Ask Carroll

[Nick Carroll]

Nick, is there a question you really want to be asked that no one has asked you yet?

Ah not really. It's not my part here to think of the questions. When I have a look at the thread it's always with a little hope that someone's come up with a cracker or really wants to know something. I truly do wish that we could move on from the midget motif though.

[Davros]

Nick in the world of concave do you think there is any merit in V bottoms rather than concave bottoms for short boards.

On the same theme do you think a concave deck design is effective mechanism to feel the water under your feet so to speak and increase stability in critical situations?

[aaarating]

To state the obvious we have already had a midget and he was the world champ. New question for ask Carroll . The hoary old surfer saying "the best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun". Agree or disagree? Discuss.

[Beanpole]

Do you think this Indo Swell will be the goods?

[Nick Carroll]

Nick in the world of concave do you think there is any merit in V bottoms rather than concave bottoms for short boards.

On the same theme do you think a concave deck design is effective mechanism to feel the water under your feet so to speak and increase stability in critical situations?

Oh yeah. I think vee and concave are really just two sides of the same coin. Both act to separate the stringer line rocker from the rail rocker at various points along a board's length.

I do think the old idea that vee can only exist in the back third of a board is well and truly dust and that a good designer should be able to play with both vee and concave to bring about the effects he or she intends in a board.

The fastest board I've ever owned was pure single concave pretty much nose to tail. The freest board I've ever owned was a combo: slight vee entry, blending to flat to fairly deep single concave just forward of the fins, then dropping out to flat and slight vee behind the back fin. The most powerful board I've ever owned had a slight flat vee entry, a single concave from about 18" back to halfway, then a slight vee to flat behind the fins and six channels.

Re the concave deck, nah I don't think they work, it feels to me like they blunt the feel of the rail, which is pretty much exactly the opposite of what you want.

[Nick Carroll]

To state the obvious we have already had a midget and he was the world champ. New question for ask Carroll . The hoary old surfer saying "the best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun". Agree or disagree? Discuss.

Well I sorta see this the other way round, like a really good surfer has access to deeper surfing pleasures, like if you want to ride deep at say Speed Reef at G Land then you need to be higly skilled, and whateve anyone says, I know from my own surfing experience that a 10 second barrel at 8' Speed Reef absolutely shits on the first wave you ever rode or whatever.

So yeah, most of the time the best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun. Because that surfer has developed the skills and senses that allows a deeper engagement with the session as a whole. And when it comes to riding the great waves at a high level, that's where the true gold of surfing is at, so if you want that, you have to get very good at it.

Again this is just going on my own experiences as a surfer, I know a lot of people don't react well to that but that's how it seems to me.

[Nick Carroll]

Do you think this Indo Swell will be the goods?

Hell yeah. Especially at spots that like a west influence in the swell. I would go to Rote if I were free to do so. I would pay that Nihiwatu crew whatever they asked.

[rmb]

Nick have you ever surfed the Great Barrier Reef? Was watching a fishing show and could see clean swell lines breaking on a reef pass. I imagine swells would be a bit fickle but if you knew what to look for there could be good waves.

[Little]

Nick, do you know anything about Himalayan salt lamps? A well informed source ( Byron Bay hippies ) extolled the virtues of these magical devices to me some months ago but since then I've learned that the only such lamps available these days are Pakistani knock-offs which burn a salt with all the health giving properties of asbestos. Do you think the hippies may be confusing genuine Himalayan salt lamps with a bong?

[Nick Carroll]

Nick have you ever surfed the Great Barrier Reef? Was watching a fishing show and could see clean swell lines breaking on a reef pass. I imagine swells would be a bit fickle but if you knew what to look for there could be good waves.

No I haven't but quite a few friends of mine have surfed various reefs in the southern half of the reef. I am sure that there are numerous unknown spots up there.

