saying 'Hi" when paddling out

I was there that day. Those locals were all hot under collar, kinda how I get after eating too many red hot chilli peppers.

 

We're practically neighbors. The scourge hits full force in the next few weeks. Can't wait. As soon as colleges get out we get a bunch of inland college kids who come down and either rent a place for the summer or crash in mommy and daddy's condo. They don't have summer jobs yet and want to act like they are locals who have been here forever. Good off season vibe goes completely down the drain by the third week of May. Every year a new batch.

 

Great thread.........

My two cents.

I say hi to everyone in the summer, not in the winter.

In the winter everyone has hoods on and I feel like I am bothering people when they need to lift the side of their hood just to hear this idiot say hi to them.

Also depends on the vibe when I paddle out.

 

well........................................................
The best example of this is when a "pro" surfer paddles out around here. There are so many different vibes they can take. Gna name drop Tom Petriken who takes the time to remember peoples names and is respectful and humble in the lineup even though they rip the balls out of every wave. They start conversation and are genuinely looking to enjoy some waves with some people. Keeps that mellow friendly vibe.

And then..................... another way to play it is to be the cocky aggro local pro who in reality noone knows or cares about outside of your local spot anyway who paddles out on people who have been out for a few hours and burns EVERYONE nomatter their skill level or localness of that break. No names because that would be proper **** talking but the other day there was a great session going down me n some buddies and then a "local pro" comes out and burns literally everyone and had the attitude "**** all of you i have a sticker you are dirt im shooting for my instagram clip!" Ruined the vibe of the session and someone could have been seriously hurt with a nice fin to the head when ur in the barrel and the guy stuffs my buddy and a bunch of other guys out there. Saw him burn a kid twice in 5 minutes doesnt hesitate at all. Literally never been so vibed out and buzzkilled and infuriated when i see a guy airdrop on to a guy who was riding the wave already for a few seconds. its one thing to say na my wave before the takeoff but to airdrop the quad thru someones back is completely out of line. I will not support those guys and their brands or anything about them they are doing negative advertizing to the people that see them in the lineup regularly in person and dont just know of them from a magazine picture. yea you are sick and i admire your surfing skills but you are an asshole and alot of people secretly hate you and plot against you but suck your **** because you have a sticker. Its all fun and games untill one of those pricks seriously injures someone.

in the end of the day who will the people like better and support, the guy who has a few photos but burns everyone to the point of hurting people or the respectful humble ripper who is friendly to everyone and picks off the best waves anyway because of their superior wave skills. Glad I rarely frequent the fancy standout spots around here because even though the waves are really good sometimes you often leave pissed off and unsatisfied. 2 post tuesday on swellinfo ttyl

 

HA! such a good screename for that answer. I am generally quiet and then if people talk, I talk. Typically, no matter where you are barring a straight up tourist trap of a surf spot, new faces get a cold shoulder

 

Where I live we can have 35* water and the best spots will have 20 plus people battling. Of the 20 even in the dead of winter perhaps 5 live locally. I blame it on the 5 surf cameras covering one mile of the surf zone and modern forecasting. People drive from an hour and a half inland to surf my home town in the dead of winter because they know when its on. Heck they can even watch one of the best breaks in town live on their smartphone thanks to surfline.

I surf these spots because its where I live. I wish people would get an imagination, look around and spread the heck out. It's not that there are no other breaks around, its just that the stretch of beach near my house has the cameras. Also I think surfers like to flock up like sheep for some reason.

I could go to the next town north on the same day or the beaches at the other end of my town and its just as good and nobody is out. But why should I have to. Its bizarre.

 

Steve!
http://www.swellinfo.com/video/cb-drop

 

What ever your do, don't buy Volcom. I surfed with and personally knew quite a few of their CA team riders. COMPLETE d-bags. I mean, with a captial D. I was out at a bar talking to them and within 3 minutes, it almost turned into a brawl. My genious friend threw me under the buss and basically made me out to be kelly slater and 10 seconds later, they are all flashing their socks at me and their hats talking about, "you know why we are all wearing this stuff from head to toe? Cause we get PAID to surf. Where are you from? Montana? Ohh, Maryland? Is there even a beach in Maryland... There aren't any waves out there bro. Good thing you came out here to surf with the big boys. I won the NSSAs twice in high school bro!"

