Why so much HATE towards bodyboarders?

[Beanpole]

double post

[tiger]

all due props to that minority of lidders that do the extreme stuff, but the overwhelmingly majority that surf in packs, flap around and get in the way, snake, play that ghey doof doof music really loudly in the carpark, do that stupid dropknee shite, and other assorted lameness, tends to get on peoples goats

Yeah that too

It all just looks so fcuking lame

Incidentally, there's an interesting aspect to the term "dropknee" which I believe deserves closer examination

When you think about it, "dropknee" is not really dropknee at all. It involves raising one knee from a prone position, so should really be called liftknee, upknee or some such formulation

Dropknee is what you would do if you were standing up to surf and then assumed the DK position

Hence my hypothesis, which is supported over and over again: deep down, boogers know how ghey they are, and really want to be standups

Or they could call it Sicne.

[northeasterly]

It's simple. Body boarders haven't done their time and worked through the frustrating years of learning to stand up.

Body boarding is the easy option.

That's why there is little respect.

[Chong]

Its much easier to heap derision and contempt on a 55 kilo bodyboarding grom in Australia than a 95 kilo muscular Hawaiian. It is the brave / courageous traveller who maintains the bodyboarding hate whilst travelling (I'm thinking specifically of Portugal, The Canaries and Hawaii.)

[Trev]

I suspect the hate isn't directed at bodyboarders per se. Rather at their antics - they are (generally) young kids who like to hunt in packs. They're the ones who paddle out together, yelling and calling to their mates at the top of their voices and generally destroying the pleasant vibe of a place.
Now, before too many people take me to task here, Let me hasten to add that, during my time in Sydney, I shared many happy sessions at the Bower with a whole group of boogers. The difference was their age - all were mature. They enjoyed themselves, fitted in with other surf craft and pretty well contributed to a fun session all round.
So, am I saying it's the kids who are a problem? Not sure but I've had plenty of good sessions with younger surfers, too.
Shark Island and its like aside, there's no real commitment to a wave like stand up surfing (at least that's how it seems to me). Ducking under and out the back when things get hot appear easier on a boogie board than on a stick of any length.
What's the point of my post? Well I'm really just thinking out loud. Trying to make some sense of a really good question. I don't hate boogers. I don't take kindly to some of their antics but I could apply that same sentiment to shortboarders, mal riders and SUP's. And that's not to mention the goat boats and paddle ski riders.
At the end of the day, I suspect it's a bit like the rivalry between NSW and Qld. Or between Sydney and Melbourne. Or Tasmanians - because they're there.

[chrisb]

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned this problem:-

Because of its accessibility, many bodyboarders can and do take off on the inside of a wave. Most well-mannered people like me allow them the right of way.

That's OK in small amounts, but when it happens continually it doesn't take long before all the patient and well-mannered but continually frustrated, standups become thoroughly pissed off.

Snaking standup surfers of course are just as bad.

Unfortunately the bodyboarder who called me into what turned out to be a screamer of a wave at Tallows 10 years ago is a rare breed

[Trev]

all due props to that minority of lidders that do the extreme stuff, but the overwhelmingly majority that surf in packs, flap around and get in the way, snake, play that ghey doof doof music really loudly in the carpark, do that stupid dropknee shite, and other assorted lameness, tends to get on peoples goats

Yeah that too

It all just looks so fcuking lame

Incidentally, there's an interesting aspect to the term "dropknee" which I believe deserves closer examination

When you think about it, "dropknee" is not really dropknee at all. It involves raising one knee from a prone position, so should really be called liftknee, upknee or some such formulation

Dropknee is what you would do if you were standing up to surf and then assumed the DK position

Hence my hypothesis, which is supported over and over again: deep down, boogers know how ghey they are, and really want to be standups

Or they could call it Sicne.

I just got that

Bit slow, today Simon? Where is old Sicne anyway. This thread should be right up his alley.

[One Mile Point]

I don't hate boogers, but it's pretty annoying to watch them ride a wave. Seems there are only two maneuvers that they can do - 360 and barrel roll and both those maneuvers are fairly simple on a bodyboard. I reckon never having ridden one in my life that I could pull off a barrel roll first time out on one. I like to see them do something different to those two tricks, usually shows they have a bit more experience and know what they're doing. Having said that, no animosity on my part. Good on the ones that charge, although it doesn't really interest me.

Same with skiing/snowboarding. I ski and I'll happily ski with friends who board. Just doesn't really interest me as much.

Who knows, that kid on a bodyboard could end up pretty damn good one day. When I was a grom I used to head down the beach with a mate and his brothers from a well-known surfing family in these parts, 2 of the 3 brothers on bodyboards. My mate gave up bodyboarding for surfing shortly afterwards and ended up pretty damn good on the WCT for a long time.

So thats coming from a type of surfing that all its turns are fundamentally the same? lol

[philw]

marcus, despite all these rational arguments about boogers taking waves and having bad haircuts the reason for the hate has no grounding other than this:

most people are really stupid.

and that's why we're f*cked.

[bonusbeats]

i've never noticed any of this hatred or rage in the water.

