Is the best surfer in the water really the one having the most fun?
Does Tom Curren thrill you or does his sojourn into alternative surf craft leave you clammy? Me? I find it both pure joy and also a repudiation of the oft stated, “The best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun.” Let’s examine!
As a boy, my favorite favorite favorite surf poster was the one of Tom wrap around carving that gorgeous Maurice Cole. You know the one. Tom’s knees are bent, torso languid, mouth slightly open, board white with yellow rails, trunks black. It represents everything I love in surfing and I would stare at it so much that it soon infected my dreams. I don’t think I can use the photo due to copyright issues. So many threatened lawsuits! So scary! So let’s use this one instead which also represents everything I love in surfing.
Now let’s watch Tom ride the alternative craft. Very talented filmmaker Matt Payne out of Southern California made this clip and much fun does it look like Mr. Curren is having? The most, right? Those slides, that speed. I can imagine what joy fills his heart as he races down those smooth walls and he is very clearly enjoying himself, maybe more than anyone else in France, but does it make you lust? Would you tack an image of finless Tom to your wall? I would not.
Which proves, beyond any reasonable doubt, that the best surfer in the water is the one with the best wrap around carve. Don’t you think? Unassailable?
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What about “The Zen One” nearly killing that poor Euro dood with the clubby board after he jumped off it! 5:30
Fucken Clubbies!
Meh I watch that then I think of the O’Neil coldwater classic he won in his trials to world title tear and the to this day not outdone giant hacks, and just think really Tom?/you’re better than this
Seems Tom like, and I sorta get what he’s after, But really I can’t help but wonder where he’s gonna go with it .?.. And hells no a pic of that shit would not be on my wall, but that shot at Backdoor on the sticker less Maurice sure as fuck was!
Y’all are missing the point. It’s not about surfing “good”. Tom obviously enjoys the, challenge of learning something new. He said it himself, regarding guitar and piano. I get it. He was considered the best in the world once upon a time. How big of a buzz will he get from a bunch of people he doesn’t know saying he surfs “good”? He’s getting off on learning a new skill. Good on him.
Tom did get surf the best wave of the event At Firing J Bay 2 years ago, so, I guess, once you’ve done that, this is the logical next step.
Maybe he was just trying to prove it’s possible to use a skimboard without spending the entire ride winding up the windows, *ahembraddomke*
I had no idea Roky Erickson shaved stringers for Maurice Cole!
Chances are the one who says “the best surfer is having the most fun” is by far the shittest
It should be the inertia’s motto
Maybe this comment wont be important for the majority of people here. Some of you will ignore it, most of yall wont bother to read and it’ll go unnoticed along with other comments maybe I’ll be criticized for this but i just want to let yall know I’m selling potatoes
i think theres a point at which “board experimentation” becomes “how to ruin a perfecty fun surf”…Tom woulda had way more fun on a little 5’6 quad zipping down those lines…
this is the wrong opinion. you’re ruing a perfectly good comment section. woulda been more fun for you had you thought or written what i want you to.
I ain’t afraid of no lawyers.
There it is! That’s the one!
@5:22 how scary is that?
Terrifying. I like how he casually jettisons his rescue board like a torpedo towards the person paddling out. Neurosurgeons will have a field day if this trend catches on.
Ha! So so true.
Yes. There is an element of selfishness tossing a large piece of surf craft into the line up for everyone else to deal with so you can enjoy yourself. If it wasn’t Tom Curren I doubt most people would tolerate that.
Ha! Thought the same thing. Much more reckless than your run of the mill SUP kook. Curren adds a bit of flagrancy to boot because you know that he knows exactly what he is doing.
Pretty sure the goal wasn’t to actually catch the wave, just scalp that guy.
The best surfer in the water is Adriano de Souza. He is always smiling and having fun, he has the smoothest style, he does the sexiest claims and he has the gnarliest front side floater in the business.
I saw ADS the other day, he looks pretty happy with himself, one could say confident, don’t say you weren’t warned.
For fucks sake. I go away for one weekend and I come back and everyone likes Morgan Williamson, SUPs and ADS. Have you no dignity?
I’ve always had a soft spot for the floating midget, he earned his title the hard way.
Can’t argue with that. He’s a battler.
I really love Tom Curren,He’s one of my favourite surfers.. but that was hard to sit through.