Was I wrong to take this kid down?

No I am not, at all. I don't backpeddle, I only move in one direction, forwards.

Re-read my original post, if you have time. There is no place for this type of behavior.

It's freakin surfing and its supposed to be fun. The only way I "police the lineup" is by making sure that everyone is having fun and not getting stressed out over surfing.

Please follow your own advice, thank you, peace.

 

Wow... I'm really being put under the microscope here...

I think this discussion is an important one, and I have an opinion, like everybody else. When I watch the video I see a few things... First, it doesn't look like a child to me. So if age is the issue here, and it seems to be for you and a lot of others. Let me make it clear AGAIN... I do not condone violence against children.

Second... this "violence" everybody's referring to is questionable to me. When I look at the video, it appears as though no physical contact is made between the two people. Not even a shove. It looks to me like one guy basically falls onto the other guys board, at pretty much zero miles per hour. This is not something I would consider a "violent act." And if you make the stretch to this being an act of violence, you're creating a slippery slope... is dropping in an act of violence? Spraying somebody on a turn? Grabbing somebody's rail? NOTHING HAPPENED. NOBODY GOT HURT. Don't you need to show "damages" in order to press charges? I don't know... these are questions I'm asking.

Third... as others have said, and I agree, it could easily be argued that this was an accident. If I just watched the video, and didn't here any explanation or commentary, I'd say this looked like a guy falling over at the end of a ride onto another guys board.

Yes... I'm a high school principal... though "illustrious" is not a term I'd use to describe my career! And yes... bad things could and SHOULD happen if I did something inappropriate to a child. Don't you think I know this? I'll bet if I was a plumber, people wouldn't be giving me so much heat. But because I've decided to dedicate my career to helping kids... kids who most people have written off (including some of their own parents, if you can believe that)... I'm being put in the spotlight. Kinda ironic...

 

you know what stresses me out? people who repeatedly ignore the rules of the lineup. are you one of those free love surfers who drop in on people with a smile on their faces then can't believe anyone would get mad over a wave and we should all just chill and get along? screw that. follow the rules or get regulated. it's the only thing that keeps the lineup from turning to total chaos and more regulars should speak up when people get out of line.

again, we should all be very cautious about physical confrontation but there are other ways to handle this and just ignoring it and smiling is the worst thing you can do.

 

Watch out brah the rockaway hui going to fall on your board then post it on the net......


Don't even think of telling him to f*ck off, or they going to think about doing something.

 

PS definitely going to drop in on you this winter, so keep your gopro running.

 

I never knew there were so many panty-wadded little girls on this site. Must be the same people who cut in front of you on the road only to slam on brakes in order to get in a driveway then get mad at you for rear-ending them. (yes, technically in that case it's the rear-ender's fault but that in no way absolves the rear-eneded's complete douchebaggery and "me first" attitude)

Have the population of righteously offended people on SI never watched a freaking surf video? War(d) Stories, Young Wisetails, most vids with Joel Tudor in them, some Alpine Live Vids (love em, please keep em coming guys), Out2Brunch, etc, etc, etc?

Fitz's little altercation (which is barely even that) is relatively common. The "kid" (if you're almost 18 or around that age you are NOT A KID) got what was coming to him.... barely. Bottom line, don't intentionally drop in on people--even if you are a self-entitled know-it-all little puke, and definitely DO NOT LET YOUR ACTIONS WRITE A CHECK YOUR ASS CAN'T CASH! That kid has something coming to him, it may not be from Fitz, but it's coming nonetheless.

 

This is what I don't get about forums, I offer my opinion and I get called a dumb f*ck. I insulted no one and am entitled to my opinion. I don't go to the gym and I don't start fights. You need to flush your vagina you piece of sh#t. As if the law even has the resources to intervene in this incident unless the "kid" calls them, in which case Fitz could have stabbed him and I would applaud him. So F**K YOU Henny, you piece of sh*t.

 

exactly.........couldn't of said it better myself

 

But those videos actually have good surfing. I could understand if his youtube had quality surfing videos, but it doesn't. 2 out of 3 videos are him getting dropped in on waist high waves, with tough talk descriptions. Theres a difference between goproing yourself in rockaway mush and ripping sick waves.

Dropping in is wrong, but these videos actually make me want to f*ck with this guy when he's out. I'm going to go out on limb and assume the OP is just one of those guys who sucks to surf with. After a certain age I must assume your pretty dumb, if your posting videos on the internet of mediocre surfing and talking about how you should assault people.

 

the douchebag ratio is sadly very high in the rockaways these days but there are still some locals who will check you hard so i'd be careful tough guy. new york is a big city with some hard characters so you may get way more than you're looking for. especially in the rockaways

 

Lol. you boys make me laugh. Assault ?? I'll be the lawyer. The long board dude, possibly saved this youngster's life by diving on him, and taking him out of the way of a speeding watercraft,. This selfless action, undertaken at great risk to my client, averted a potentially life threatening situation, where both parties could have been injured. Case dismissed.

The kid will live, and probably learned a lesson. Later...

 

That could fly ,,, except when you read the OP's intent to "take him out " and his own video and description of him going out of the way to hit the "kid" (we don't know how old he is) . Plus we only have one side of the story. It could be that "kid" was trying to kick out when "fitz" yelled at him... We only see him standing on top of a foam ball ,not "dropping in".

Last summer my bud popped a loud mouth in the jaw after an altercation... he ended up going to jail and getting in a pile of trouble as the guy wouldn't let it go. So my point,,, Careful with who you chop block in the day of the frivolous lawsuit.
It's just surfing, on a nothing "wave" at that. I still say fitz could've gone around then said something. He is already justified it on every level why keep asking ?

 

You said it... read your OP .

Still, why not go around,then educate him ? Because he had to be "taught a lesson".

My bud went to jail , no go pro vid ,,, only "witness" was the guy who got popped no blood,no visible damage...

for the 5th time , you know you're right so that's all there is to say .

take care

 

this would be a better thread if it wasn't so confrontational.
the OP is asking if he was wrong in his actions.
Fitz i think you were justified. but honestly on your first wave in rockaway mush i think you over reacted. i would of went around him and if it kept happening i would've had words with him. If you went at him harshly it probably would have gotten confrontational but it it probably would have ended there. and he wouldn't of dropped in on you anymore. sometimes youngsters just need to hear you bark.

 

Like I said a few pages back,,,that's a good thing ! I still just think it's weird ,,,

-take care

well said .

 

How does your buddy feel about that situation? Would he do it again or would he do it differently if given the chance? Does he say it was worth the jail time to drop that dude? (assuming he dropped him)