"Surfing is my first love!"
The world’s most famous surfer-songwriter is Jack Johnson and we all know this. Oh sure there are many songwriters who surf and many surfers who write songs but only one has risen to the very heights in both and that is Jack Johnson. He grew up on the North Shore, was basically part of the Momentum Generation, and I think could have competed and/or did compete. His dreams of pro surfing fame to maybe the level of Ross Williams were brought down, though, by his skills with an acoustic guitar but…
Yes? I see your hand waving there in the back. Do you have something you’d like to say?
DJ Paul Fisher is the current most famous surfer-songerwriter around?
Well, that’s a bold claim and I think maybe a touch enthusiastic. Let’s give him a couple decades before re-visiting. Ok?
And back to Jack Johnson. He was recently interviewed by the once great Rolling Stone and let slip that he loves surfing more than his chosen career. Here, I’ll show you:
Willie released two albums in 2018, in his eighties. Do you hope to be doing the same 40 years down the road?
Yes and no. It is inspiring, but whether or not I’ll still be doing it, I kind of look at my dad who was the same thing as Willie, but with surfing. Surfing is my first love and I hope to still be surfing at that point and maybe not touring. But I love that Willie does it. And maybe still be making records. That would be nice.
So there we are and I have a few further questions for you.
When you see an extremely old man or woman in the lineup is your immediate reaction, “Good for you!” or “Get the hell lost. You’ve had yours. Now it’s time for mine.”
Is there a particular age you have in mind when plan on hanging it up?
Do you sometimes think, “I should have become a pro surfer instead of becoming a _________ (fill in the blank with your profession).”
I hope I’ll still be commenting on Beachgrit’s articles when I’m 80
This may be worse. Joe Turdpell’s college band
https://vimeo.com/9361468
My old neighbor died of a heart attack at 70 while surfing. His friends who fished him out of the water (also a bunch of old saltys) said he had a serene smirk on his face. I could only hope for the same, except for a little older age.
I’m stoked to see older crew in the water, especially if they’re not the ‘still have to get every wave even though my own perception far outweighs my ability Nat young twats’.
I would’ve become a pro surfer, but I heard driving a bobcat pays better and you get more chicks
Jack Johnson vs Donovan Frankenreiter blood feud??
I should have become a pro surfer instead of becoming a depressed unemployed stay at home repeatedly injured old dreamer
On a side note: would anyone like to get in on my fundraising to start a WSL / high-fibre superfoods tie in:
All In Oats
I believe there might be a musical to link this, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
Sounds too regulatory old chap
Man eater ? I can’t go for that ?
Noo-ooh-oh, no can do.
I was perturbed by the pun and then it hit me like a kiss on a list ….
Because you’re stuck here reading about surfing, instead of actually surfing?
I hear you.
Does anyone actually surf around here?
Oh, wait… you mean ‘Surfing the comments and upvote rips’ isn’t actually …’surfing’?
55, and surfing 300+ days a year. Hoping that I can keep riding good boards for another 10 years, at least.
Picking up an 8’6 Desert Storm from Webby later this year, and will do my damndest to catch another 15ft wave.
A mate of mine is 57, a super athlete, and gets barreled more than any other surfer in the area.
My goal is to stay curious, search for waves, walk far for waves. Surf big waves, surf little waves, surf bizarre semi abominations.
Here’s some inspiration:
https://www.instagram.com/p…
Webby certainly makes very good boards! Keep charging!
ha ha the thing I’m most concerned about is how not to miss any remaining opportunities
I’m with you, Nick.
Totally happy with my normal 1-8ft surfing, in that it’s ok (within my expectations), and I know that I can still improve.
In terms of bigger waves, however, there’s a nasty sense that the window is slowly closing.
I’m injury free now, and reasonably fit, so now’s the time!
Back when I was learning to surf at Currumbin Alley, in the throes of those first years when passion for catching a wave was soaring, there was an old guy, in his 60s at least, floundering around with us groms. After seeing him around for a few months and committed the long haul, we went through the stages of barest recognition to casual acquaintance to conversing in the water/carpark, I asked what his story was. He said that he had just retired and was “rebelling against the wife who thinks I should be gardening or playing lawn bowls”. And went on to talk about the benefits of being active in the outdoors after the years of office drudgery, etc, etc.
He was the first really inspirational surfer I ever knew and he could barely creak out a smooth bottom turn. I planned then to be that guy, and still aspire.
