i am sick of watching airs

Nothin better than watchin someone have to crouch to get into a chest high jersey barrel and come out. Love it.

 

How about watching someone who cant even pull off one clean maneuver flail there body in the air as they fling there board and think they can do a air LOL

 

this whole air obsession has caused surfers who don't yet have a decent variety of standard maneuvers, to waste their time on one little flop off the back of the wave when they should be trying to improve their overall surfing

 

I've waited 9 pages to chime in on this thread.

Who cares how other people surf? I know for me when I paddle out I just surf to have fun. If dudes are having fun doing airs than that's cool, same with longboarders noseriding or dudes on twinnies flying out on to the shoulder and cutting back. Everyone surfs their own way which is one of the reasons surfing is so appealing.

Isn't that why we surf in the first place? To ride a wave and have the freedom to do whatever we want on it? Just surf how you like to surf and forget about what everyone else is doing...

 

This is very true but , when you see people like I stated in my post above then it comes down to them possilbly putting a damper one someones session. Would u be pissed if you could surf off the rock cause there was some wanna be donkey flinging his board around and flailing his body around as he tired to do a air. What if you pumping down the line and this "shredder" shoots his board off the lip crack you in the temple or does a back flip on you ??? It would suck right

 

i agree when it becomes a hazard to other surfers its not acceptable anymore. honestly, i do respect people who can pull off sick airs and i realize it does take skill. but that shouldn't be what surfing is all about, only doing one type of maneuver. a few weeks ago at the channel islands board demo i had a guy shoot off the lip in front of me, and the board i was trying ended up being impaled by his

 

same goes with snowboarding advertisements, ud never kno what trick they are doing unless u saw it on film. all marketers are doing is taking shots of the most 'extreme' situations that happen while doing a sport combined with what looks good in a photo. they have polarized airs in surfing ads as this 'pinnacle' which draws our attention more effectively. its funny when people get upset about marketing tactics, like they arent based on studies of our own human tendencies and what society demands

 

All good points. I will agree on the grab thing. I have ZERO clue what the name of ANY of my grabs are. The only reason that I started grabs during airs years ago is because I tried it a few times are realized that it helps "Cheat" your way into an air. If you coil up and even start your grab before your tail leaves the lip, you have 1000 times more control... The most common grab that I do (Im goofy footed) is my right hand, on my tail side rail up on the front half by my lead foot.... The other one, which is a little shakier, cause im right handed and goofy footed, is the simple left handed (toe side) grab on the middle area of my toeside rail. That is a standard goofy grab, but I prefer using the right hand, but you dont have as much strength, cause you are pulling on the rail with your fingers rather than letting the rail slam right into your hand.... Its a rail PULL rather than a rail grab really....

But, to that point, Im not a skater. I never started grabs until i realized that they were functional... Then I started different variations until i found the ones that fit.... But you are right... I have no idea if its a lein, or a stalefish or what the hell.... But to me it doesnt matter....

I can guarantee that all the little gommies are using that lingo, with the grabs and the rotations.... But like I said, i have a simple frontside, backside and a reverse grab.... I just do that everytime. I do not feel the need to figure out how to incorporate spinning and flipping and all that techie crap.... The point of airs to me is one thing.... Going airborn... Having your stomach go into the pits as you free fall back down.... Quite a feeling. I am more excited about my airs than I usually am about a coverup or barrel. Granted, on a big, healthy barrel its different, but I get a stiffy after every little air =)

 

off topic.....zach619 didnt you just have a kid? how is she?

 

I did. She is awesome! Best thing that ever happened to me. The wife is on a couple months of paid leave, so I have actually gotten to paddle out about 6 times over the past two weeks. So far so good. She is incredible though.... Im still getting used to waking up every 2 hours all night, but that doesn't last forever.....

I posted a photo of me and her in a thread a couple weeks ago when she was born. Although I was cracked out, hadn't shaved or slept in over 72 hours.... But she looked cute in the photo !

Anyway, We are super excited... But man, it opens up a whole new world of thinking.... Right now we are trying to convince our parents to retire and move to the beach with us... we will see how that goes =)

But anyway, super stoked....

I know Skeglegs has a baby due soon as well, so hopefully he is enjoying the same thing I am now.... Im already talking to my shaper about a started board... She will have a quiver before she can walk!!!!

 

I see your point but how is that any different than some idiot on his brand new pop out 9'4" dropping in on you and sending his board right at you? A kooks a kook regardless if they are flailing trying airs or dropping in and pearling every takeoff in front of you. Theres always gonna be people out in the lineup that have no clue what their doing and are dangerous to other surfers, you just have to deal with it and protect yourself from whatever harm they may cause.

 

I'd much rather watch a skateboarder pull some gnarly air in a empty pool than surfers pulling airs. The price skaters pay is no joke when they f*** up. A guy doesn't make an air on a three foot closeout in the shallows, big deal. He stands up and paddles out. I don't mean to disrespect any surfers who are into airs 'cause everyone has their thing but the attention and focus in pro surfing on airs is overblown. I never hear anyone say they are sick of watching someone get blown out of a deep barrel. When they start sticking airs on 10 ft closeouts at pipe, hell, I might be interested again.

 

Oh really? Try that in Hawaii, PR, Barbados, or anywhere there is reef, and I think your attitude will change. You can lose a lot of skin man. And, if you think here in NJ you can't get hurt on a 3ft closeout....just ask Ted Shred...he broke his back on a 3ft wave. Accidents happen regardless of your skill level.

And, to everyone crying about they are tired of seeing airs. Well, that's probably because you cannot pull one off or land one successfully. I think I read in one of the surf zines that like 80% of all surfers have never landed an air. Don't know how true the percentage is but there are too many haters.....

 

DITTO!! Mahalo!!

 

tube dodging

 

lol classic....

 

for a minute there i thought my old pal yankee was back...

 

there are some guys who have the whole package. to state the obvious...Slater is one of them. steez is hard to come by these days.

 

A good surfer has balance. 50% air's and modern surfing, 50% rail, carves.. the old school POWER SURFING.

 

If you're sick of seeing airs, go find some better waves. At Pipe Masters tomorrow, I doubt there will be many airs. This thread might as well read "I'm sick of watching Reality TV." Then Don't Watch!!!! #StayAbovetheWeather