And is it possible to ever break through and become… a good surfer? If so, how?
Many years ago, the pioneering pro surfer Mark Warren admitted that he was “a kook forever.” He wasn’t even close to being a kook, at least beyond his teenage years, but his admission revealed the fear that stalks us all.
I know it and it tears me in two.
Despite everything, despite years of pouring blood and tears into the game, despite the best surfboards, front-row seats to the best surfing and endless counsel I have never been able to progress beyond “intermediate” surfer.
I can fake it a little.
I know how to make a photo work. Arms in the air, twisting of torso etc. But I ain’t no better than “intermediate.”
The truth is, unless you hit contests early, or grew up by the beach, you never developed the muscle memory that shows in the good, instinctive surfer.
A kick in the head? Yeah it is.
The whole you’ll-never-be-better-than-an-intermediate-surfer theory comes from Chas Smith and David Lee Scales’ podcast series on Surf Splendor’s The Weekly Grit, and which was posted here under the headline “I’m Having An Existential Crisis!”
I didn’t listen to the damn thing until yesterday and my blood ran cold. Chas spoke about a depression that came from the futility of persisting with a sport he’ll never get any better at.
Should a man continue to waste his time operating at such an emotionally ruinous level?
Then came the question, Is it better to look good on a wave or feel good on a wave?
Who even needs to think about such a thing? Of course, you want to look good. Feeling good, while looking horrible, is a night terror.
Questions: Do you agree with the hypothesis? Are we, as average men, doomed to be “intermediates” forever?
And what range of “intermediate” surfers are there? Low-level intermediate, good-intermediate, advanced-intermediate, and what separates us?
I think,
Low-level: can paddle into a wave, race along, do a cutback, maybe stay on his board during a floater and a close-out re-entry.
Good: The above, with the added bonus of frontside tubes, floaters made, with the occasional lip hit.
Advanced: The above, but has landed a few airs, ridden out of a reverse, can backside tube ride.
And tell me: is it possible to ever break through and become… good?
If so, how?
Damn I thought I was an expert cause I surf 15 foot Hanalei and 20 foot jaws. I now know I am a mid level intermediate cause I can get tubed, do floaters and hit the lip? Fuck, I’m quitting surfing unless it’s giant.
I redid the categories.
1. You’re born into it, you understand it, and you fully know how to navigate every lineup and crowd you paddle out in. You’re good.
2. Same as one but you’re fucking legend at everything you do. Next level seemingly from your first wave.
3. You started late and you’re a kook. You’ll never look natural at anything in regards to surfing and you’ll never “get good”.
Richie porta said it was a 10. All the judges said it was a 10 ( one said 9.5 to make it beluevablle). Best 5 dollars I ever spent.
Ha hah.*
*Nelson’s voice.
It’s all right here gentlemen (and ladies). https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
There’s a pink one for Girls!
I think if you start over 18 or have not bodyboarded prior you will never get a decent tube unfortunately. For late starters ie over 15 or bodyboarders transitioning to stand up, the only way to improve is to unfortunately see yourself on video with a coach. Its probably the shittest most humiliating thing you will ever do. However you will improve far more rapidly than simply spending time in the water. You will see that you arent holding your bottom turn, not rotating off the top, your arms are doing weird things etc.
Guarantee after 4 to 5 coaching sesessions most people will improve 20 to 30%. Just have to lose the cool and face the horrible prospect of reality….how bad you actually surf. No pain no gain lol
“Alternative” surfboards and “style” are the refuges of the intermediate surfer.
Edit: and Disqus forums, volumes and podcasts.
I’m all about all of that.
You’ve been on a roll recently Chazz.
Oh he has. Very good form.
Come on Dell, surely mastery across the spectrum of board design is the only fit and proper bulwark against terminal mediocrity.
You can get the jazz on sliding peelers on a log, not look like a spazz on a smooth single-o and hopefully still bust out the fins on a shorty.
Or no?
This article has little to do with Derek selling us on range intermediate theory, and everything to do with Derek subliminally messaging Chas with an evil neutral inter-office memo glorifying the immediate intermediate to good bridge that can spring from the bossom of wave pools. Suckle the wave pool nipple Chas and you, like Derek can picture yourself surfing good…..ish.
Seems plausible
like everyone else has said, using all the cute little pro tricks as the criteria for being ‘good’ is outdated. since you’re already depressed about not being able to do that stuff anyway, just do yourself a favor and go buy a fish or a nice midsize single fin and have some guilt-free fun with the added bonus of not blowing out your knees from the constant pumping
Depends on whether or not you surf to be looked at by others or you surf to amuse yourself. I’m of the latter, but I know I have also amused plenty of others with my patented broken back bottom turn.
