free surfing vs WSL

I have the opposite approach (both yours and mine are just fine). I enjoy seeing surfing for the love of it, and NOT under pressure. A non-business surfing style. Always much more graceful, like an art, not a sport.

 

I much prefer free surfing, I'll watch a heat here and there from a comp, but not really my thing. I'm with Barry on it being an art form, much more visually appealing to me.

 

Soul surfing,

Cause there's no medina.

 

Besides, the bracketed conditions also kinda play closely with luck. It can be a hit or miss what kind of a set you're gonna get within the bracket of your heat. I think if you're going to evaluate competitors based on their skill and skill alone - you just do what every other sport does, and that's create equal conditions.
Hopefully soon WSL will stick to wave pools of Austing TX or wherever (not implying any offense to our Texan brothers, yalls got some great American bbq down there) but this, I see, as the only way to qualitatively judge competitions.

 

Professional surfing ruined surfing.

 

Wourde

 

easy there Bobby Martinez.

 

Seldom is on point. some south swells in Cali sets are 20 min apart....... 35 min heats....some heats there will be one set...one!! you cant judge how well someone surfs by that. I want to see how the pros do in a constant barrage of throaty 2-3 x overhead tubes. no channels either, I want to see some poor soul get lickins if they mis-time ish.

have contests at big blacks, puerto, etc

 

This be da soulful truth!!
seldom seen should be often heard!!

 

Agreed. Unfortunately, sponsors protect their investment, so you and I will never get to see this ANYMORE. I say anymore, because, years ago (60s & 70s), heats were longer, and you did have to battle your way out at Sunset on a large swell. But that was way before big money got into it. Now, everybody flips if a contestant gets their rash guard dirty.

 

I like whoever ZooCee tells me to like. Then I buy their gear

 

Thank you. Thats works for us investors!!
Buy, buy, buy!!!

 

have u ever surfed sunset? the biggest channel EVER is right next to the peak, there is no 'battle' to get out.
choose the wrong one and you are wrecked and it takes skill to discern a west/north set, so that is good in my book, but there is no challenge to make it out to the lineup, even in 20+ foot faces. the challenge is to get a good one

 

juliaep

OK you are well within your right to feel that way and I respect your opinion.

 

I dont. its the opinion of someone who doesnt know squat about real surfing and feeds the cash whore money monster

 

God damme I had to leave my room for a bit and came back to many great posts.

Julia you'd be pissed if the WSL and ZooCee showed up at your secret Bay breaks.

Man, I was watching some footage of Sapinus earlier, that lead to me watching the Wasselhoffe vs local BB incident(2013?), which lead to me to mourn for Chopes...

I'm in the camp of making these guys surf waves of consequence for the comps, no channels like MIS said, all that. Think about the event at Pipe being cancelled b/c it was too big. Too big??? Wasn't too big for the guys who went out and charged now that the pros were gone. And there's underground dudes that charge harder than the pros for free.

o zoocee

 

Every surfer on any given day can tell you who the best surfer in the water is on that particular day. No contest needed. Surfing contests are as subjective to judging as bodybuilding contests...politics and personal favorites will always win the day with the judges. Surfing contests are just another form of masturbation.

 

MakeItStop

OK you are well within your right to feel that way and I respect your opinion.

heh.