Be afraid. Literally.
Most of us surf because at some point, or another, we thought it looked very cool and you know what? We were right. Sun-kissed hair, tan skin, surfboard under arm, devil-may-care gait. It looked cool then and it looks cool now but, according to authorities in Byron Bay and environs, the “hipster-like fashion trend of riding without a leg rope” is a growing menace threatening VALs, EIs and the sufficiently competent alike.
What’s the likely outcome of this threat? Well, death of course and let’s read more about the gruesomeness together in the Port Macquire News. Let’s really cringe in fear.
A new beach fashion is making waves in Port Macquarie as surfers ditch their leg ropes to walk the board.
Local beaches are seeing an increase in surfers riding the waves without leg ropes, according to local observers.
Port Macquarie Surf School owner Wayne Hudson said the hipster-like fashion trend of riding without a leg rope was attracting more experienced riders but surfers needed to maintain their common sense.
“It’s a new fashion at Byron Bay,” he said.
Apart from preventing injury to other beach goers or themselves with a stray board, surfers can also use a leg-roped board to determine where a missing surfer is.
An attached surfboard can begin ‘tombstoning’ if its rider is knocked unconscious deeper in the water, instantly telling others that someone is in trouble.
Port Macquarie-Hastings lifeguard supervisor James Turnham said not wearing a leg rope because it was fashionable is an unnecessary risk to all involved.
Fucking hipsters.
But also, when was the last time you really, really tombstoned?
I took up logging again after swearing it off 20 yrs ago… Ive taken it up at our mushy points in SB/VTA, filled with ALs and lots of toddlers and their surfer parents
So I just decided to wear a cord again, after reading this piece, as at these types of mushy places, the board just goes on forever, sideways, terrorizing everyone. so…times are changing, I guess I should too. I changed my behavior today. Points for me!!
I learned in the 60s and early 70s to surf, and if you wore a leash anywhere in Cal during those times, you would get burned or yelled to the beach etc. Leashless teaches you how to navigate the waves, and yes, you are pretty conservative when its weird or sloppy, but still, good habits to learn IMHO. My first leash was a rope I tied to my foot, as I wanted to save money. Bad idea, my one foot is probably still longer…
Ive seen guys who broke their leash, not go back out even though it was pumping because they had no idea how to surf without it……(yeah you fall once your board is history on our rocks….oh well, dont fall!!)…yup times have changed. The leashes have opened up zillions of previously impossible places to surf, and saved miles and miles and miles of swimming, so theres that positive.
Also……I really hate people with leashes doing that stupid bellyflop/salior dive over the 2ft back instead of a proper kickout….sheesh even experts and pros do that. Such poor form!!!
I don’t wear a leash when on a log.
But I also don’t ride a log in anything big enough to ride literally any other type of board.
Last time I tombstoned was at a popular inlet here this winter. Flubbed a wedgy take off, pushed to the bottom, and then my leash cup broke…does that count?
Surfing without a leash at a crowded break is a great way of making friends!
Question : How many hipsters does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer : Aaah, it’s a really different number, you probably wouldn’t know it.
These no legrope surfers have no excuse the “knee” legrope allows walking the board easily. They do it to look cool but are actually kooks in reality..
Touring Hipster. Nice single fin, not a mal. He fell off, his board,off to the beach, he got dragged straight into a rip that was far more powerful than he expected that deposited him rather quickly out beyond the line up, tried again to get in, this time dragged down to the next rip due to the strong cross shore current and then out again. Meanwhile his board floating slowly inshore now, cross shore current delivers it to another rip and out she goes, but nowhere near where he was. 9 in the water including him and 8 of us suggested he get a leg-rope and some other positive feedback.
If you are have to be the cool guy surfing leashless, you probably should be able to swim in on your own,
This has been going on for decades. If you get hit… hit them back. It’s basic maths.
Tombstoned for the first time of my life this past December, at Swami’s of all places during one of this winter’s large swells. Top to bottom drop on a set wave, slipped at the end…took the board in the face, etc…it took me all the way to the bottom and had to pull myself up using the leash. I was under for about fifteen seconds which isn’t much, so all in all a normal wipeout gave the thrill of that experience without being death defying 🙂
I reside in Port Macquarie so can categorically state – there are no genuine ‘hipsters’ in this town.