[Nick Carroll]

Nick, do you know anything about Himalayan salt lamps? A well informed source ( Byron Bay hippies ) extolled the virtues of these magical devices to me some months ago but since then I've learned that the only such lamps available these days are Pakistani knock-offs which burn a salt with all the health giving properties of asbestos. Do you think the hippies may be confusing genuine Himalayan salt lamps with a bong?

This sounds to me like a bunch of absolute fcuken cobblers. I think the hippies may be confusing their arses with their elbows. I did notice a Himalayan salt lamp for sale in a mass market Chemist Warehouse print catalogue today, however, so if you're looking for a convenient source, there ya go.

[Little]

Nick, do you know anything about Himalayan salt lamps? A well informed source ( Byron Bay hippies ) extolled the virtues of these magical devices to me some months ago but since then I've learned that the only such lamps available these days are Pakistani knock-offs which burn a salt with all the health giving properties of asbestos. Do you think the hippies may be confusing genuine Himalayan salt lamps with a bong?

This sounds to me like a bunch of absolute fcuken cobblers. I think the hippies may be confusing their arses with their elbows. I did notice a Himalayan salt lamp for sale in a mass market Chemist Warehouse print catalogue today, however, so if you're looking for a convenient source, there ya go.

You know, hippies arses do look like elbows now that you mention it. No wonder they're confused.

[Narra Kook]

Nick, when did you realize TC was a better comp surfer than you? When did you transition from trying to beat him to supporting him to two world champs?

[Biggun]

Mr Carroll, shouldnt the ASP be doing a lot more to introduce more nationalities (following/interest/sponsorhip) to surfing. I mean no Indonesians on tour? Sure they might not shred in all conditions (ie big slow fat waves in cold water like Bells), but there are a few who would take it to anyone at say small clean snapper like we had this year.

What about the chileans, spanish, portguguese, french (apart from the bloke from Reunion) moroccans etc etc? Again, maybe not versatile, but in their preferred conditions they would definitely perform, attract more interest etc.

Think how much easier it would be to have a contest at (insert name of semi-secret world class location) if you had buy in from the King through local representation? I mean sure, there is an argument to keep the semi-secrets secret...but the current schedule is hardly reflective of the best waves in the world (bar 3 locations).

On another tangent, I was thinking a 2 tiered system - Pool A - the usual suspects, Pool B - lesser known surfing countries, with the best of them getting injected into Pool A in like a 3 man heat with the 2 best to progress. How good has that WA lad been in the last 2 contests?

[steve shearer]

.

So yeah, most of the time the best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun. Because that surfer has developed the skills and senses that allows a deeper engagement with the session as a whole. And when it comes to riding the great waves at a high level, that's where the true gold of surfing is at, so if you want that, you have to get very good at it.

.

True in those circumstances where a highly skilled surfer is pushing their limits but there's an inverse to that.

I know, for example, that when Rasta comes back from his latest 2 week barrell fest in Indo or wherever that I'm having much more fun, with my inferior skillset at 3foot Lennox Point than him. At ten foot Lennox Point we'd be about equal in terms of having fun. At ten foot Teahupoo I'd say he's having a ball while I'm cowering in the boat with caca dribbling down my boardshorts.
Of course that is purely subjective but based on observation and personal communication I know it's true.

[Nick Carroll]

Nick, when did you realize TC was a better comp surfer than you? When did you transition from trying to beat him to supporting him to two world champs?

I dunno if he is to be honest. There's been chunks of our lives when I've definitely felt like I was surfing better than Tom (obviously vice versa too), and I am definitely a tougher competitor across a wide range of sports.

But Tom has a deeper connection with surfing than me and was a lot more single minded about it than I ever was. Plus he could see himself as world champ, where I couldn't see myself that way, I just wanted to be Australian champ. You can only do in sport what you can see yourself doing.