Yep. Amused many recently with my non-Andy Irons backhand tube flare
I don’t think you can really reduce surfing to a bunch of check boxes. Like oh hey! I can do that! So now I’m good at surfing. How do you quantify the surfer with the bone-deep beautiful style, who’s maybe never even ridden a shortboard or ridden a wave that barrels. Are they a beginner? I don’t think that even works.
I was out a week or so ago and there was a contest surfing ripping turns, trying to get video clips. There was also a long-time local riding a single fin with so much grace. Who was surfing better? I’m not sure it was the guy doing the air reverse.
If you’re trying to be a pro surfer and please the judges, then sure, you have to check the boxes.
But just surfing — going out in the ocean and sliding around on a wave with some fiber glass under your feet. There are so many ways to do it and I’m not sure it’s so easy to define what makes someone good or “advanced.”
It is probably easier to say what makes a bad surfer, really.
Which is why everyone needs to ride a single fin for a few months in a variety of conditions and then get back on a thruster, as it helps your surfing immeasurably. I did this two years ago and it was one of the better decisions I’ve ever made. *puts down monocle*
I have not spent much time with single fins, but they look stupid fun. Figuring out different boards is one of my favorite parts of this silly thing we obsess about.
Obsess is right all day everyday. ill admit reading im somewhere between low and good intermediate is a blow to the ego while im now picking out single fins in my mind to overcome this lol 😲😂😭🌊🏄
Beware: the single fin will change your life (as long as it’s a good one). The real “one board quiver” is a 7’ 4” to 7’ 6” single fin made by a reputable shaper. I have a 7’ 4” Dewey Weber feather fastback and a 7’ 6” mctavish Rincon. They are by far the most versatile boards I have (i have fish, shortboard, longboards, bronzers, etc). My mid length single fins work everywhere, on everything. You can barrel ride, nose ride, beautiful cutbacks, and go vertical. When I think about it, it shocks me that there are not more people riding these types of boards. Everyone usually goes with a type of board/surfing/and wave, and sticks to it, i.e., the high perf longboard guy, the shortboard ripper dude, the nose rider, etc. There aren’t many people that ride all kinds of boards, in all kinds of waves. There’s my rant, and on a superficial level, I’m glad that most people are on short boards, trying to rip; because it results in more waves for me!
Oh, ha! There are so many people on 7′ to 7’6″ boards around here it’s nuts. MIDLENGTH MADNESS!
The single fin in my comment up there was actually a shortish thing — Idk, maybe 6′ feet or a bit more. I’ve never ridden anything like that, but it looked stupid fun.
I’ve flirted with big boards but they’ve never really spoken to me. My current not-a-shortboard obsession is a tiny-sized mini-simmonds. I think I’m going to get one made for giggles.
Wow, lots of mid-lengths eh? You maybe are in Cali, or Byron Bay (I haven’t been to either in a while but I imagine the hipsters are leading the mid-length charge). Where I live, there’s like 6 of us that have middies. My friend rode a mini-Simmons around the world; when they’re mastered, they’re beautiful. I have a new 6’ 8” single fin that I’ve been riding everywhere; it’s ridiculous fun (deadkooks “stubby”). The very cool thing about singles is that you can change the board completely by moving and/or changing the fin. They also teach you how to surf (if you didn’t grow up surfing) and how to truly understand rails, bottom contours, etc. And, best of all, they’re challenging, fresh, and force adaptation, creativity, and spontaneity. And, when the waves are pumping and I get back on my thrusters, I feel like a pro. Anyway, as you can see, I’m a single fin devoutee; they’re just so fun.
Narrow twin-fins with pulled-in tails are very in-vogue. You should try!
My dude stole my fish! So maybe I try one of these! Idk. So many boards.
Wholeheartedly agree. I’ve had some of the funnest sessions of my life on a 70’s singlefin just carving.
You might be onto something there. While living in Byron bay when barely out of teens, I snapped the board I had and ended up using a 6’10” Lightning Bolt single for about 3 months while saving for a new stick. Not only did I learn about extending tube rides, smoothing out turns and the importance of flow on a wave, but I also became a vision of Byron’s hipster future.
Was it yellow.
Nah. Red on the bottom that wrapped around the rails with a powder blue pin line border. Finbox, wide point forward of centre, swallow, beaked nose, classic 70s Hawaiian style the whole way. That’s where the hipster inspiration fell down.
Was probably only 6 months old when I finagled it. The mate always had more cash for boards than anyone else and he’s worse now.
When are we going to get another story Jen?
Heh. I’ve been gnawing through a bunch of dumb shit for money. But maybe I could do something fun here soon. Like tell stories. Which, is the point of being a writer, I guess!
