Ask Carroll

[alakaboo]

Sweeney sports is paid for in part by Surfing Australia.
There are also a number of methodological issues with their survey in question format and sample selection.

[steve shearer]

Surfing Australia is using the numbers from the Gemba sports marketing group and they come up with roughly double that number: 2.7 Million Recreational Surfers (Gemba 2010)


Which is roughly ten times the figures quoted by Nick. Helluva lot of difference between the data sets.

Nick, where are those ABS stats located?

[Nick Carroll]

just go have a look at their amazing site.

it's extraordinary. Australian Yearbooks going way back, incredible detail about all sorts of fascinating stuff. A huge educational tool those Yearbooks, you can parse out so much about how this nation and its many parts have moved through the past century and a half. (A lot of prior detail in the Yearbooks takes you back into the 1850s and beyond.)

SA and the ISA both have a massive vested interest in inflating surfer numbers, they lead directly to large tranches of funding. In fact in numerous documents and press releases etc SA claims a number of 3.5 million. Even a moment's reflection will suggest this is complete nonsense. That's 15% of the entire population of Australia. On average that'd mean there were 600,000 surfers in Sydney alone, or (since there's 40-odd surf beaches in Sydney) about 15,000 surfers at every beach. It's fantasy stuff.

[Slobadan Madicubich]

Well I don't think it is .1% overall, though maybe it is where you surf cranked. As mentioned above, there are 22,000 surfers belonging to boardriders clubs in Australia right now. The Aust Bureau of Statistics reckons there is about 226,000 committed surfers in the country (like people who surf regularly as opposed to once a year or less). So in Australia, its somewhere around 10%. I would hazard a guess that when it comes to the number of most committed surfers among that 226,000, the 10% belonging to boardriders' clubs would be over represented. That might be a clearer picture of where a sense and knowledge of competition surfing dwells in Australia.

Belonging to the club doesn't mean they're all actively competing or even surfing regularly if at all.

[aaarating]

If it pleases the judges, I would humbly like to take small credit for planting the seed that has generated an apparent collective (with notable exceptions) that competitive surfing to adjudicate "the best surfer" is largely a collective wankfest! Thus as it ever was. If you can't truly measure it, you can't truly manage it. Hence the faux attempt to scientifically adjudicate it down to one hundredth of a point in scoring. Watch for the Brazilian chap to be crowned. Should spark up sales on the South American continent.

[Beerfan]

Get back on the drugs mate.

[aaarating]

Thanks you Dr. Beerfan. I will take your advice immediately. Nurse!

[rmb]

Nick do you enjoy watching women's surfing? Before The Maui Pro I was selling all my surfboards and taking up photography but this has reignited not only my interest in pro surfing but the sport as a whole.

Also as a bonus it gives me plenty for the wank bank. Does Women's surfing do the same for you.

OK, yes I like watching girls surfing and I like surfing with 'em

I do not put that in the wank bank, no.

Agreed. Nothing worse then seeing blokes try and flirt/crack on with chicks in the surf. As if it's not intimidating enough for a lot of them to be surrounded by blokes out there, just be nice and show some respect.

I just cannot fathom whats wrong with you two there is nothing better than watching some female surfing or paddling around the line up salivating over some of the fine ladies partaking in the sport then going home with plenty in the wank bank.

[Nick Carroll]

I've now done each of the two sets of swimming drills Nick. Not sure if I'm meant to be settling into this and then reporting back or right away.

Feedback on the 6x150m - (2 pure freestyle on 3min, 2 50fs50back50fs on 3min20sec, then another 2 fs on 3min again)

1 F) 2 seconds rest.
2 F) 8 seconds over, no rest. (took me 3.08)
3 F.B.F) 10 seconds over
4 F.B.F) 10 seconds over
5 F) 1 seconds rest
6 F) 15 seconds rest but then I rested for another minute before the next bit cause I'd pushed it a bit on this last one and felt a little rooted.

Right away's good.

OK push the fs 150s out to 3min30 and the combo 150s out to 4min

the theory with aerobic swim sets is - swim at around 75-80% of your max pace and allow 10-15 seconds rest per 100m on the cycle.

You're doing fine, stay with it.

[rmb]

Nick I have been watching mysurf TV due to a serious injury which drew my attention to the High Performance Centre are you aware of there programs and are they of any use to the average surfer? Sounds like a bit of a scam but I cannot say for sure.

[Nick Carroll]

I don't know nearly as much about their programs as I should.

I'm sure they have a pretty good act, especially around normal surfers, i.e. men/women who might be keen surfers but haven't done any structured work around technique and surf fitness. It sorta boggles me a bit that there aren't more surf coaching camps around for 35-55 year old surfers, it feels like a target market to me, though a tough one in some ways (we all have lifelong bad habits in our surfing and breaking people out of that is hard work) at least grown-ups have brains that work.

[Beanpole]

Well half the time anyway

[spork]

I know what you mean, I used to play golf with a bloke who had the most diabolical swing Iv ever seen. He went and got a bunch of lessons from a pro, who got him to keep his arm straight, strengthened his grip and had him rotate properly through the ball. A couple of months later old mate was having a shocker and was swearing and cursing his way around the course. Then he addressed the ball with his 3 wood and, using his old swing, he put the ball 1mtr from the flag. Old habits die hard in all sports.

[Trev]

I know what you mean, I used to play golf with a bloke who had the most diabolical swing Iv ever seen. He went and got a bunch of lessons from a pro, who got him to keep his arm straight, strengthened his grip and had him rotate properly through the ball. A couple of months later old mate was having a shocker and was swearing and cursing his way around the course. Then he addressed the ball with his 3 wood and, using his old swing, he put the ball 1mtr from the flag. Old habits die hard in all sports.

Hey wait.
You play golf?

And you drive an Alfa?

Have we got you in the Tard of the Year comp?
If not, why not?

[andy2476]

I know what you mean, I used to play golf with a bloke who had the most diabolical swing Iv ever seen. He went and got a bunch of lessons from a pro, who got him to keep his arm straight, strengthened his grip and had him rotate properly through the ball. A couple of months later old mate was having a shocker and was swearing and cursing his way around the course. Then he addressed the ball with his 3 wood and, using his old swing, he put the ball 1mtr from the flag. Old habits die hard in all sports.

Golf ?

Dear lord

[Beanpole]

nick....looking around the car park as blokes get changed

ive noticed surfers as a majority have very small dicks

is this what your found in your travels

Now fong, present company accepted its probably worth pointing out that cold water does tend to make your old fella less expansive

[andy2476]

Sorry Trev the retard. Forgot this was the public zone

[PeepeelaPew]

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