On top of that, I was cast as Tom's supporter way back when our Mum got sick, it was part of my makeup to look after him, to go into battle with him in the one area he seemed destined to succeed would have been completely at odds with what I felt I was supposed to do for him. Say I had brought all my smarts and aggression and competitive strengths to that battle and pushed him down, that would have been some dark shit. Completely impossible in fact.

But I guess that shift probably occurred at the first Pro Junior, that was when it became clear to me that Tom had the world title in his sights and that it was my brotherly role to support him in that effort in the ways I felt I could.

[Cranked]

I was cast as Tom's supporter way back when our Mum got sick, it was part of my makeup to look after him, to go into battle with him in the one area he seemed destined to succeed would have been completely at odds with what I felt I was supposed to do for him... Completely impossible in fact.

Yeah Nick that rings true, completely impossible. I guess you would not have been able to live with yourself if you betrayed those responsibilities you felt, there are things more important than a world title.

[Nick Carroll]

Mr Carroll, shouldnt the ASP be doing a lot more to introduce more nationalities (following/interest/sponsorhip) to surfing. I mean no Indonesians on tour? Sure they might not shred in all conditions (ie big slow fat waves in cold water like Bells), but there are a few who would take it to anyone at say small clean snapper like we had this year.

What about the chileans, spanish, portguguese, french (apart from the bloke from Reunion) moroccans etc etc? Again, maybe not versatile, but in their preferred conditions they would definitely perform, attract more interest etc.

Think how much easier it would be to have a contest at (insert name of semi-secret world class location) if you had buy in from the King through local representation? I mean sure, there is an argument to keep the semi-secrets secret...but the current schedule is hardly reflective of the best waves in the world (bar 3 locations).

On another tangent, I was thinking a 2 tiered system - Pool A - the usual suspects, Pool B - lesser known surfing countries, with the best of them getting injected into Pool A in like a 3 man heat with the 2 best to progress. How good has that WA lad been in the last 2 contests?

Umm OK let's be accurate here because I think that underlines any answer to your question.

The ASP no longer exists. It has now been re-cast as the WSL under its new owner ZoSea Media.

Under this new regime the tour's efforts have realigned quite dramatically toward gaining a foothold in the open pro sport marketplaces of the world, principally the USA where most of their selling efforts have been focused.

The ASP sorta saw itself as a governing body for competitive surfing worldwide but that's not the WSL's gig, it's pretty much purely about driving that top end and professionalising its presentation as much as possible. I doubt very much whether it sees its role as being responsible for trying to assist up and coming pros from any particular countries etc, though if a kid from Indo made the top 34 or 17, the WSL would probably be stoked, it'd give 'em something else to talk about, specially if the kid lit up the rankings.

It's up to that kid to qualify though, and I dunno how he does that, it's heavy and the odds are stacked against him/her. All the major QS events are in other countries, many are in shithouse or difficult surf, and there are lots of great surfers to try to claw your way through. I guess if you do manage that, then you're ready for the WCTs.

Re making it easier to have events via wildcards, well they already do the local wildcard thing, but that's not why locations agree to have big pro surfing contests, mostly they agree to it because they want attention paid to their tourism attractions etc, and the events often leverage this against government tourism offices to help fund the events. The local wildcard just sorta comes with the territory, very occasionally he kills (like Jay boy did at the Box), mostly he's gone by round three. To be really direct about it, while a local surfer at a certain spot may look like he or she's pretty damn good in those conditions, they're usually not up to dealing with a WCT seed in a man on man heat, that takes a fair bit of practice in how to deal with a heat/priority/etc. So, rarely these days does a wildcard play a significant role in a WCT event. The marketing bang and social media interest is all in the big guns and that's where the WSL is putting its bank.

Encouraging up and coming surf nations is probably now the ISA's job and they seem to love that job a lot.

Re the pool system, I reckon this has some merit actually, you could employ it in the current seeding system and scare the crap out of some superstars much earlier in the contest and maybe give some lesser lights a chance to show off more.