No doubt, the best of the best. I used to try the best that I could to copy that style. Most of my attemps were from looking at still photos and trying to imagine how he got there and trying to reproduce it.
Zippy has an amazing and unique style. flowing through turns, connecting sections, getting speed out of mushy waves despite being a big dude. you can spot him 10 surfers away 200 yards down the beach with one wave. Usually doesn't try to blast that one big turn that shoots buckets out the back but causes him to miss the next section. I've seen him coming down the line towards me so many times and hollered at him to throw some spray, and he just goes up off the top just enough to carve back to the pocket and hold speed for another 50 yards on a wave that I would have written off for dead and just tried some big dorky excuse to throw spray. One day I'm gonna skip surfing entire and shoot video, except he will screw me over and go fishing instead.
Thanks Mitchell, I see you left out the excess body English and outstretched arms. Remember those kids in El Salvador and how they described me by putting their arms out, azul tabla lol.
Yea... weird might be a strong word. But... fat nose, channel bottom twin, pulled in tail, no bump or wing in the rail, flat deck, thinly foiled. Not your typical fish, but not Tomo weird, either.
in my couple years of experience it seems to me that repetition leads to comfort/confidence/control which leads to style. ie if you surf waves today that feel as similar as possible to those as yesterday, on the same board, you will have more style today. i think i just tried to explain something that is common sense and feel dumber now
Another dimension... literally. [video=youtube;MDb-6ohjZGA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDb-6ohjZGA[/video]
There's a bunch of different boards in that clip. MP was a shaper and came up with some crazy stuff... for the time. And proved the legitimacy of his designs by winning contests. He had a few nicknames... The Animal was one, 'cause he could out paddle anyone. I like people who's insanity manifests itself as genius.