A thoughtful response, but I was referring less about the loveliness of someone’s style than their ability to wrangle a surfboard into fabulous contortions. And, yes, I do think someone who has never ridden a wave that barrels is probably a beginner,
Legit. The Wavestorm thing has hit hella hard there. So I’m inclined to be pretty generous toward anyone who can do more than stand up, go straight, and fall down. Or like, cadaver-stiff leg down the line.
Stop with all the “tricks” you fuckin scooterer
Look I do not mean to be cruel here. But even the way you describe “intermediate” surfing betrays a kind of intermediate thinking about surfing. You want to grow in your surfing, ditch the descriptions.
Nick “Cruel” Carroll has a nice ring to it.
That’s his fight name for the undercard of Shearer vs Webber.
Cruel is your brother’s success and your failure.
Jeez can we relax on the condescend? (That means talking down to to
somebody)
Brilliant
Sometimes “overthinking” can be the root cause for a lack of progression.
Hell no
Ever spoken to adult learners? It’s like trying to learn gymnastics at 25yo
This also raises the question of how you handle the inevitable transition from continually improving, to plateauing, to gradual decline. For me, the hardest part has been coming to terms with the fact that I am highly unlikely to get any better. I can’t think of anyone who’s better at 40 than 25.
Depression? Indeed.
honestly, why does it matter?
this is a very true point, yes.
Because we’re human. Because physical and mental decline is frightening. Because we all want to be good at something. If you’re passionate about surfing, it will confront you with all this and more. “Passion” is a Latin term meaning “to suffer”.
come for the angst, stay for the poetry.
So so untrue.
If being good at surfing makes it difficult to have fun as an older surfer or accept an inevitable performance decline, then my god what is the point? That’s a recipe for insanity. I’d rather be an intermediate surfer my entire life and enjoy it for what it is than be good for a decade or two then gnash my teeth in frustration as I age. Sounds miserable.
I surf with guys in their 60s and some in their 70s who are incredible surfers, amazing to watch. I feel like some surfers adapt and improve, while others continue to bang their heads by using the wrong boards, trying to surf the wrong way, ie, trying to surf like they think they should, and not harnessing their own particular style and strengths. To me, the best surfers continue to develop and explore design, waves, and style: those guys are always stoked and generally rip (have to be healthy too). High performance shortboarding is a tiny subset of surfing, and it has its beauty, but it’s not for everyone, and shouldn’t be. Some of my most vivid surf memories are of people riding alternative boards in heavy waves, ie, grab rail carve on a mini-simmons on a double overhead wall; or a single fin maneuvering through an overhead barrel, etc. Just like life, if you can’t change, you can improve.
better to have ripped and lost than to never have ripped at all?
I would also add that I can imagine this being a significant problem if you’re passionate *only* or even mostly about surfing. Losing a grip on the only thing you’ve ever cared much about or the thing that defined you must be psychologically devastating.
Well, to throw myself under the bandwagon that Derek is driving, I ‘feel’ like I’m surfing a lot better now in my 44th year of surfing than I did in my 17th. The only concerns are the slowing down of getting to my feet on occasions, and not lack of energy at the back end of sessions.
i reckon I am surfing better now in my forties than 20s – better boards, surfing more actually ( was snowboarding then) better location/waves. Plus I am analysing my technique more and is translating to better surfing for sure
The Inertia says the best surfer is the one having the most fun. No?
In fact the best surfer usually does have the most fun.
You’re usually also the biggest dick head as well. Entitlement and ego envelop the advanced surfer. But hey, who wants to sit on the shoulder anyways?
Is that why Albee Layer always punches his face?
He’s suffering! (See “passion” below)
Then they’re doing it wrong. If the best surfer isn’t getting all frustrated and board punchy about muffing a frontside punt reverse stale fish puppet muncher, then I’m not getting my money’s worth from the cheap seats.
backside tubes are much easier than frontside tubes.
Agree late drop to rail grab much easier than a under the lip forehand take off……way harder. Down the line set up easier i guess
Not when you have a stigmitism in one eye 🙁
Try that at 8-10ft Restaurants with 45 guys out, offshores pumping and a river as wide as a football field running through the lineup. At least you can see fucking something dropping in frontside, backside is totally blind off the ledge.
no. no i will not.
Sounds to me you taking massive poetic licence liberties describing Chas as an intermediate surfer! At least you have Longtom – he told everyone how he’s a Cloudbreak charger.
Jeezus Dez. I happily delude myself into believing that the best turns I’ll ever do at least mimic my surfing heroes, even though at best I’m throwing about 1/3 the spray of their average turns. And now you want to start delineating intermediate surfing.
Yes I do!