I am telling you, I have never met a crew of low lives quite like that. It was d-baggery. I mean, while that was going on, the other guy is over hitting on my buddies girlfriend. It was nuts... From that day forward, I had a personal competition with those guys every time were were out. As much as I hate the one guy, he does show up in surfer mag spreads about once a year. Bastard.

 

Yeah man, I think its human nature. I think in the winter, in the cold, in the elements, people have a little less of a sense of security. Power in numbers kinda thing. I think EVERYONE hates crowds in the summer, but I think guys group together a bit in the winter when they don't have to just for safety and piece of mind. To an extent anyway. I know, more common than not in the winter, I am literally the only guy out as far as the eye can see. Its always nice, but its still a super erie feeling. I must admit, when I roll up to the beach and I see someone's truck I know, i get a sigh of relief and think, well at least there is one other guy out there today. I won't roll up on him at all. But having someone 100 yards away or so is a comforting feeling, especially in the winter. No guards. Empty beaches. I am always a little more sketched out and my mind wanders more when im completely alone. Just human nature I think.

 

I know what you're talkin about. I get the same thing alot. I say hello to guys out of respect. That's the way it should be.

 

The other thing I will add at the risk of sounding old........it didn't used to be this way before the internet. Even back in the 90s you pretty much recognized just about everyone in the lineup in the offseason. Before the internet you really had to be on it and live nearby to know when it was good and where it was good. Heck, I bought the house I live in specifically because of its location in relation to my home break. I also think surfers had more imagination and explored more back then. Now they just go to where the surf cams and internet tells them its good. Sucks if you live at ground zero of that ****show.

 

Yeah man. Every day, everyone in this country seems to have less and less time. Me included. I am a creature of habit. I would much rather know that my home spot is "okay" enough to surf, rather than driving around for 2 hours, then the tide goes wrong etc. etc. I just go where I know there is a wave. Like what people with cams do.

 

I wish I could get myself to say hello to everyone but I hate to say it, doing this will invite people into your space and they will take advantage of it. It's human nature to see a smile etc as weakness especially when a resource is limited. They will see you smile and say " ok this is a nice guy that I can deal with" . Best case they stay by you and share the waves. Worse case they think they are one of the gang and join in paddling for every set wave. I hate when my buddy hoots at a stranger in a crowded line up when he takes off on a wave. 9 out of 10 times the guy paddles out all puffed up and becomes a problem after that acknowledgement.

 

Def witnessed this guy at the pipe once for sure. Seemed welcoming to be so I simply returned his greeting and went on my way

 

Hey Zach 619? Your Volcom tale got me thinking. Remember Randall with the ...Lost crew. He was a classic. I don't think he surfed. He would show up at house parties with a few sponsored pros, and get so annihilated. At Surf Expo he'd be wheeling around a mobile cocktail cart, with two or three hot a$$ girls hanging on him. He had like three teeth. Anyone know if he is still alive? Now that was a fun crew to party with.

 

I treat everyone like Bunker from Point Break. Punching kids, cutting leashes. Go back to the valley, man.

 

I'm just being honest. I don't think you need to stink eye anyone, leave them to drown if hurt, ignore cries for help etc. I just don't see any reason to invite strangers into your circle of friends unless they get there through the normal channels. Does anyone walk down a crowded street, smiling , saying hello, and inviting every stranger to dinner, of course not. For some reason the more crowded it it gets in the water, the more people who become involved in surfing the more we are all sold a bill of goods that this is a communal activity and all are welcome. Be honest surfing is now and has always been about the individual and getting waves. Go ahead and invite the world in, I'm happy having a few choice friends to share the waves with.