"I need to get in on this," says wingless Conner Coffin.
Only a few years ago, the middle Florence bro, who has the Hebrew name Nathan (significant prophet, also son of King David), confessed to me, “Airs. I can’t do airs, surfing.”
I was shocked, natch, and pressed Nathan to be specific.
At what level, I said, can’t you do airs? Can you land a straight air, a little air rev or are you bereft of wings?
“I’ve landed three air reverses in my whole life,” he said.
I asked if this failure was a lack of desire or a mechanical issue?
“First, I never thought of them,” he said. “I didn’t care about ’em and then the way people started doing airs, like John, Matt and Albee, those things are actually nuts and then I started trying to do airs. And I just realised that I was a complete failure at them. The mechanics are foreign to me. I can get myself in the air but no matter what, when I land on my board, I’m eating shit.”
This changed earlier today when Nathan, who has climbed out of his shell on social media and has become the most popular of the three brothers, announced he’d been studying airs and that, oowee, maybe it wasn’t beyond his realm.
In the clip below, Nathan, stomps a swinging backside 540.
The response was excellent.
His older brother John sent a picture of a rocket ship.
Surfer magazine used emojis to signal his journey from chick to hawk.
Meanwhile, Conner Coffin, a boy who also can’t fly, wrote, “I need to get in on this!”
True!
I don’t want Conner to lose one of the main reasons I love him which is that he is a celebrated surfer even though he is, like me, someone who cannot do airs.
He was a big lump of a kid and didn’t get any smaller with age . Power surfing legend !
Gary / Kong definitely !
The Big don’t Argue and when they hit the lip the lip is dismembered…….
backside 540..?? not to start again..but that’s such a 360…
pretty sure Cote paid him 20 bucks to stick a few extra degrees on it.
Welcome to the club Nathan! Enjoy the knee and ankle injuries!!!
Brother Scott ,A Frame Wedgey beach break , Side-shore wind , take off into it and fly like a kite ………and don’t forget to top up the health insurance .
YOU GO GIRL!!!
Connor Coffin smokes Brad Gerlach’s pipe. Both dong lovers.
At least they’re getting some.
You’re not picky are ya
Not at this point in my marriage.
B rad can’t air too
I’m determined to suss them before I hit 50.
Now… I just need to re-figure everything else out first.
You and me both. I’m 45 this year and have a vague goal to land some straight forehand airs. Its probably folly but I figure its a marginally better midlife crisis than having a tawdry office affair, buying a sports car and then getting divorced.
Good call.
I thought that once too. Went out, first attempt; board flicked upside down, narrowly avoided impaling self on fins. I’ve since returned to my old school roots.
I figure it can’t hurt anymore than falling off skateboards which I’ve also semi re-taken up as part of my existential crisis. They make mechanical ankles now right?
Airs, Who knew!