I was looking up some stuff on youtube when I came across the Power Balance company. (Do they even work?)
It got me thinking, what do we as surfers do to “improve” our skills?
I know I never go out without my Costa Rican bracelet and fisherman’s rope bracelet. They are my good luck charms for surfing.
What do you do, draw something on your board, wear something?
Whats your trick?
Practice
Blue boards.
red boards are faster
seriously though, i'm kinda embarrased to admit it but, a few years back, i watched a lot of slo-mo of Curren from "Searching For Tom Curren" and one of The Search videos... studied a lot body mechanics... let my buddy borrow the videos and haven't seen them since...
surf sober
have fun
I like to watch lots of videos of surfers with great styles, and whenever I skate or something (when you can actually be aware of your body movements) I try to mimic what I want to look like. Consciously realizing when your style is doodoo is pretty key I think.
While i’m surfing I like to have nothing on my wrists (except a watch if necessary) and nothing in my baggy pocket, and then go fast and do what fun makes me do!
Try to keep the extra weight off and a quick prayer. Just in case…Mike
Ha ha! Those “power balance” bracelets are total B**lsh*t!!! I looked into their claims and “research” and it’s right up there with voodoo and scientology! They were tested and debunked on TV here in OZ and I asked a local surf shop owner why he still stocked them. He said “people don’t care about facts. They’ll believe almost anything. These things are still selling like hotcakes!”
Blue v.s. Red!!!
I have to say I actually have had my best sessions on blue boards and old beater boards to tell the truth.
I figured as much with with those bracelets Idier.
They just got me thinking about what we crazy surfers think is best.
I have a pair of lucky shorts.
No trick to it. Just paddle out and have fun.
i got to say years, i mean decades of practice surf. And i deal with the crowd by being as irie as possible. Getting in the zone and being as comfortable as the white sharks, to find the flow of the ocean, to get my best release and flow.
Insular arrogance, testicular fortitude & intellectual abstinence.
Howzit gdog, As you learn to surf better you will pick up certain moves that will become normal to your style and you may not know if they are stylish or ugly. Have a friend either video you surfing or just watch you while you surf. After wards you can watch the video or have the friend tell you what looks good and what looks bad about your style. The thing that is hard is to break habits you have picked up during your years of surfing but you can change the ones you want. As I would drop in to larger waves I would make myself think about bending my knees a little to keep my balance better plus absorb the bumps and still be able to pump the board for more speed down the line. It took me 1 whole season to make it be a part of my normal style but It helped my surfing and the next season I worked on pushing the board harder down the face as I was dropping in and this was in my late 40's after over 30 years of surfing. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Aloha,Kokua
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Have a friend either video you surfing or just watch you while you surf. After wards you can watch the video or have the friend tell you what looks good and what looks bad about your style. The thing that is hard is to break habits you have picked up during your years of surfing but you can change the ones you want. As I would drop in to larger waves I would make myself think about bending my knees a little to keep my balance better plus absorb the bumps and still be able to pump the board for more speed down the line. It took me 1 whole season to make it be a part of my normal style but It helped my surfing and the next season I worked on pushing the board harder down the face as I was dropping in and this was in my late 40's after over 30 years of surfing. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Aloha,Kokua
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Man, there is so much more analyzing, and tools for it, today than years ago. We used to surf pretty much the same shapes, year in and year out. We didn't try new, different, or experimental shapes. Not like the stuff available today, I mean. I think internet has had a lot to do with the diversity in surfboard designs today. I never made a surfboard before internet - looking at pics and reading message boards is what gave me the confidence to try it. We filmed sometimes, but without digital, super 8. I was always amazed at how much of a kook I looked on film (hence, in real life LOL).
Honestly, today I think its awesome there is internet, there is digital video, there is cross training, there are surf coaches and surf fitness trainers, there are so many varying shapes and styles of board being ridden. Look at all the surfing you can watch on youtube - we went to the surf theater and stood in line to see surfing on film. It was a big deal. Today you can sit at home and click to watch. The downside of course is the crowds, but there is definitely a plus side to surfing in the new millenium!
surf your brains out for days then take a break and do it again… Its like a stair case. Learn then reset then learn then reset and so on…I love surfing when your soul really needs it, every thing becomes beautiful again.
Couldn't agree more Yorky. Taking breaks from surfing, sometimes longer than anticipated, not only lets everything sink in, it gives new enthusiasm when hitting the water again. Improvement follows.
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Insular arrogance, testicular fortitude & intellectual abstinence.
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ha ha ha