Do you love the ASP? Or do you love to ride waves???

[video=youtube_share;bamWa9vNPi4]http://youtu.be/bamWa9vNPi4[/video]

There was a big movement against that on the west coast when I lived there. See video, but locals surf throughout most of the contests out there. Maybe not the ASP at trestles, but we used to surf on the edge of a contest area all the time. We would move right over into the area if the waves were good. I would always let contestants go when they were in line. Judges would "ASK" people to clear the area, but I asked the lifeguards on numerous occasions, and they said, you can surf WHEREVER you want. No one can do anything to you. And if anyone says or does anything out of line, we will go after THEM. One of the cooler conversations I have ever had with a lifeguard.....

Not sure how they do it in HI. I know they have the wolfpack and all that "regulate" during pipe events, but if their rules are anything like they are in CA, you can go right out at steamers or wherever you want and surf right in the middle of the lineup.

So, if people in any of your areas are trying to tell you that you can't surf, I would run that by the guards and the cops, because I bet they are full of it.

 

I just think the judging is garbage, these guys do 3 turns on a perfectly breaking pointbreak and get upper 9s or even 10s? gtfo

 

Not 100% True Zach. I believe I posted this before but since you've made mention of "The Lane" (not Steamers) I thought you should know that they had a SUP / Kayak contest when I was out there back in March. They shut the peak down from anybody not participating in the contest. They had signs posted everywhere that said violators would be prosecuted / fined. They said we could paddle out down the road on the inside section but that was it. I was holding a HPSB and looking over the railing and a dude with an SUP walks up and says "I hope your not thinking about going out, it's contest only", now I wanted to punch this D Bag in the face because nobody asked him what he thought, but it was clear it was a no surf zone for anybody except those in the contest. I've surfed at NSB and other beaches that have contests and I try to stay out of the way of the contestants out of respect, but nobody forced me out of the water or ever said anything to me like they did at The Lane, and I hadn't even touched the water yet.

 

to address the original question... I was surfing during (not at the contest, mind you lol) the quicksilver pro in nyc.

 

I read it to about the 3rd page I think, but I got the point. I am with you there. I think mostly, people don't give two sh**s about surfers, regardless of how you pitch them. But there are a few, the Kelly's and the Laird's that people of all walks of life want to see and here from. And those two can hold hands down the red carpet. Cause the rest of the world doesn't give a sh** who John John Florence is. So, I think we are safe there, but Kelly and Laird have transcended surfing. They are showing Jaws in Amex commercials, and the anchors on sports center make Kelly Slater references on the regular...

But yeah, it is for sure weird to see Vogue Magazine and the Today show. But as I have stated before, I feel a sense of pride, when on the rare occasion, someone on the ASP makes the sport center top 10. I am like, yeah, you see, 55 Million people are going to see that today and go damn!

 

I remember you sharing that story. That is crazy, I didn't go north of SB very often, so really have no experience in those situations up North, but I would just wonder where the source of those signs and propaganda were from. The contest sponsors? Or the law. I don't know. Because like I said, even in SoCal, the announcers would say stuff, making it seem like the area was off limits. Asking surfers to exit the water. That is when the lifeguards chimed in and said, NOPE. These guys can do whatever they want, and if you have a problem with it, your whole contest area is about to get flooded. It was interesting seeing the lifeguards standing up to the contest sponsors. The lifeguards are all OB locals and they were not trying to hear that mess.

But again, that wasn't in Central CA either. But as you can see from that footage in Ventura, the locals didn't give two sh**s about the signs that the contest put up and the locals put up their own signs saying "fu** the contest, surf WHERE EVER you want.

Maybe that sh** don't fly north of Point Conception.

 

Yeah I was shocked. I thought this HAS to be a joke. I came all the way from FL to surf one of the most pristine waves in all of the world and it's reserved for an SUP / Kayak contest? Just threw me for a loop. BUT, being the respectful person I am, I didn't tempt fate and go for it anyways. I figured I would just be asking for trouble, especially not being from the area and my first time out there. When you think of The Lane or anywhere in SC for that matter, you never think SUP / Kayak, you think of some of the best surfers in the world, on one of the best waves in the world.... Just couldn't believe it, still can't... my head is still shaking left to right, I can't stop...

 

I choose to rather surf than watch a webcast.like if its 6ft and offshore,and u are sitting at home watching the us open u should burn all your surfboards.the new asp sucks so it makes it impossible for me to watch.once in a while il catch 5 minutes per contest if im lucky.

when I watch the contests,only good cntests lke pipe and france,all I really do is just study where they sit,where they paddle,if they wipeout where to they recover to.im all about progressing in anything I do including surfing,so I like to watch their body movements or whatever.if they lose their board,like Adriano in france a few years ago,I study how they make it in.like Adriano lost his board,and had to bodysurf through 12ft beachbreak with a 8ft shorebreak.it was pretty gnarly and he made it in.i could give 2 fuks about how many turns they do or how big of an air,that crap is corny.

yea but surfings gone to shyt with all the publicity it gets nowadays.it was a lot cooler when it was hidden beneath the surface.now u have newbs just starting making gopro vids of them going straight in whitewater,or an intermediate dude who barely gets barreled.its one thing if u record urself to watch at home later and study your mistakes,but when u put that crap on the internet u deserve all the hurtful comments that will come,most by people who don't even surf.maybe il start doing that wingsuit shyt,looks fun and dangerous

 

http://www.quiksilverlive.com/profrance/2012/heat_review.en.html#quality=med&round=565&heat=585

round 2 heat 3 Adriano vs taylor,towards the end of the heat he has to swim in.this contest was by far the best epic conditions compared to my homestate of nj beachbreaks,watch and learn a few things if u didn't see this contest when it came out.from round 2 to the final is epic.i think round 5 Kelly gets like 1 ten and 4 9.8s..thats epic

 

if u do happen to watch,watch parkos 10 and tell me that is the worst 10 u ever saw.wave was pretty good,but he barely got covered up.7pts at best

 

Didn't know these two were mutually exclusive. I'm surprised at all the contest haters out here. I understand if there's a contest taking up the A-peak at your local break. That sucks. But c'mon who watched the J-Bay open last weekend?!? That was so sick. Perfect HD streams of the greatest surfers on the planet absolutely tearing a part perfect J-Bay. I love surfing more than anything but watching the ASP with a nice craft beer ain't too shabby either. Pretty sure the locals were just as stoked to see their heroes in person, not to mention the boost to the local economy.

 

Very few do. Actually I have no idea what they teach, I just know what I see the surf schools do:

Bring a huge pack of beginners to spots with really good sandbars, minimal oversight by instructor/owner.

After a few seasons the students/former students/friends of students/parents of students have ruined said good sandbar with beginner crowd.

I'm not saying they don't teach etiquette. They might - but you can't bring 10-20 learners to a better sandbar and think that even with bit of knowledge they aren't going to completely pollute the spot.

 

As far as crowds go you just have to know when to go.If your going to surf Saturday morning at 10am you have to expect crowds.There's so many times I surf with an empty lineup with descent waves because I know it will be uncrowded on particular time.