momentum generation

I don't think Slater came off as a giant coque at all.

 

Word.

 

I grew up trying emulate Benji's backside hacks. Dude rips.

 

Each and every one of you sound as gay as hell drooling over other surfers.
So go wash yourselves off- you are dirty.

 

Agreed. To be the best you have to beat the best. Otherwise, just go out there and have fun and don't worry about being the best.

 

I was always TRYING to emulate Sunny's frontside hacks. LOL

 

This forumme in a nutshell

 

I think Dogtown and the Z Boyz captured the same camaraderie and rivalry amongst the core skaters back in the day. Jay Adams being the dark knight, Stacey Priralta the golden boy, and many others who made it big time in a fringe sport/lifestyle until then.

When I was growing up it was Buttons, Occy, Shawn Thomson, PT, Simon Anderson, Mark Richards, they were pushing the envelope, but the big money was not quite there yet, and they were from all different parts of the world.

Now we have a whole new crew of very interesting cats, with mad skillz. Fun to watch.

 

Guy I surf with up here calls me “Da Bull” and for a while I never knew what in the hell he was talking about - then I googled it and wallah, Greg Noll.
I promptly called him an ahole for it because that dude is a legend and I’m a jackwad...but better looking hahahahah

 

Reeeeeeeaaaaallly tight hugs too.

 

Ohhhh, it’s ON Pump, we get together shooting and your getting a full on bear squeeze from the Bigsy
Hahahahah

 

Didn't see it, but want to.

I moved to Michigan in '91, and came back to NJ in '95. Everything had changed. Boards cut their thickness in half, and doubled the rocker. Turns were out, airs were in. Power was out, snaps were in. Board prices almost doubled. The surfing video industry had exploded. The world champ when I left was either Pottz, or Tom Curren... when I came back we were well into the Kelly Slater era - a huge difference in style and performance.

I missed Momentum, but Focus had just been released, and it was awesome.

 

When I was a yout, competitive surfing was kinda in the dark ages so I never really got into it. I was all about Larry B, Buttons, the late 70's Aussies. The 80s were ghey, but I liked seeing pics of the Toms, Potz, the Occ, John Boy Gomes, etc. It was about power, power turns, throwing spray. I would see a pic of one of Curren's turns and then try to emulate and fail miserably; like everyone else. I probably looked like a junkie having a withdrawal seizure. I never really "related" to the momentum generation although I highly respected their surfing. Plus, I was in prison for the beginning of it and then working to get my life back on track. It was cool to see Occ and Sunny win titles though.

 

I think that's a common personality trait amongst the great ones. Selfish, arrogant, etc. Ali, Jordan, Tiger Woods during his prime. Slater is pretty mild compared to those guys

 

You gotta be willing to step on other people's backs if you wanna be the Top Dog.

In life in general, not just surfing and sports

 

Pecking order.

 

I always dug Benji's style, he seems pretty humble out of the water. I was pretty stoked to see him paddle out at Ruggles during hurricane Bill.

 

Not really.

 

I'm looking forward to checking this out, Taylor Steele was on a cbs morning show a few weeks back talking about it. He seems like a good guy, loves to surf himself and lives in NY, now donning the 5/4 to paddle out like the rest of us up here

 

This^^^
They really presented it as everyone (epitomized by rob) was putting their relationships/friendships first, vs Kelly who putting winning first and who flat out says something along the lines of I’m here to win money, not be your best friend.

Also, after having seen what everyone had to say abt the infamous high five, I believe Kelly totally did that sh!t on purpose to gain priority over rob so he could win...and slater still to this day keeps going on abt how he was just stoked for his friend and gets overly defensive abt it, even to at the premier in CA, saying how it was actually robs fault...cause he’s a cocque