Is surfing really the hardest sport in the world?

Chas Smith hates surfing. And you can too!

Recently, Kelly Slater responded to an online poll asking which sport was harder, soccer or surfing, with a bombshell…neither. 

“I wouldn’t rate soccer but I don’t play,” Kelly wrote. “I would say skating, free soloing, F1, MMA, gymnastics etc are all at the cutting edge of ability for humans.”

Kelly Slater’s comment came just after ESPN had released their definitive list of “sports ranked by degree of difficulty” with surfing filling the lowly twenty-third position barely beating badminton and well behind tennis, volleyball and squash.

According to ESPN, the results were compiled by “our panel of experts, a group made up of sports scientists from the United States Olympic Committee, of academicians who study the science of muscles and movement, of a star two-sport athlete, and of journalists who spend their professional lives watching athletes succeed and fail.

In today’s episode of Chas Smith Hates Surfing, the noted author of the North Shore epic Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell, as well as the best-selling Blessed Are the Bank Robbers, “a rollicking true story of Bibles and bank robberies in Southern California” examines the difficulty of surfing, or not, and the surprise coming out of retirement of current world surfing champ Filipe Toledo and his subsequent appearance at the ISA World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico.

Filipe Toledo has joined a long line of Gen Z-era millennials where those aged in their upper twenties are calling in sick, four time the rate of their elders,” says Smith. Kelly Slater, when was the last time he called in sick for work…foot injuries aside… Kelly Slater at fifty-eight-and-one-eighth years of age is still crushing it.

Chas Smith asks, Is surfing really the hardest sport in the world?
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Corey Webster
Corey Webster
2 years ago

Well in the 80’s Bert Lamar proved that snowboarding is the easy sport in the world when he won the Halfpipe World Championship after only having snowboarded for 3 days.

stephen taylor
stephen taylor
2 years ago

Taking away the fighting sports the grueling individual sports are the toughest. Surfing is definitely one of those, unique with so much variation in its arena and it’s massive levels of skill required to be successful. At times it’s extremely dangerous so it really is right up there with any other sport for difficulty. None of the mainstream team sports listed are genuinely at the top, ice hockey, basketball and football are definitely not at the top. In fact any sport with a reserve bench is not. Biathlon, Triathlon, surf lifesaving iron competitions all have nowhere for the individual to hide if they’re slightly off the pace they are quickly left behind. Likewise track and swim events require huge amounts of training hours.

whyhateall
whyhateall
2 years ago

It’s up there on the top of the list. Hitting in baseball at an elite level is insanely difficult. Golf – well that goes without saying is at the top of most experienced people’s list as well.

Noncompetitor
Noncompetitor
2 years ago

Skateboarding well is as hard as surfing well

Kama'aina
Kama'aina
2 years ago
Reply to  Noncompetitor

But with more consequence.

Sean Connery
Sean Connery
2 years ago

Maybe you already went through your roledex but think its better when you have guests on. Just please for the love of god no Zeke or poopies.

Barnycle
Barnycle
2 years ago

How many of the other sports have the wildlife attacking you while you practise?

Got a call about a guy getting bitten at a fairly remote, but popular, break in Central America yesterday.

Barrelled
Barrelled
2 years ago
Reply to  Barnycle

Actually, you could argue that any outdoor sport puts you in a position for wildlife to attack you. There are plenty videos out there of skiers and snowboarders being chased by bears, moose, pigs, etc. You could easily add mountain climbing, running, jogging, and especially hunting to that list (I’m sure there are many more). Hunters probably expose themselves more to wildlife attacks than any other pursuit. You could argue that hunting is not a sport but many would disagree.

Barnycle
Barnycle
2 years ago
Reply to  Barrelled

Point taken!

I just had sharks on my mind.

Kama'aina
Kama'aina
2 years ago
Reply to  Barnycle

I got attached by a dog once while skating a local ditch.

tim_nelsen
tim_nelsen
2 years ago
Reply to  Kama'aina

not wearing a leash?

