Who F'd Up Surfing?

Where and when did all this aggro bull$#!t originate? Were the 13th century Polynesians giving stinkeye and cussing each other out of the water? Did it start in California, Australia? While the Duke was spreading surfing around the world, was he also dropping in on his students and telling them to, “F*cking go home kook!”? Every week there’s a new a$$hole in the lineup. Case in point: I was riding an air mat the other day when this burly dude blatantly dropped in on me. He looked back and saw that I was cruising right next to his outside rail. Unable to outrun me, he cranked a hard roundhouse cutback, thrusting the nose of his board in the direction of my face. When I pushed his board out of self defense, he shouted, “Hey! Watch it!”. What would motivate a person to do something like that? Are there defined levels of respect assigned to specific wavecraft regardless of the rider’s skill? Bodysurfers get stuffed by mat riders, who get stuffed by bodyboarders, who get stuffed by kneeboarders, who get stuffed by shortboarders, who get stuffed by longboarders, who get stuffed by windsurfers, who get stuffed by jet skiers, who get stuffed by motor boats, who get stuffed by oil tankers, who get stuffed by aircraft carriers??? Perhaps it’s just the ying/yang of it all; the beauty of the sea contrasted by the ugliness of humanity. How do you handle conflit? Sock a snake in the eye? Shrug it off since it’s just a lump of water in the ocean? If the set-o-the-day comes rolling through and a beginner picks it off, does the more advanced surfer have the right to drop in since the beginner can only trim and smile? What are we supposed to respect in the water? Anything?

Where and when did all this aggro bull$#!t originate? Were the 13th > century Polynesians giving stinkeye and cussing each other out of the > water? Did it start in California, Australia? While the Duke was spreading > surfing around the world, was he also dropping in on his students and > telling them to, “F*cking go home kook!”?>>> Every week there’s a new a$$hole in the lineup. Case in point: I was > riding an air mat the other day when this burly dude blatantly dropped in > on me. He looked back and saw that I was cruising right next to his > outside rail. Unable to outrun me, he cranked a hard roundhouse cutback, > thrusting the nose of his board in the direction of my face. When I pushed > his board out of self defense, he shouted, “Hey! Watch it!”. > What would motivate a person to do something like that?>>> Are there defined levels of respect assigned to specific wavecraft > regardless of the rider’s skill? Bodysurfers get stuffed by mat riders, > who get stuffed by bodyboarders, who get stuffed by kneeboarders, who get > stuffed by shortboarders, who get stuffed by longboarders, who get stuffed > by windsurfers, who get stuffed by jet skiers, who get stuffed by motor > boats, who get stuffed by oil tankers, who get stuffed by aircraft > carriers???>>> Perhaps it’s just the ying/yang of it all; the beauty of the sea > contrasted by the ugliness of humanity. How do you handle conflit? Sock a > snake in the eye? Shrug it off since it’s just a lump of water in the > ocean? If the set-o-the-day comes rolling through and a beginner picks it > off, does the more advanced surfer have the right to drop in since the > beginner can only trim and smile? What are we supposed to respect in the > water? Anything? People are rude in their cars, in the supermarket, at work, at school, so why would it be different in the water? For over 32 years I’ve occasionally been cut off, yelled at, threatened, ran into, glared at. People are basically rude nowadays, the hippie era has left the building!!!

People are rude in their cars, in the supermarket, at work, at school, so > why would it be different in the water? For over 32 years I’ve > occasionally been cut off, yelled at, threatened, ran into, glared at. > People are basically rude nowadays, the hippie era has left the > building!!! – Ive spent my life building and surfing on all kids of things, including a good part of those years riding mats, and NOTHING prevents stoked kooks, clueless idiots or belligerent morons from dropping in. Oh sure, violence is definitely an option, but once that level is reached, I guarantee that sooner or later youll spend more time on the beach, at the emergency room/dentists office and in court than riding waves. Its never just one fight that ends there, either… that guy who you just called out, could very well be an attorney, have solid gang connections or one really BIG, mean sister. Part of the solution is to simply look elsewhere for uncrowded waves. Thats what its all about anyway. The other part is learning to appreciate and use various surfcraft, especially those which function in a wide variety of waves and surface conditions, such as high end surfmats. In fact, if you`re a competant mat rider, those longer, weirder, ledged out, shallow, sort of choppy “B” grade spots that most consider too fast or sectiony… places that just about everyone else drives by, can easily become “A” grade waves to those who know…

