Surfsols? Training Booties?

You back on your meds man? Mass has weak-@ss mountains, true. But New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine have some nice mountains, AND occasionally some powder. I'm sure it's nothing like Alaska (la-di-fricken-da) but not everyone is willing to sacrifice contact with civilization for crazy waves and mountains. I'm not blaming you. Just saying get off your high horse ya arse.

 

Emass by sans bindings you mean like this? Cause that sh!t is rad as hell!
[video=youtube_share;mM4lXJk5W5E]http://youtu.be/mM4lXJk5W5E[/video]

 

I was asked to visit this forum from a couple kickstarter backers. I'm Jason, the founder of SurfSols. I know you won't hold back and that's exactly what needs to happen here. All doubts, skepticisms, and even worse are encouraged.

I originally created SurfSols because my progress, or lack there of, was frustrating. I wanted to get better at surfing. NOt just the ability to performa air-reverses but actually become a better surfer all around. So what are the current options????? Surf more, skateboard, indo-board, yoga, swim, wakeboard, snowboard, wakesurf, kitesurf??? Nothing, other than surfing, is extremely relevant or effective. So why aren't there in-water surf-centric tools to foster progression? This void left me searching at first, then eventually led me to developing a solution.

I'm NOT solely creating a product. My hopes are to unveil a new platform for progression. To create a new market within the industry. Porgression oriented aids or tools that are effective and simple. SurfSols is just the first step of many to assist surfers to become more proficient at their craft. This isn't a get rich quick scheme. The industry has a real need for surf progression.

Let's talk about training...

Value of training= is not only to progress faster but also to progress beyond one's potential if they didn't otherwise train.

Think about conventional training outside of surfing...gym, football, soccer, baseball, golf etc.Again, think outside of surfing for a moment. An athlete is trying to achieve a goal. Be it strength, balance, or muscle memory, training is rooted by a goal or ambition. So how do we train?

 

How do we train?

We add weight, we put obstacles in our way (like a mountain or agility ladder). We run sprints, we sweat, we work hard right?

SurfSols isn't a facilitator is the sense that it makes surfing easier and is a cure-all. Though I posit, adding this tool to your quiver will yield results.

At first, you place your feet in a poor location. That's bad right? Now you're stuck and like rcarter said you'll fall. But what he failed to comment on, was the human mind! You're going to try and salvage that wave. THe feeling of poor foot placement on your pop becomes engrained in your sub-conscience. Your brain reacts. You adjust!!!!!!!! You are training an extremely fundamental aspect of surfing both physically and mentally. Ingrain the perfect pop up.

You aren't aware of your unnecessary movements on your pop up that require you to wiggle or slide your feet into place. This tool BRINGS AWARENESS in a very simple and easily understood way.

When you fall, the SurfSols disengages quite easily, unlike bindings for tow in riders (possible alternate use of SurfSols?) Injuries are immanent with any sport and surfing as you know could lead to death quite easily. But this tool doesn't have you stuck permanently to the board.

 

Would it give you a little more mobility to only use it on your front foot?

Other than a very real potential to screw up your knee, I think having one foot firmly attached to your board would still give an added level of control in the air plus you'd have the ability to shift your weight fore/aft when conditions dictate it.

just my $.02 worth of constructive criticism

 

You ask how do we train? Get in the water and surf. No offense meant by that and you did ask for honesty. My 8 year old son stood up for the first time this summer after body boarding for the last 2-3 years. I was shocked by how quickly he got it, 10 minuets out and three tries later boom he stood up, rode straight till the wave died out and did it 20 more times that day. Surfing is about balance and the ways you mentioned above to train are great to improve your balance. If after practice in and out of the water you still do not have the balance to surf with out velcroing your self to a board it's probably time to look at another sport besides surfing.

Oh and there is no perfect pop up. Steeper waves call for being further back to not bury the nose, mellower waves more forward to trim. If you think you should pop up in the same spot every time you need to really learn more about surfing and trimming. This does not hold true for tow boards where you do not pop up, do stay in one place and simply hold on for your life in massive waves. The comment about if you pop up in the wrong spot you will still try to salvage the wave and thus learn poor foot position implys you think a rider on a normal board would not move his/her feet to get in the right position. Do you believe this? If so have you ever surfed not velcroed to the board?

 

I agree with you 100%. The benefit of being able to move your feet is HUGE. This is NOT a replacement for wax or a new way of surfing. SurfSols is a training aid, a tool that a surfer can use to elicit a desired goal.

Most sports have a number of training devices, drills, and instructional videos. I want to develop and expand how surfing is practiced. At the moment, most people go out to surf what the mother earth has provided, and that's fine! But there are many going out to work on their bottom turn, or snap, or evening to learn how to stand up period. At the core, this product teaches you so so much about how stance and your pop affect your surfing experience.

Not being able to adjust your stance creates a few things:

1) awareness. Ok, who cares about awareness? You will once you realize your blowing waves because of a poor habit.

2) good habits. A solid stance and pop improve your ability to make that wave, to shed time off your pop up, to teach you better foot placement when dropping into a barrel.

3) muscle memory. You'll repeat this process over and over and you'll perfect an effective and dependable stance. You'll become stronger. If poor foot placement occurs, your sub-conscience trying to salvage the wave uses different motions and muscles to maintain your balance and speed. Muscles and movements you wouldn't have know about had you not used an aid.

