, it seemed to be a blend of big first maneuver (not running to the nose to hang five then run back) with a series of moves that fit the wave. At least that is my point of view. Our waves, or lack thereof, dictate most of the scoring opportunities. You really have to know how to grovel here.
Tubes? We should be so blessed. Well, it is hurricane season now, so there is a chance.
Well it’s been awhile for me, and I’m in one tommorrow in Oceanside. Generally they score it 50/50 here, half for traditional and half for modern/progressive. From my perspective, all the moves you listed are considered “traditional”, including the helicopter and fin first. In the past the helicopter was way overscored, eventually the judges figured out that guys were advancing only because they could complete a helicopter while being unable to demonstrate any other moves. The helicopter stopped getting scored. What’s a 3-0 manouever?
If you want to score higher, put yourself in the judges seat. They’re sitting there all day, and guess what, they’re bored! Do stuff to stand out and make them smile. Make it easy for them to see and score you, don’t surf way down the beach where they have to turn their heads and squint into the sun. I’m not much of a traditionalist noserider, I try to go for the wow factor instead. Blast the lip and show some fins, do the rentry with a big tail slide, get air, turn that cutback into a backside reo as you bank off the foam. But those are my strengths, my game plan is to make the other riders look slow, weak, and boring. Surf to what you’re good at, don’t just try to imitate what your competition is doing. Stay on YOUR gameplan and don’t try to beat the others by playing their way. Barrels are always high scoring at all surf contests.
What’s really funny is if you watch an old 60’s surf film, notice what the riders are trying to do on the waves. Most of the time, those guys were trying to rip it up. It makes me laugh when “traditional” is only considered to be noseriding. Watch Dora, he was all over the wave, maybe he was just ahead of his time.
“If you want to score higher, put yourself in the judges seat. They’re sitting there all day, and guess what, they’re bored! Do stuff to stand out and make them smile”
It sounds like your judges are actaully interested in seing good surfing… i’ve had a judge come up to me after a heat here in Australia and say “Geeze that end manuver you were doing was real nice… shame we cant score you for it!” The manuver they were refering to was a stall over chop breaking the fin out of the wave.
“What’s a 3-0 manouever?”
You’ve probably seen it many times before a turn where rather then hitting the lip and comming down you go for a full 360. like an alley oop not in the air. Tanner Beckett does them more than most of the American guys.
What I cant understand is why fins first/ skeg first is not scored.
compare it to a normal take off. much cooler to do and look at. I’ve heard judges say… “there’s certainly nothing fluent about them” I think their wrong.
Good luck in your comp tommorow mate!
Howzit josh, As a contest judge who has been through the ASP judges course I can say that we don't get bored we get tired and kind of dingy. Imagine trying to judge heats when there are sometimes 3 or more riders up, trying to keep your eyes on all of them is not easy. Add to that about 7 hrs with only minimal breaks, so when the day finally is over I some times feel like I've been in a train wreck. Aloha,Kokua
yeah i know what you mean. I normally judge about 4 to 5 heats a contest day and it gets hectic when there’s 2 or more up. : )