RealSurf Surfers' Forum

Jeez, Nick really overthinks surfing.

Do you know what, I think it’s more like when worlds collide. I’ve droned on about this before but I reckon up to around 1995, possibly a bit later, the model - the only model - offered was one of constant improvement. He rips! Surf like him! Pro surfing was the exemplar and everything by and large filtered outwards from that. Why do I surf the way I do now? Pro surfing, pretty much. But for later adopters, particularly those who are adults, the old traditions probably don’t apply. Surfing just is. Buy something floaty, ride a few waves, chat surf to some blokes at a barbie. Your place in the lineup doesn’t depend on anything any more so what’s the point of getting better. No, really, what is the actual point? I don’t think I can properly answer that

I agree with you on the dichotomy but I'm not sure you've applied it correctly.

From my vantage it's the newbies/adult learners or sub-adult learners who are most obsessed with "improvement" and the most susceptible to the pro surfing model of imitation.

The other way of thinking, expressed by Derek Hynd in Litmus, that surfing as you get older is all about "joy in the water" seems to be more characteristic of a longer involvement.

I seem to swing back and forth between the two opposing ways of being.

Have to say I've thought the same thing about adult learners at Bondi for quite a while. Stuff like surf conditions seem irrelevant to them. I guess if your only expectation is getting wet and standing up it doesn't matter that it's closing out or flat.Even intermediate surfers there seem happy to paddle into closing out death pits because the waves bigger.

I've recently begun to reframe my own thinking to just accept that going for a paddle and getting wet when it's woeful is okay. Got some exercise. It's sunny.

Recently?

I've been here for ten years and you've had it all that time.

Depends also on what aspects you want to improve on.

For me, it’s flow and surfing clean. Last thing I want to look like is this.

https://youtu.be/u3dhtYWDqc4

For a competition I’ve never seen so much self defeat.

actually Iggs, that was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be.

I reckon old mate in the red shirt would surf like Godsave.

...

Really I think the most important thing is to acknowledge that there’s no right or wrong. Legion busting some buttwiggling in a Perth closeout is equally as valid as iggy styling an el telephono in one foot maroubra and vive la difference

steve shearer wrote: ↑

Sat May 25, 2019 9:38 am

Recently?

I've been here for ten years and you've had it all that time.

Stepped up a notch over the last year. I mean really crap surf. I used to get frustrated but now I am more accepting. My philosophical approach has developed to the next level. Recent trip up the coast reminded me of the pay off for persevering.

I think gradually dialling my current ride in has kept me interested as well. Also because I can chuck it in the car easily and it duck dives way better than my other regular ride makes it handy.

I really mean my idea of why I'm paddling out has been affected, as we have been discussing, by all these adult learners. They are happy to just catch a wave. Why not?

It's one thirty am in old blighty and godsave is shitfaced.

godsavethequeen wrote: ↑

Sat May 25, 2019 10:32 am

Really I think the most important thing is to acknowledge that there’s no right or wrong. Legion busting some buttwiggling in a Perth closeout is equally as valid as iggy styling an el telephono in one foot maroubra and vive la difference

A pic from a Swellnet report this morning ...

That's Hatchie on the right. An El Telephono only works if you're on the nose of course.

There are some on here who don’t appreciate your genius, petulance. More fool them, I say. More fool them

offshore1 wrote: ↑

Sat May 25, 2019 10:36 am

It's one thirty am in old blighty and godsave is shitfaced.

I really am. I’m supposed to be surfing in the morning. Fcuk that

How good surfers get DRIVE out of light performance boards in weak waves is beyond me. That's a f&ckibg big skill right there. Doing decent turns is easy if you've got that thing driving. Otherwise start wiggling and pumping.

steve shearer wrote: ↑

Sat May 25, 2019 9:22 am

The other way of thinking, expressed by Derek Hynd in Litmus, that surfing as you get older is all about "joy in the water" seems to be more characteristic of a longer involvement.

Definitely.