4) appreciation for wax and you conventional setup. Again, THIS IS NOT A CURE-ALL OR NEW SPORT! The whole idea behind a training tool is so that form and function TRANSLATE into your traditional set up.

5) trick variations and expansion. Learning chop hops is cool, but it's more powerful than that. improve your switch riding. Land more tricks and improve your confidence. Increase your feel and awareness of your board. Learn to tackle whitewash.

 

That looks like a blast. What happens when you fall?? I guess gravity will eventually bring it to the ocean but I'd hate to be in its way 100yds down the slope.

 

As said in the first page of this thread you really need to check with the Admin about advertising on this site, we have enough pop and banner ads on the side with out threads like this. Talking about your product is fine just as Roy did in his build thread but posting a link to your website that asks for dontations is a quick way to bansville baby.

 

Yeah like abullet coming down the mountain at ya. Maybe a leash would be good?

 

That's cool and all but can we just see more pictures of Morgan please?

 

Your knowledge on pop ups and stance are spot on. I surf conventionally and with SurfSols. Your experience with all of those different types of waves are valid. I don't dispute that. Have you ever missed a wave? Have you ever fallen because of your stance or pop. If you haven't, you've never surfed before. See that kind of logic, like your arguments above and the one I just presented, aren't logical. Here's how you become a pro football player...play more football. Ok. How about work on hand and eye coordination. Or speed. Or jumping?

I'm not saying this is a perfect product. But what I can tell you, is it has a number of benefits.

THIS IS A TRAINING AID TO ADD TO YOUR QUIVER NOT YOUR GYM BAG. I think that's an important concept. A tool to be used in the water. Not everyday, not every-time you surf, no. But when you want to work on something specific in surfing, you can't. Not effectively at least. You might think, your not entering the wave in the right spot, or this isn't the right board...well how do you know for sure? We need something to use as a benchmark. Something that effectively shows whats going on.

I'm very thankful of your comments rcarter, I truly am. Without this discussion, without questioning our current state of mind, we can't progress.

I rescently went ot the SurfExpo in Orlando. It was amazing how many people wanted to use this tool in a different way. Yeah the UCF team wants to push the limits on airs, but the 45 year old woman in Montana wants to learn how to land her 360 in the river (wakesurfing). Sick a$$ people with awesome attitudes and approaches to the sport are hungry for new micro market. Training devices that yield results. I think that's awesome your son is surfing at such a young age. I wish I started when I was younger. Ask him if he wants to get better? Ask him how it plans to do it? He'll say what you say, surf more. SurfSols is a tool that will have you getting into the water more stoked than ever. Because the possibilities are endless. Let the dreams flow, your son surely dreams huge!!! I'm a dreamer too, and I hope to progress my surfing leaps and bounds.

 

Hey surfsols....tried checkin out your website but its down. Would like some more info about what you guys are doin. Sounds pretty interesting.

 

Donations aren't allowed on kickstarter. It's money in exchange for the future delivery of a product. I could be flipping houses or selling cars or making t-shirts... but what's the impact of those options? I'm just a young kid trying to explore entrepreneurship via my passion. Which is the resounding advice from any and all successful people. My elders always said this.

I thoroughly appreciate your opinion and without, I wouldn't be able to alter this product in way for the good. I love the passion you have about the purity of the sport. I have it too.

Change is hard. The industry and culture has accepted honeycomb fins, carbon fiber boards, toxic resins. It's not a wood plank anymore. Surfing will always transform, always progress, and always look different than it did 20 yeas ago. As is life right?

 

go to kickstarter and search SurfSols. It's up and running. Thank you for the interest

 

I'll check it out....

thanks man and good luck with your endeavor!

 

Keep the dream alive for sure if that is your thing. I do however seem remember in the late 80's when The Fletcher Bros were pioneering airs, Gorilla Grip I think (but could have been homemade) made something similar so just in case you haven't, check to make sure there are no patent's on this idea already. Oh and if kickstarter is money in exchange for a product (therfore a retail site) then you are definitley in violation of the advertising rules here. All the ads you see around the boarder pay money to be here so that memebrs do not have to. You placing your "ad" in a thread is a way to get free ad space whenothers pay for it. Just letting you know since you are starting out in business which is great BTW, more young ones need to.

 

Thank you for the encouragement. It's a tough endeavor for sure. I hope to not be in violation of the forum rules. I've not posted any links or promotions. I'm merely responding to opinions about my product. I''l leave it to the field to deem otherwise. I'll sign off and let the forum continue on its path of enforcing the much needed enlightenment.

 

rcarter.....technically he's not selling he's asking for donations. Kickstarters website in which he talks about his product is a donation website.


Surfsols.... I checked out your product on kickstarters and I think that's a great idea man! Being from Florida you may want to offer your product in other areas with just the back pad. Most of the year we don't wear wetsuits and an extreme rash may result with using the front pad. Even just using the back pad would be a great advantage and use.

I've talked with Herbie Fletcher about some prototypes I had developed and I know he would definitely like what you have going!

Good luck to you! Hope to see your product in surf shops one day!

If you need any help with surf retail or getting into surf shops give Dave Seehafer a call at Global Wave Ventures. He is a wealth of information and could really help you!

 

Well if you read my earlier post I said kickstarter was for dontations and Surfsol corected me that it is money for a future product, ie retail. Either one is not acceptable here. Surfsol I know it may not have been you that posted the link or even started this thread but as mentioned earlier we have seen 3-4 new members join and only post on this thread? So while it may not be you many can not help but think it is your friends, family or other supporters.