[Chong]

Well last time I looked, I wasn't in Hawaii. When I get there, you can round up all your good mates from da hui to sort me out

Until then - eat my derision & contempt, dickcheese. It's those sorts of lame comparisons that make you so pitiable - like all the lidders who think they're hardcore because "Winny" charges 20ft Teahupoo and it somehow rubs off on them

I actually ride short boards but thanks for the lame poorly aimed insult all the same.

Actually I'm surprised you are on the internet today. Surely a superior waterman of your prowess should be out paddle surfing a maxing bommie somewhere while generally revelling in your alpha maleness.

[Jimi]

marcus, despite all these rational arguments about boogers taking waves and having bad haircuts the reason for the hate has no grounding other than this:

most people are really stupid.

and that's why we're f*cked.

[marcus]

all due props to that minority of lidders that do the extreme stuff, but the overwhelmingly majority that surf in packs, flap around and get in the way, snake, play that ghey doof doof music really loudly in the carpark, do that stupid dropknee shite, and other assorted lameness, tends to get on peoples goats

Yeah that too

It all just looks so fcuking lame

Incidentally, there's an interesting aspect to the term "dropknee" which I believe deserves closer examination

When you think about it, "dropknee" is not really dropknee at all. It involves raising one knee from a prone position, so should really be called liftknee, upknee or some such formulation

Dropknee is what you would do if you were standing up to surf and then assumed the DK position

Hence my hypothesis, which is supported over and over again: deep down, boogers know how ghey they are, and really want to be standups

Or they could call it Sicne.

I just got that

that makes perfect sense
as dropknee is an old way of turning a longboard, but whos nit picking eh

[marcus]

It's simple. Body boarders haven't done their time and worked through the frustrating years of learning to stand up.

Body boarding is the easy option.

That's why there is little respect.

ok, so if one of my mates that rides a shortboard usually, paddles out on a lid. is that allright?
If marty rode the bodyboard and i rode the gun... would that be different?
his 5 years of riding a shortboard compared to my 22-30ish years riding all sorts of boards makes him deserve less hate then.
thanks for clearing that up
how do you know bodyboarders havent done theyre time?
should i assume all shortboarders are those guys i meet at work that talk about how they once surfed?
should i assume all shortboarders are like smntl and southy here?

[northeasterly]

It's simple. Body boarders haven't done their time and worked through the frustrating years of learning to stand up.

Body boarding is the easy option.

That's why there is little respect.

ok, so if one of my mates that rides a shortboard usually, paddles out on a lid. is that allright?
If marty rode the bodyboard and i rode the gun... would that be different?
his 5 years of riding a shortboard compared to my 22-30ish years riding all sorts of boards makes him deserve less hate then.
thanks for clearing that up
how do you know bodyboarders havent done theyre time?
should i assume all shortboarders are those guys i meet at work that talk about how they once surfed?
should i assume all shortboarders are like smntl and southy here?

I like to think that anyone who bothered to get to a decent level of surfing ability (surfboard) would quickly give away their 'child's toy' (bodyboard) and stick with what's obviously a more efficient and graceful form of wave riding (as I did, and pretty much every other surfer I know did, when we were grommets).

This is why when I see someone riding a bodyboard I just assume that they haven't bothered to learn to surf because it was just too hard.

Why ride a bodyboard if you can surf? What a waste of time, and waves.

[DucksNuts]

for me, its the etiquette in the surf.
ill hate any shortboarder just as much if he continually paddles back to the inside, takes off on anything and everything, and wipes out and ruins the rest of the wave. furthermore, id hate any shortboarder if he turns up with a heaps of his mates and is a loudmouth twat in the surf.
but seeing as surfings demographic is overwhelmingly older, and younger surfers see how their elders act, most stand-ups are mature enough not to do this.
the majority of lids, however, are younger, and dont seem to have an understanding of etiquette.
an example: winki at manly today. about 10 bodyboarders and one or two stand ups.
there were about three older bodyboarders whod sit and wait their turn. they were good blokes.
the other dipshits would continually hug the inside and take off on everything and try and call off the stand ups even after theyd been waiting for ages.

[marcus]

I tend to think its different
could it be that many surfers are sheep, they need acceptance, they need to wear a billabong or qucksilver shirt to a nightclub to say to the ladies, hey im a surfer. I am a waterman. i have been to bali once and baught a bintang t shirt.
see that guy n the tv screen getting barrelled? thats me doing my day job.
so many assumptions.

oh newcastle was firing yesterday. where was everyone?
waste of waves eh, should have grabbed a bodyboard and joined me.

[Grooter]

Never get many lidders down my way unless it's a places like Pt Leo which has a loit of families and kids in summer. Although the little runts stay close to the shore and never paddle out to the back. It's only little kids and teeny-boppers that do it down here too. Most kids around here graduate to a board pretty quick once they turn 18 and have a licence.

The thing that I fcuking hate the most is those damn surf-ski's. Arzholes take off much earlier and snake your waves, and because they can paddle back out faster they tend to be rather gluttonous on the waves.

I employ Hatchmans rule of thumb to these cnuts. Snake me once and I let you do it, do it again and I ignore you which means I'll drop in on you and stuff your ride, if I can't have the wave then neither can you!

Most of em down here are pretty good though, although the occasional cowboy nuff nuff will surface - especially at Flinders on a good day.