Just wondering why it seems to me the majority of guys
I see SUP..ing are trying to imitate shortboard moves, like
floaters, lip slashing and radical cutbacks etc..
I thought the SUP would suit more fluid, soul type moves
similar to Longboarders.
Bring back the SOUL ARCH !!

You haven't watched Greenroom surf.

Each to his own I love the way Dogman rides a sup

Doesn't mean you have too.

I think that's why that recent vid of Laird is very visually refreshing....not on a rad pointy nose sinker but on a biggish board relaxed & stylee.

Maybe it's because most guys are comp orientated and, they see the shortboard/progressive style being rewarded by the judges?

planesailing said...

Just wondering why it seems to me the majority of guys
I see SUP..ing are trying to imitate shortboard moves, like
floaters, lip slashing and radical cutbacks etc..
I thought the SUP would suit more fluid, soul type moves
similar to Longboarders.
Bring back the SOUL ARCH !!

GizzieNZ said...

I think that's why that recent vid of Laird is very visually refreshing....not on a rad pointy nose sinker but on a biggish board relaxed & stylee.

Not sure about those helicopters most people rate them however. Loved his carves off the top though.

planesailing said...

Just wondering why it seems to me the majority of guys
I see SUP..ing are trying to imitate shortboard moves, like
floaters, lip slashing and radical cutbacks etc..
I thought the SUP would suit more fluid, soul type moves
similar to Longboarders.
Bring back the SOUL ARCH !!

Ahhh guys are doing floaters, smashing lips and doing cutties on longboards these days they might not always be as "radical" as the shortboard crew but they still do em.

Horses for courses - some people like the fast lane some people like the slow lane, I like both preferably on the same wave.

Edit - drop knee turns and retro boards ROCK

These pics were shot on Monday when Dave Boyd snuck out for a stealth run on his new 10'6 Imperial big boy model 115+ kg ripper prototype.

Dave mixes the new with the old effortlessly

I had to use 3600 ISO as it was just on dark.

I like a to watch a bit of both styles as well , i guess a really good surfer connects them all togeather and has flow.I think watching a lot of short boarders including pros some just go for slashing and ripping and their is little flow and it looks disjointed and boring.

planesailing said...

Yeah! I watched some comp. footage (shortboard) and I agree that
its really looks a bit disjointed. I reckon that the wave comes second
in this style of surfing and the rider just attempts to destroy it.
Long boarders have to use the wave to generate turns etc. because
of long waterline length. My Sup is 10'6", so similar to a longboard.
All this is my opinion and not at all derogatory to any of the riders.
I was just wondering if others felt the same way? and venting my
opinion.

I dont reckon you will get much agreement here mate , most of the guys are short sup rippers.But for what its worth i agree with you , i also ride a longer sup and have tried shorter ones but i dont get the same feeling or enjoyment from them.But its horses for courses and i would love to be able to surf like a dogman , casso Jacko ect.

Hey PS,

If you talk to the head judge at any of the comps (exclude Mambo where I think everything is counted including style) you would hear pretty much short board criteria.

Lots of the posts on the forum are put up by comp surfers so short boards are what you hear about. At OG last weekend plenty of sups out most over 10ft.

Shorter boards now have significantly improved in performance and primary stability and as peoples skills have progressed they tend to want to pull more radical moves simply because they can.

Its a laugh to read back through last years threads and see what people were saying about I wont be going to a short board and then see whats in their quiver now. Then there is the flip side people riding ultra short and also having a long board now.

I love having both the long and the short board in the quiver as like with everything else in life moods change and you enjoy different things on different days or different conditions.

Who cares what you ride or how you ride it as long as you have fun.

Planesailing,
I hear you !

Soulful or radical, I like both... but have always been an energetic surfer whether on short, long, or SUP. My normal approach is to turn rather than glide, to try to go vertical rather than stay horizontal. But... the wave dertermines my approach. I love it all, and appreciate other surfers' different approaches.

I ride a 9.3 Naish, and try to keep the shortboard approach. Then I have a C4 iSUP, which ain't too good for turning, but is fun for gliding, position surfing, and cross stepping type styling (I don't ride the iSUP much, except for flat water and giving others a go).

This whole notion that shortboard surfing is disjointed and disregards the wave is quite frankly very silly. Further more, even that the pro's are disjointed is almost ludicrous.

Good surfing no matter the discipline is surfing that utlilises all sections of the wave to its full degree. It is surfing that uses style, commitment, flow and speed. At no time ever has unfettered aggression on any craft overtaken this concept of good surfing. Even an aggressive surfer must have the above or they have nothing.

I watched Mick Fanning at this years Quik Pro do only 3 turns on a 150m long wave and score a 9.5. 3 of the best linked bottom, top turns you are likely to see. No pumping, wiggling or unecessary movement in between just a great surfer making the most of the wave he was riding and generating speed every time he put it on rail. The highlight of the event for me.

I think good surfing is like any other sport activity , those that are excpecially talented make it look easy and effortless , and that to me is a joy to watch.That vid of Laird that was posted was a good example, so was ther vid of the guy surfing finless.Some short board surfing looks to me sometimes forced and not in tune with the wave , that just comes down i think to the mindset.

CMC said...

This whole notion that shortboard surfing is disjointed and disregards the wave is quite frankly very silly. Further more, even that the pro's are disjointed is almost ludicrous.

Good surfing no matter the discipline is surfing that utlilises all sections of the wave to its full degree. It is surfing that uses style, commitment, flow and speed. At no time ever has unfettered aggression on any craft overtaken this concept of good surfing. Even an aggressive surfer must have the above or they have nothing.

I watched Mick Fanning at this years Quik Pro do only 3 turns on a 150m long wave and score a 9.5. 3 of the best linked bottom, top turns you are likely to see. No pumping, wiggling or unecessary movement in between just a great surfer making the most of the wave he was riding and generating speed every time he put it on rail. The highlight of the event for me.

Well said, bro...

Maybe it is time for some different divisions at these SUPsurf comps...