Kama'aina
Kama'aina
2 years ago
Reply to  tim_nelsen

No I hardly ever wear a leash while skating.

7dollarsurfboard
7dollarsurfboard
2 years ago
Reply to  Kama'aina

The Byron Bay shire might have something to say about that

Kama'aina
Kama'aina
2 years ago

So sad that the Val’s have won that battle. Logging the Pass leashless is a God given right.

longtomssecondcuztwiceremoved
longtomssecondcuztwiceremoved
2 years ago
Reply to  Kama'aina

surfed it leashless yesterday with local cop, also leashless.

Kama'aina
Kama'aina
2 years ago

Good to hear! I haven’t been back since the rule has been enforced. Is it not the big deal I imagined?

tim_nelsen
tim_nelsen
2 years ago
Reply to  Kama'aina

the dog~

Kama'aina
Kama'aina
2 years ago
Reply to  tim_nelsen

No it was all old school. Don’t even think it had a leash plug.

tim_nelsen
tim_nelsen
2 years ago
Reply to  Kama'aina

down to spam and oysters…

Kama'aina
Kama'aina
2 years ago
Reply to  tim_nelsen

I wish I knew what that means. Sounds like either the smoothest burn ever or an invite to eat some one grindz

tim_nelsen
tim_nelsen
2 years ago
Reply to  Kama'aina

seeds w/o sinsimilla abd paraquat. :Honey. come to bed and pollinates the harvest…sacrificted is tati, rissa. and all the white chicks…crackers…

tim_nelsen
tim_nelsen
2 years ago
Reply to  Kama'aina

makaha with my daughter’s on Kaimaina’s deck and ski? went sailing instead…hobie’s 18! class act!

Kama'aina
Kama'aina
2 years ago
Reply to  tim_nelsen

U no da rulez

tim_nelsen
tim_nelsen
2 years ago
Reply to  Kama'aina

ma’al’aea in ’73…and still run at right=side point…2024…fish camp….

Barnycle
Barnycle
2 years ago
Reply to  Kama'aina

Everyone knows that Ditch Skating is way more dangerous than surfing. Glad that you recovered.

Sellme fitzgobbins
Sellme fitzgobbins
2 years ago

Surfing is easier than work if nothing else

tim_nelsen
tim_nelsen
2 years ago

when surfing IS work? that may be the hardest and most dangerous…

deeks
deeks
2 years ago

Good on you Chasley Smith … a teal jumper , worn around the neck …mind you,around the neck

Barrelled
Barrelled
2 years ago
Reply to  deeks

I hope for Chad that this is merely a part of these ridiculous vlog thingy’s as opposed to how he actually dresses.

tim_nelsen
tim_nelsen
2 years ago

Catholic’s won’t repent…real journalist’s either…

Andy C
Andy C
2 years ago

I’m more concerned that Zeke Lau has a VLOG,

The end is nigh cunts ………………………………..

tim_nelsen
tim_nelsen
2 years ago
Reply to  Andy C

bring a glove…on the walk…https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne…

Andy C
Andy C
2 years ago
Reply to  tim_nelsen

Lol, this cunt ^

tim_nelsen
tim_nelsen
2 years ago
Reply to  Andy C

Pavone’s is the end of a well-travelled silk road

Barrelled
Barrelled
2 years ago
Reply to  Andy C

Prime for a psychiatrist to study.

tim_nelsen
tim_nelsen
2 years ago
Reply to  Barrelled

doggie bag…

Stick man
Stick man
2 years ago
Reply to  Andy C

It’s a Vlaug!

deeks
deeks
2 years ago
Reply to  Stick man

And he’s a flaug

7dollarsurfboard
7dollarsurfboard
2 years ago
Reply to  Andy C

Zeke Lau is a FLOG


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