Most of the really old guys still doing it these days are guys who have been surfing for 50 years, paid their dues and are borderline legends. Personally have huge respect for these guys, even if the average person in the water doesn’t know who they are or give a shit. I reserve the right to change my opinion the moment the first adult learner who has only ridden Wavestorms their entire surf life hits this age.
Dunno where I read it or even if my recollection is correct or if it’s of any interest but I seem to recall Jack Johnson got into his music by accident back in the day. Taunted into a Backdoor closeout by Kelly Slater saying “You won’t go” – which was the running joke/line the crew used on each other that winter – JJ got injured, was out of the water for months, and turned his attention to learning the gee-tar. So add this to the list of things KS can be thanked or blamed for.
Ur; only two letters away from ‘anal’.
“Well son, the thing about regret is, that it’s better to regret something you have done, instead of something you haven’t done. And by the way, if you see your mom this weekend…”
Upvote for Orbital reference, you are old!
Yes I am old, But methinks you got your reference wrong!
I always thought it was from this but Orbital probably sampled it
https://youtu.be/41vKKNzAbJs
Oh! Never heard that before.
The sample is from Butthole Surfers, which is what I was thinking! We’re borh correct. High -Five, brother Poulet.
FYI Paul Fisher does not write songs, he actually has a team of geeks locked away in a darkened room for that. Paul Fisher walks out of stage, presses play on a CD and flicks his wrist. No doubt there is a certainly skill set required to accomplish this endeavour, but song writing, it is not.
Surfed all my life, lived next to jack listening painfully to his beginning backyard trashcan tunes. The thought of only surfing seems very dull reality, fuck way too many cunts at every spot. Think John John has the idea sail surf dive…get away from the cunts.
bouncer at applebees.
Speaking of things we do other than being professional surfers:
Mr. Charles, I finally got around to reading C&S over the holidays. It was fun, a swashbuckling tale even. Thank you for writing it.
I made a note to ask what you would have called the book if you had your way. I can’t remember what passage this is specifically from, I guess it was mentioned somewhere and not explained, or more than likely I just missed the explanation. Does this make any sense?
Also, are you aware of the work of john safran? I was reminded of him when reading and thought you might find him entertaining.
Lastly, I happened to be reading Vineland at the same time and they were strangely complimentary books. Drugs, CA, ghosts etc. There’s even a mention of Coos Bay towards the end (in a list of north western, idiosyncratic towns). I have no real point here, it was just a nice thing.
I’m looking forward to the Mideast book.
Love eternal,
OOT
Ps. I also had a thought about wave refraction, Richard Feynman and the double slit experiment. Do with this as you will.
First, thank you for the time and thoughtfulness here. Sincerely. The whole damn book actually started with the title Cocaine + Surfing. The publisher, whom I love deeply, added the subtitle. My ideal would have been Cocaine + Surfing: A Love Story! But I don’t think that sort of thing sells books.
I’m 18k words finished with Mid East which means 60k words to go. And I’m gonna read Vineland now.
love.
When it comes to my feelings about the elderly in the lineup, it all comes down to their attitudes in the lineup compared to the rest of us. The graphic below, produced after years of research from the brightest minds in surfing, tells it all… https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
The graph is wrong or I have been 66-100 years old my entire life.
At age 40 all surfers should quit and take up flatwater Supping. Its embarrassing to see old men floundering about and wasting set waves.
There’s a dozen or more old boys who take off hell deep on set waves, paddling like they’re looking for the remote after they wake up in their armchair.
From the back, you see a whip of spray and their head when they blast past the section.
I guess the East Coast is more friendly on the ageing surfer, but I get stoked when I see it, especially when some young cunt tries to snake and goes over the falls.
I’m upvoting you even though I’m 48. Who the hell am I trying to fool? I’m basically an adult learner soiling the line up.
Thankfully my allergy to others in line-up means I hide away at lesser breaks, and my newly discovered tendonitis means I can’t use a padildo.
how old are ye Negs?
45 so obviously the odd exception to my rule.
No excuses for you young man , you are even younger than Mr Slater ….
Now now!
Damn, they don’t call him Neg for nothin’
It’s even worse when they are wasted by the under 40s on a plank to the detriment of those over 50 who could have bashed the shit out it on a short board ?
i surf the grass. i surf the weeds. i surf the music.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…