–>>> Ive spent my life building and surfing on all kids of things, including a > good part of those years riding mats, and NOTHING prevents stoked kooks, > clueless idiots or belligerent morons from dropping in. Oh sure, violence > is definitely an option, but once that level is reached, I guarantee that > sooner or later youll spend more time on the beach, at the emergency > room/dentists office and in court than riding waves. Its never just one > fight that ends there, either… that guy who you just called out, could > very well be an attorney, have solid gang connections or one really BIG, > mean sister.>>> Part of the solution is to simply look elsewhere for uncrowded waves. > Thats what its all about anyway. The other part is learning to > appreciate and use various surfcraft, especially those which function in a > wide variety of waves and surface conditions, such as high end surfmats. > In fact, if you`re a competant mat rider, those longer, weirder, ledged > out, shallow, sort of choppy “B” grade spots that most consider > too fast or sectiony… places that just about everyone else drives by, > can easily become “A” grade waves to those who know… yesterday it was 1’ fast, hollow and offshore.saw some little lefts peeling of at some normally unsurfed beachbreak.a tad too small to stand up,so I took out my 7’4" Liddle and bellied it for about 45 minutes.What a blast! No crowds, just pure fun.

Too many surfers, too few waves for the unimaginative. Who’s responsible? Ancient Hawaiian royalty declared “sacred” surfing grounds. Anyone who ventured into “their” lineup was killed. Ancient Hawaiians conducted surf contests. At stake, everything from wives to lives. The Duke joyously spread surfing throughout the world. George Freeth may or may not have been the first surfer in California, but he got the ball rolling. Tom Blake put a fin on the surfboard. (Paul Jensen actually made the first one, I believe.) Bob Simmons made boards 50 pounds lighter. Bud Brown started showing surfing movies. Foam was developed, and board dropped another 20 pounds. The movie Gidget was released. John Severson started Surfer Magazine. Bruce Brown made The Endless Summer. Jack O’Neill developed the wetsuit. Not satisfied with the co-lateral crowd damage of the wetsuit, Jack O’Neill developed the first modern leash. Tom Morey groomed the already-invented polyethene foam surfrider into the Boogie. Surf mags began to publish worldwide surf spot guides. Pro surfing popularizes being an a-hole in the water. Longboarding makes a comeback. I’m not sure who to blame!

“I’m not sure who to blame!” Wheres George Greenough in your roll call of fd up messes? He surely was stoked to bugger up longboarders for a few years. That stunt should at least count for honorable mention!

yesterday it was 1’ fast, hollow and offshore.saw some little lefts > peeling of at some normally unsurfed beachbreak.a tad too small to stand > up,so I took out my 7’4" Liddle and bellied it for about 45 > minutes.What a blast! No crowds, just pure fun. Ive had similar sessions at my fave spot where its tiny but clean, and just me out and so much fun. And just a half mile down the road its just a bit bigger and 50 times more crowded.

Wheres George Greenough in your roll call of fd up messes? He surely was > stoked to bugger up longboarders for a few years. That stunt should at > least count for honorable mention! That’s a good point. The shortboard revolution was the start of surfers breaking off into smaller groups based on spots and various board designs. Not exactly the utopia we expected from the Age of Aquarius.

Wheres George Greenough in your roll call of fd up messes? He surely was > stoked to bugger up longboarders for a few years. That stunt should at > least count for honorable mention! Tennie, I would hope your incipient comment that surfboard design / innovators of the ride / people here / the surfboard it self and all that goes with it are answerable to the paddling sacks of crap and their localisms that we no longer want to experience. I think Paul G. and his cronyology of events begs to ask not who is to blame but how we got to this point of conditioning in the line up. cfp

Tennie,>>> I would hope your incipient comment that surfboard design / innovators of > the ride / people here / the surfboard it self and all that goes with it > are answerable to the paddling sacks of crap and their localisms that we > no longer want to experience.>>> I think Paul G. and his cronyology of events begs to ask not who is to > blame but how we got to this point of conditioning in the line up.>>> cfp George Greenough is on record as being thrilled to have killed longboarding the first time. Since its unfortunate revival, Ive more or less resigned myself to the thought that theres always a dim hope for the future.

I think Paul G. and his cronyology of events begs to ask not who is to > blame but how we got to this point of conditioning in the line up.>>> cfp Thank you, Chris. My point exactly.

Thank you, Chris. My point exactly. PEOPLE ALRIGHT.especially the surf schools that are operated by kooks whom have little or no surf/cultural experience and have merely taken it up as a “fun” way to make an easy buck.No history, no soul, no manners, no etiquette-just show 'em how to stand on their soft board on the sand then paddle 'em out into the line up with no regard for what, who,when or why.just go out splash and bump around,yell and scream.what’s a rip-tide?where do waves come from? what effect do structures, such as jetties and piers have on currents and waves? how can you safe yourself or someone else in a drowning situation?what about winds?tides,type of surfbreaks?Fuck surf schools.

