Going on my 40th year of water time, sometimes I wonder about the surfing world. The slabs, death defying stunts, and air reverses or whatever it may be has turned surfing into something akin to a circus. I often wonder about a person's relationship to surfing and what it means to them. Just yesterday my mate and I along with my 9 year old boy (who can surf quite well for his age) decided to check a spot that has been under our noses for the last few decades and in our beaten path routine we have neglected to check it because access is so difficult. We put in the effort and were treated to some of the best sand point waves that I have ever seen, without a single surfer around except for the three of us. Just seeing my kid ride a wave for over 100 yards put a bigger smile on my face than any wave that I have ridden in my lifetime. I feel so grateful to be reminded of what is truly the essence of surfing. Keep it coming! -R
Aah.. Surfer's Journal---When it first came out,it reminded me of Paul's "Secret Thrill" issue of Surfer--which the "powers that be" Did Not Like. Because it focused on the spirit of wave riding, not the accouterments "that needed to be sold". So I called the SJ editor (Kampion??) and relayed an idea that Greg Liddle had put in my mind at some time before. "How come all magazine waves don't look like what I surf? You know, kinda muddy, maybe not perfect shape, but what we experience?" I also personally remember the early Surfer mags where they had a "Pictures from the Readers" section. It made this kook feel like "Hey, that's just like what I surfed last week. I can do this!" and linked me with the kindred spirits of this amazing activity. So I suggested to Mr. Editor that perhaps including a few waves that were "real" would bring the experience to a more personal level for the reader, ostensibly a lover of the ocean and the feel of surfing. His reply? "Oh no, we're into "Mind Surfing"'.
MIND SURFING? MIND %$^&* SURFING?! We don't stinking "mind surf"! We mat surf!, we board surf!, we body surf! That's when I knew that all hope was lost. This was going to be a coffee table prop for the pretentious to impress one's equally pretentious friends with your soul and vacuous surf nostalgia. I agree with Anonymous; Paul and those who send in "Pictures from the Readers, er.. Riders" keep it real. So go out and enjoy the imperfections of reality and just smile! Speedshaper
8 comments:
My most surf-media absorbent years were the ones that you edited Surfer, and I'm grateful to you for it!
ok now let's see a movie with these waves and some good mat riding
Do it!!
Didn't Surfer's Journal sort of try to start out that way? That and equipment you might actually want to ride.
Paul,
Your blog is that magazine. You don't ride slabs they ride you. Thanks for keepin it real.
Guerdon.
Going on my 40th year of water time, sometimes I wonder about the surfing world. The slabs, death defying stunts, and air reverses or whatever it may be has turned surfing into something akin to a circus. I often wonder about a person's relationship to surfing and what it means to them. Just yesterday my mate and I along with my 9 year old boy (who can surf quite well for his age) decided to check a spot that has been under our noses for the last few decades and in our beaten path routine we have neglected to check it because access is so difficult. We put in the effort and were treated to some of the best sand point waves that I have ever seen, without a single surfer around except for the three of us. Just seeing my kid ride a wave for over 100 yards put a bigger smile on my face than any wave that I have ridden in my lifetime. I feel so grateful to be reminded of what is truly the essence of surfing. Keep it coming! -R
Aah.. Surfer's Journal---When it first came out,it reminded me of Paul's "Secret Thrill" issue of Surfer--which the "powers that be" Did Not Like. Because it focused on the spirit of wave riding, not the accouterments "that needed to be sold".
So I called the SJ editor (Kampion??) and relayed an idea that Greg Liddle had put in my mind at some time before.
"How come all magazine waves don't look like what I surf? You know, kinda muddy, maybe not perfect shape, but what we experience?" I also personally remember the early Surfer mags where they had a "Pictures from the Readers" section. It made this kook feel like "Hey, that's just like what I surfed last week. I can do this!" and linked me with the kindred spirits of this amazing activity.
So I suggested to Mr. Editor that perhaps including a few waves that were "real" would bring the experience to a more personal level for the reader, ostensibly a lover of the ocean and the feel of surfing.
His reply? "Oh no, we're into "Mind Surfing"'.
MIND SURFING? MIND %$^&* SURFING?!
We don't stinking "mind surf"! We mat surf!, we board surf!, we body surf!
That's when I knew that all hope was lost. This was going to be a coffee table prop for the pretentious to impress one's equally pretentious friends with your soul and vacuous surf nostalgia.
I agree with Anonymous; Paul and those who send in "Pictures from the Readers, er.. Riders" keep it real.
So go out and enjoy the imperfections of reality and just smile!
Speedshaper
Amen, brother. In fact, just show the waves. Don't really need to see the surfers.
Post a Comment