Ask Carroll

[Drailed]

Is there any way you could Shearer a place on the panel?

[rmb]

Well he's up there for sure. You will probably have forgotten that O's breakthrough WCT performance was at Teahupo'o a few years back, when he blew apart the field in excellent surf and was just nudged by Kelly in the final. This sort of surf is one of his metiers. But only a couple of weeks after that Chopes final, he won the Quik NY event in 3' beachies.

I think he's surfing better now than before his injury break but he has battled to get past the quarterfinal round for a year and a half now. It might just be the need for event/heat practice after the break that's been holding him back at that point.

The "Pacific leg" is a bit of a weird idea considering that after this contest comes Jeffreys Bay. I don't think that matters too much; Owen can do well at any tour location. But a world title shot, I wouldn't be calling that on him just yet.

Yeah I hadn't forgotten it's just it's been a long time between then and now from my distant observations it seems he is ready to excel.
The pacific leg was a bit of an oversight missing the fact they go to Africa and don't head to Tahiti until August but I reckon if the waves are pumping he would we well worth putting a few $$$$ on.

I was hoping for a yes answer but ill give it a rest for a bit.

[Hollowed out]

nick, what are the conditions /criteria must a board manufacturer must satisfy to have their equipment included on a board test.

[Nick Carroll]

They have to be an advertiser with the mag, ie buy a page of advertising space during the year

They have to be into it, willing to put a board into the mix, engage in dialogue with me and other members of the SL team, commit to getting it done on time etc, and trust us not to fcuk it up somehow

That's pretty much it.

[Nick Carroll]

Is there any way you could Shearer a place on the panel?

Oh I think one bald aging surf writer is enough

[godsavetheking]

Nick, you get a wild card into a WSL event (at a venue of your choice), you surf to the absolute limit of your 55-year old self's abilities. The judges give you no preferential treatment; do you reach double figures for your heat score?

[rmb]

They have to be an advertiser with the mag, ie buy a page of advertising space during the year

They have to be into it, willing to put a board into the mix, engage in dialogue with me and other members of the SL team, commit to getting it done on time etc, and trust us not to fcuk it up somehow

That's pretty much it.

So being an advertiser are the reviewers instructed to be a little bit lenient in their criticism?
Say you get a dog of a board from whoever but they are piling enough cash to keep you all in a job do you give their board an honest assessment or instructed/pressured by the powers that be to give the board a glowing review.

[Drailed]

Lol.. Sorry Nick

[Nick Carroll]

Nick, you get a wild card into a WSL event (at a venue of your choice), you surf to the absolute limit of your 55-year old self's abilities. The judges give you no preferential treatment; do you reach double figures for your heat score?

Oh yeah. somewhere hollow there'd be a high 8 or low 9 in there somewhere.

[Beanpole]

Nick have you been involved in the Priscilla Doco done by the team you worked with on Bombora and that Car One?

[Nick Carroll]

They have to be an advertiser with the mag, ie buy a page of advertising space during the year

They have to be into it, willing to put a board into the mix, engage in dialogue with me and other members of the SL team, commit to getting it done on time etc, and trust us not to fcuk it up somehow

That's pretty much it.

So being an advertiser are the reviewers instructed to be a little bit lenient in their criticism?
Say you get a dog of a board from whoever but they are piling enough cash to keep you all in a job do you give their board an honest assessment or instructed/pressured by the powers that be to give the board a glowing review.

Look, I know this is difficult to fathom.

Most people with enough of an act as a boardmaker that they can advertise their product know how to make a pretty good board these days.

There really aren't any shit boards in the market any more, at least in the area of professional surfboard production. (If you want a shit board, you can still find 'em, but you've really gotta work on it.)

None of the boardmakers in the board test are providing Surfing Life with anywhere remotely enough money to keep me or anyone else in a job. Like not even remotely close. Not even all the advertising revenue from the entire Board Test, from all the boardmakers involved through a whole year, would manage that.

What makes it work is that I truly do not have any agenda to write off any of the boardmakers involved, I am truly interested in what they make and I want to communicate that interest to everyone and do as good a job as possible in the context of the test. I am also super clear that the test crew and I are far from the last word on surfboards and that we should not conduct ourselves in print as if that were the case.

It feels to me that we strike a good balance on it and that the really great boards on the test get the kind of praise and acclaim that sets them apart from the pack.

If I feel I am getting sour on the whole thing I will pull out and let someone else run it.

[Nick Carroll]

Nick have you been involved in the Priscilla Doco done by the team you worked with on Bombora and that Car One?

No, I didnt work on Priscilla but I did work on "Blood and Thunder" which is up next, on ABC1 in a coupla weeks, a two part doco on the Alberts record label and their great partnership with the Young family which gave rise to the Easybeats and ACDC, I encourage everyone to watch this cracker of a show.

[Drailed]

Have you ever described a board as "fun"?

[Beanpole]

Sounds good. the other ones have been great.
I think video of board testing is much more effective from a customers point of view. You can see a picture and read a review but to see how the board actually moves...and allow for the style of the rider......much better.

[rmb]

Look, I know this is difficult to fathom.

Most people with enough of an act as a boardmaker that they can advertise their product know how to make a pretty good board these days.

There really aren't any shit boards in the market any more, at least in the area of professional surfboard production. (If you want a shit board, you can still find 'em, but you've really gotta work on it.)

None of the boardmakers in the board test are providing Surfing Life with anywhere remotely enough money to keep me or anyone else in a job. Like not even remotely close. Not even all the advertising revenue from the entire Board Test, from all the boardmakers involved through a whole year, would manage that.

What makes it work is that I truly do not have any agenda to write off any of the boardmakers involved, I am truly interested in what they make and I want to communicate that interest to everyone and do as good a job as possible in the context of the test. I am also super clear that the test crew and I are far from the last word on surfboards and that we should not conduct ourselves in print as if that were the case.

It feels to me that we strike a good balance on it and that the really great boards on the test get the kind of praise and acclaim that sets them apart from the pack.

If I feel I am getting sour on the whole thing I will pull out and let someone else run it.

Fair enough. I have read the occasional review cannot remember if they were your's or not I take it the reviews/surfers and the boards reviewed are all done so by experienced surfers. What can the average surfer or beginner get out of these reviews?

[Drailed]

Shearers biting his fist right now. Desperatelt holding himself back from the keyboard.

[Nick Carroll]

Sounds good. the other ones have been great.
I think video of board testing is much more effective from a customers point of view. You can see a picture and read a review but to see how the board actually moves...and allow for the style of the rider......much better.

yeah, gonna work on that a bit more this year.

[godsavetheking]

Why would a beginner need to look at a board test?

For someone who no longer delegates responsibility for their board choices to a shaper, things like the ASL review are pretty useful