Where and when did all this aggro bull$#!t originate? Increased competition for a limited resource.

People are rude in their cars, in the supermarket, at work, at school, so > why would it be different in the water? For over 32 years I’ve > occasionally been cut off, yelled at, threatened, ran into, glared at. > People are basically rude nowadays, the hippie era has left the > building!!! Well it got to the breaking point for me, starting last Sunday. First the 3 “pro” bike riders that decided at the last moment to go on the FREEWAY without looking and rode in front of me. I had my wife and child with me, so I declined to give them the California wave. I passed them up and several hundred yards ahead at the freeway entrance to 5 north, they rode up next to me and punched my van. That was it, out of the van with my 24" cresent wrench ready to split skulls. My wife starts screaming, “not in front of Ian”, the bike fucks start laughing at me, my chest tightens up like concrete and I can taste blood. I followed them as they rode ahead of me, wanting to pull off the rode way and run over them like grapes. That set the tone for the rest of the week. Monday, as I drove home on Coast Hwy., a much mellower ride, hah! A dipshit woman ahead of me is signaling for a left turn, as she crosses the oncomming lanes and I’m now passing her, she suddenly returns to what had been her lane, but I’m now there. I stomp the brakes as hard as I can, whip the wheel right, then left and slide between her and the car in the right lane, who I am now occupying his lane. God was my co-pilot at that moment. Less that 5 minutes later, I’m at my favorite Hadji-Bob’s gas station, waiting behind the Suburban, whem a van pulls in the EXIT and starts nosing between me and the Suburban. I gat out to tell him he needed to go around the station and get in line behind me, no reply but to inch even farher forward. This was it, I told the Mexican driver to go ahead and cut me off, but when you get out of the car, I going to kill you. He decided to get out right then, wehen both of his feet hit the ground, mu right fist hit him in the face as hard as I could, his knees wobbled and he slid down his door. He got back in his van and I pulled forward, pumped my gas. Why so angry?, this is just a spill over from the same bunch of kooks, surf like a kook, drive like a kook, ride your bike like a kook. Since Thanksgiving I HAVEN’T ridden a wave WITHOUT some KOOK dropping in on me and the norm is no less that 5-6 KOOKS dropping in. Society has adopted the mentality of I’m getting mine, first, screw you. I have a new policy, punch first ask no questions. I ain’t no resthome kook with a walker in the way, take off deep or don’t take off at all.

Well it got to the breaking point for me, starting last Sunday. First the > 3 “pro” bike riders that decided at the last moment to go on the > FREEWAY without looking and rode in front of me. I had my wife and child > with me, so I declined to give them the California wave. I passed them up > and several hundred yards ahead at the freeway entrance to 5 north, they > rode up next to me and punched my van. That was it, out of the van with my > 24" cresent wrench ready to split skulls. My wife starts screaming, > “not in front of Ian”, the bike fucks start laughing at me, my > chest tightens up like concrete and I can taste blood. I followed them as > they rode ahead of me, wanting to pull off the rode way and run over them > like grapes. That set the tone for the rest of the week. Monday, as I > drove home on Coast Hwy., a much mellower ride, hah! A dipshit woman ahead > of me is signaling for a left turn, as she crosses the oncomming lanes and > I’m now passing her, she suddenly returns to what had been her lane, but > I’m now there. I stomp the brakes as hard as I can, whip the wheel right, > then left and slide between her and the car in the right lane, who I am > now occupying his lane. God was my co-pilot at that moment. Less that 5 > minutes later, I’m at my favorite Hadji-Bob’s gas station, waiting behind > the Suburban, whem a van pulls in the EXIT and starts nosing between me > and the Suburban. I gat out to tell him he needed to go around the station > and get in line behind me, no reply but to inch even farher forward. This > was it, I told the Mexican driver to go ahead and cut me off, but when you > get out of the car, I going to kill you. He decided to get out right then, > wehen both of his feet hit the ground, mu right fist hit him in the face > as hard as I could, his knees wobbled and he slid down his door. He got > back in his van and I pulled forward, pumped my gas. Why so angry?, this > is just a spill over from the same bunch of kooks, surf like a kook, drive > like a kook, ride your bike like a kook. Since Thanksgiving I HAVEN’T > ridden a wave WITHOUT some KOOK dropping in on me and the norm is no less > that 5-6 KOOKS dropping in. Society has adopted the mentality of I’m > getting mine, first, screw you. I have a new policy, punch first ask no > questions. I ain’t no resthome kook with a walker in the way, take off > deep or don’t take off at all. – Jim… very efficient! Are you sure you`re not from Oregon?