There are however a few alt-livin’ ‘coolcats’ and #vanlife ‘cruisers’ whom are ‘cool’ and ‘cruisey’ respectively.
Generally, the local surf community respect one another (with the odd exception – you know who you are!) , and any friction in the water emanates via holidaying (Sydney / Brisbane / Goldcoast) “surfers” bringing their hyper-inflated ego/baggage/attitude into the line-up. When the QLD rego. plates stack the Towns carpark, I oft question whether I want to surf … !
It’s the wayward VAL /Kook & backpacker/tourist – whom took the wrong turn-off seeking Crescent Head – that comprise mostly the sans legroom brigade that are of genuine concern!
– Expensive beautifully resin-tinted longboard : (scheck)
– Go-Pro battery charged : (scheck)
– Latest-design branded boards : (scheck)
– Ironic front-zipped fashionable wettie vest : (scheck)
– Legrope : (Mir das nicht notig! Ich surfe wie un Micky Dora)
No.
I would wear 8 ft. reef break leashes at 1 foot beach breaks just to spite hipsters but then again it would also be pretty VAL. Circle of torment complete.
Some kook without a leash at Blacks was like, “so what? I lost my board a few times – but no more often than other guys who surf w/out a leash” – I have to try this! I can now commit any and all kinds of crimes so long as I can justify it by saying I commit my crime at the same rate as the other criminals
Estagnots a few months ago, two to three foot surf, almost surfaced only to be strangely vacuumed and pinned to the bottom in such a manner that I couldn’t right myself to push off properly. Weird place sometimes.
I’m wearing a leg-rope right now as I post.
Never can be too careful.
I’ve got a lovely little skirt on with matching blouse in honour of gender equality
Chas, you had me a ‘Fucking Hipsters” nothing more needs to be said.
And last time for the tombstone was at a day in Nicaragua that was bigger than I should have tried to surf. Or at least it felt like a tombstone was hitting me many, many times.
“Any longboarder worth a shit”
– there’s the problem right there.
The occasional clearing of the line up by a menacing old log can be a good thing. Used to have a Chuck Dent that would erase crowds.
Old log and good thing don’t belong in the same sentence.
Nothing like a board tombstoning in 2ft surf!! Having said that been a guy out the past 2 weeks who continually bails without looking. First time literally in front of me – oblivious. Seen him do it repeatedly over course of a week. But he also paddles across the face on way out instead of going inside. Basically shitload of VALs and intermediate with no fucking idea on positioning which almost as dangerous as leashless
Yes. Last weekend I had someone try to shoulder takeoff, stand up, go off the back and then out fall off backwards while kicking the board forwards at almost 90 degrees to the wave direction. I was paddling back up the line well outside the shoulder and suddenly got speared in the head by an inexplicably pointy 7’ plus “funboard with performance nose”. 💥 right outta nowhere. What can you say? I just kept paddling up the line… it was an older female learner “having the most fun” and I didn’t want to be “that guy”… but I also like both my eyes
Wont believe it but just back now – 2-3ft offshore fun little runners. guy paddles out with his girl she on 10ft longboard. proceeds to push her on shoulder dropping in on me 3 times. so its howling offshore and she is then bailing with 10ft board blowing sideways as she dropping in.
He is of course then trying to go sets.
3rd time i am fucking fuming paddle over to him and just unload and tell them to fuck off in before I punch him in the head.
That almost shits me more as he is teaching her fucking clueless skills and etiquette that is only going to get her more grief. She was already of the ilk that because she is on a mal she can catch anything she wants from further out.
What happened then?
I went in because water felt like 5 degrees
This happening all over the globe. I had to tell a new face “Nah mate” as he tried to imitate slater v beaches ya open final and paddle /snake around the back of me. Also having multiple ruined surfs recently by people paddling at me to avoid fluffy pillows of whitewater just sending me into a spin. Someone is gonna cop a blow up soon. Almost at a tipping point.
Fucken Val’s are far worse than lifelong kooks.
Yeah don’t people release you gotta paddle to the inside to duckdive. Like driving slow in overtaking lane. I’m on tipping point for sure
At the pool table
My brother’s ex making eyes
Did not take her cue
He really said dickens?