it's not just LB, it's all uv wrong island...men and women...scary place tuh live....i have soccer momz drivin their vanz flippin mee thu bird daily...
i've always thought it ironic that in a sport that affords us so much peace and stoke that people have attitude. just fight the vibe by being nice otherwise coolness will kill us all.
It definitely depends on the beach/break you go to in LB. Some are more hostile than others. Other are a lot more welcoming.
your prob doing something wrong. Almost everyone i run into here is nothing but stoked! Of course there's 1 in every crowd. Give respect to get it. -Boz new pics up on the blog from this morning!
Visited LB for the first time today...Solo Chilled on the boardwalk around a couple groups of people while deciding where I wanted to paddle out, then surfed for about 3 hrs ( off of 2 different jetties w/ decent sized lineups). After my session I got warm and went back to the beach to watch the sun finish its decent...I'm sentimental like that...then took off back to the dirty Jerz. I rarely smile and I'm not much of a people person when I'm out of town, w/ that being said Not once was I made to feel unwelcome, no one acted tough or like they were hot sh*t, Even got a couple "What Ups", and the lineup was one of the least hostile I have ever been in. Nice place that Long Beach...to say the least. Mike S from Massappeqwatever, Most of the time when you think it's everyone else....its YOU
certain surfers in lb have a bit of an attitude.... and some of the time its warrented... if youre being a prick to somebody for no reason thats one thing.... HOWEVER.... if youve been surfing a spot for ten or fifteen years you may understandably be a little protective about it. Like anything else, after devoting so much time and energy to something, you want to preserve it and prevent it from being tainted.... And though a new face doesnt taint a spot.... a new surfer certainly can. so if you cant understand that... you may be part of the problem... Inexperienced surfers in the water can be annoying and flat out dangerous. Respect is earned and definitely not a right... earn it... Everyone hates the vibe in the water when THEYRE getting vibed on..... when i was a a new surfer i thought it was lame that older guys who ripped barely let me get a wave and wouldnt be cool to me and etc.... then i realized they werent lame.... it was ME that was lame! and wouldnt you know it.... magically.... right around the time when i stopped being lame.. i started noticing all the other lamos.... and they were probably thinking i was a prick for calling them off of waves and for not laughing it off when they drop in or get in the way. Its all a cycle... just wait for your set... you may have to take a few on the head in the meantime... ha... but thats how it goes.
I think what we are discussing is a result of a greater issue, the loss of surf history. The majority of people on long island don't seem to understand how surfing came to be. Without a solid understanding of the history, how can we move forward? I like LB, but the crowd, the big buildings, lights, and all the talk turns me off. I surf because its empowering, and pure. I like to feel like a part of something greater than myself, that being the ocean, not the scene and glamor. Keep the stoke high and stay true to your values. Seeya out there.
