First up this video contains no images of high performance Stand Up Surfing, it also contains no images of high performance surfing of any discription. Its a vid that shows kids of all ages playing in the ocean. If you're not interested, dont watch.
Shot this one on the same day Kristi had bikini weather in O'Grove, what a blinder of a day. Picked up my new board on Wednesday and was frothing to get into the water. Had a few dodgy ones on Thursday morning at the Front Beach but figured the cream on the pie would by on the incoming that arvo. Lugged my stuff over the hill and set up in front of my usual rip bowl left. My young bloke was frothing and so headed strait out. As is usual in these parts, once there's one grom in the water another fifteen are'nt far away. Spewing, too many kids too much current. It was doable but I would have only had to blow it once in the wrong spot and caused carnage, trudged back over the hill and grabbed my shortie. What a session, three and a half hours of flat out paddling against the current and wave catching, listening to the groms jibbering about their "last wave, next wave, how epic was that pig dog and did you see my layback?"
Not a lot of the guys I grew up surfing with are still out there but this was just like being fourteen again. Instead of my mates they were my sons mates and I kind of felt priveledged to be let back in for a while
The vid starts with one of the local girls who rips. There's a bunch of mums who look after one anothers kids up on the deck while they take turns surfing. Shay's one of them and while this is not one of her better waves...you get the idea. The girl at the end of the vid...no idea. She was about fifteen sixteen, paddled straight out to the inside and just blew minds. Again not her best wave, she was seriously ripping, massive gaffs, couple of punts and the smoothest roundhouse since Stuart Cadden! She made me realise that my short board salad days are long gone and my forehand cutty is but a ghost of its former self!
Anyway this is unquestionably the funnest surf I have had on anything in years.
You could argue that the vid doesnt belong here but I call BS on that. Its all just surfing, and besides, this is where I live.
Oh and the music...got this album on my seventeenth birthday. It reminds me of summer and surfing with my mates, hanging on the beach all day, no dramas, no jobs, no cars no worries!
Cheers
Sparx
Hey Sparxy, the perfect reason for having a seperate stand up surfing and stand up paddling forum. I know they cross over but some of the c--p that I read is unbelievable!!
The post on your shorter paddle was one. Who is Johnny Maya? I've never seen him surf. You were talking about paddles not looking for supping tips from who??? I know rahams can surf/sup but I haven't seen him podium lately.
It all comes back to the "do you surf for enjoyment" or to be some sort of "lair poonce". I'm sick of guys setting themselves up as surfing/supping geniuses. They would have told Mark Richards to keep his hands down (Flying Seagull!!
), Wayne Lynch to turn up on time for his heats and Owl Chapman to stop doing his drop knee on massive backside Pipe barrels!! I like hitting the lip after a big bottom turn. I'd love to get barreled but am too fat at London Bus size. it's time to start stop being so judgemental, cliquey and omniscient guys!!!
Embrace others that love the ocean no matter what they ride, and don't worry about their mental aberrations re:prejuidices. See you in the soup!!
Have Fun cause I don't reckon too many of you are Kelly Slater's, Kai Lenny's or Keahi D'Abboitz's. Nothing wrong with an opinion but FFS don't set yourselves up as superheroes behind the cover of a computer keyboard. I've seen too many people leave this forum because of the clique mentality.
Well done Sparx on your very courteous and well articulated responses. If I had your ability I would have let fly!!!!!
Thank Christ .... someone typed the words fun & frothing , doesn't matter a shizz what you ride or glide .... who cares
no essay just ..... Thanks
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Brilliant. This is why ii love this forum. Some times its awesome being a middle aged grommet. Thanks for posting.
All good guys.
Just woken the grom and we're off to surf the same bank. Surfed it yesterday arvo at about six foot and it was going nuts!! A bit of wind just makes it gnarlier and funner so unfortunately the SUP wont be coming out of its cover for a day or two yet.
Don't sweat it Leroy, its a forum. Post stuff up and you expect feedback. Don't always agree with it but it's just words and at the end of the day I can walk out the door and get wet. Noels a good bloke and I respect his opinion. He would've placed higher at last years Aussies if he was'nt such a clumsy bugga
Stay safe and look after your kids
Sparx
Great stuff sparx, needed more footage of the local girl, she surfs very well.
In fact they all did given the conditions.
I'm gunna embrace you and Leroy when I see you next
Hey Sparx.
Thanks for the vid. As a few have said, it doesn't matter what you ride, it's how much you smile. My garage looks like a surf museum. Twinnies, mals, sups, old school singles, fishes and short white boards.
Was looking at some footage of my young bloke when he was 15 or 16 a couple of weeks ago. Made for funny viewing. My bloke was tall and rangy like the lad in the vid and surfed very similar. Now at 22, bigger and heavier, he rips. It's good to have those memories.
Sandsy1
Sandsy
Just wish I had been able to hang on to all the classic boards I've owned over the years....Lynchy round pin singles, McCoy swallow tail singles, a Morning Star Col Smith model, Mike Davis twinnies and a Feral bonza...on and on.
Yep, thats my young bloke in the long sleeved springy, fourteen years old and just can't keep the food up to him he's growing that quik. Still a bit gawky and jerky in his surfing but i reckon with a bit more beef and a few more years he's gonna be lethal!! Oh...and there is nothing in this world and possibly the next that can compare to the stoke of surfing with your kids!!!
Cheers
Sparx
Hi Sparx,
I too have regrets about some of the boards I let go, particularly a custom, red twin fin made by Bob Cooper.
Hey, your young bloke is goin well. Being tall at that age, as my bloke was, is a bit more difficult, with that much higher centre of gravity. Once they fill out, the power they generate is amazing. Some of my best memories in life, are 2 foot days on mals, with my son and my daughter, dropping in on each other, swapping boards mid wave and just laughing the whole time. Also, on the shortboards, paddling out at a local point break at well over head, with him getting belted on the take off and coming up laughing. I got rag dolled that day and it took 2 visits to the Chiro to get me going.
Cheers
Sandsy