Holy fuc%in sh&t, Jim. I can totally relate in that I was born and raised in L.A., and over the last 30 years have seen the place become congested with traffic and bottom feeders alike to the point it’s at now. It’s a source of a lot of frustration for me, but I can’t leave the place. Yeah, I miss the days when “rush hour” on the 405 was kept in a nice neat box between the hours of 5:30 and 6:00pm Monday thru Friday and people would actually wave to one another if they cut them off. What we have here are the results of 1.5 persons per square foot as it would seem at times. Shitty fuc%in week, but I try to avoid violence as I saw my aunt killed in a similiar type of road rage situation. Things can escalate and get out of control real quick…it ain’t worth it.>>> Well it got to the breaking point for me, starting last Sunday. First the > 3 “pro” bike riders that decided at the last moment to go on the > FREEWAY without looking and rode in front of me. I had my wife and child > with me, so I declined to give them the California wave. I passed them up > and several hundred yards ahead at the freeway entrance to 5 north, they > rode up next to me and punched my van. That was it, out of the van with my > 24" cresent wrench ready to split skulls. My wife starts screaming, > “not in front of Ian”, the bike fucks start laughing at me, my > chest tightens up like concrete and I can taste blood. I followed them as > they rode ahead of me, wanting to pull off the rode way and run over them > like grapes. That set the tone for the rest of the week. Monday, as I > drove home on Coast Hwy., a much mellower ride, hah! A dipshit woman ahead > of me is signaling for a left turn, as she crosses the oncomming lanes and > I’m now passing her, she suddenly returns to what had been her lane, but > I’m now there. I stomp the brakes as hard as I can, whip the wheel right, > then left and slide between her and the car in the right lane, who I am > now occupying his lane. God was my co-pilot at that moment. Less that 5 > minutes later, I’m at my favorite Hadji-Bob’s gas station, waiting behind > the Suburban, whem a van pulls in the EXIT and starts nosing between me > and the Suburban. I gat out to tell him he needed to go around the station > and get in line behind me, no reply but to inch even farher forward. This > was it, I told the Mexican driver to go ahead and cut me off, but when you > get out of the car, I going to kill you. He decided to get out right then, > wehen both of his feet hit the ground, mu right fist hit him in the face > as hard as I could, his knees wobbled and he slid down his door. He got > back in his van and I pulled forward, pumped my gas. Why so angry?, this > is just a spill over from the same bunch of kooks, surf like a kook, drive > like a kook, ride your bike like a kook. Since Thanksgiving I HAVEN’T > ridden a wave WITHOUT some KOOK dropping in on me and the norm is no less > that 5-6 KOOKS dropping in. Society has adopted the mentality of I’m > getting mine, first, screw you. I have a new policy, punch first ask no > questions. I ain’t no resthome kook with a walker in the way, take off > deep or don’t take off at all.

but I try to avoid violence as I saw my aunt > killed in a similiar type of road rage situation. Things can escalate and > get out of control real quick…it ain’t worth it. Right on Gregg, Best not to resort to violence, hey Im no passafist(sorry pun intended)but I also think it best not to run up a legal tab/hospital tab. Now if we can only get the rest of sociaty to go this route, especially out in the water we would be set. Sometimes if you just smile and give a shaka(sp?) things can calm. “…it ain’t worth it.”

Jim… Is it worth it to stay there…???.. There ARE uncrowded wave out there… Here’s what it’s like in my world…On Wed. I surfed for 5.5 hours…6-8’@11 sec…SCA offshore winds…3 other guys out…No drop ins… The borders ARE still open… Paul http://www.swaylocks.com

Jim…>>> Is it worth it to stay there…???..>>> There ARE uncrowded wave out there…>>> Here’s what it’s like in my world…On Wed. I surfed for 5.5 > hours…6-8’@11 sec…SCA offshore winds…3 other guys out…No drop > ins…>>> The borders ARE still open…>>> Paul Believe it or not there are still breaks in Monterey Bay that are un-crowded. The secret to finding them is simple. Be an astute observer of weather and wave conditions along with being fortunate enough to set ones own schedule, and only share you knowledge with those you want to surf with. Bragging is invariably a bad idea. By the way Paul, what was the water & air temperature? Mahalo, Rich

By the way Paul, what was the water & air temperature? Air: 33 deg…Water: low 50’s…