What's your style?

I am going to defer my response to LBCrew. His post should be in a magazine:

 

If I could give myself way too much credit I'd say a special Olympics version of Occy. I'm goofy footed and I love making big turns in weird places.

 

How nice it would have been to grow up with consistent wave action. Practice makes perfect.

Aside from location, I believe the East Coast is challenging enough to prepare us for quality (real quality) waves. If you surf enough slop, you can surf a lot more than you think. Look at Kelly, before the championships - getting by on FL waves turned him into a household name. I'm not saying that there is a little Kelly in all of us, but the East Coast is still a force in the surfing world. We put up with a lot on the Eastside and when the time comes to surf a foreign land, you will be pleasantly surprised. I exceeded my expectations when I surfed quality waves out west and so forth.

 

Most recently, I'm all about pulling into barrels I know I have no business faithfully entering in knee high shore break, especially backside lefts (regular foot) which the majority of Long Island waves seem to produce these days. Going along with the whole East Coast preparing us for better quality waves elsewherentheme, I figure it will only prepare me better for the buick sized barrels I hope to surf in said foreign lands. Plus, once you start really going for it and not bailing as soon as fear takes over, you'd be surprised just how far in it you can get. (that's what she said!)

 

I agree 100%, I actually think it makes us better surfers surfing the crap we get....everytime I've ever traveled and surfed, it always seems a little easier. Maybe that's part of the reason Kelly has made such a dent in the surfing world, surfing crappy waves forces you to perform better.

 

I agree... to a point. Riding crappy waves makes you a better surfer, but there's a ceiling. You reach a point where you just don't progress anymore, and you need better surf. That's why most guys from the East Coast with true talent, who are making a serious run for it, get the he!! outa here as soon as they can!

 

zaGaffer...no argument here...totally agree, wish i lived there. I've been to and surfed in Maui and I felt like ditching the plane ride home.

LB, great point...i hear you, I've been dreaming about making my run a long time...lol

 

I would say my style is somewhere like Vanilla Ice meets Conway Twitty. Oh I just realized you ere talking about surfing style not clothing! Surfing I would say somewhere along the lines of Curren (try to be at least) fluid with smooth flowing turns.

 

Idk, hard to put into words, maybe you guys can help me classify my style? When its knee to waist I usually try to stand in a power stance (think Knoll), with my arms flailing wildy, and my 10' foamy pointed directly to shore. When the surf is more serious (chest - head) so to am I, I paddle out beyond everyone with my 7'6" rhino chaser and paddle for the last wave in a set, though never quite making a drop and always screaming at my board and the almighty that one is at fault for my not making it. And when its epic (OH+) thats when I truly shine, I sit on the beach in my comfy chair with an umbrella, spf90, and catch barrel after barrel in my mind, all the while weaving tales of conquest in foreign lineups on waves that make these look like knee high dribblers to all who will listen. So I would have to say my style is somewhere between Occy and Slater, but with more power and grace.

 

My surfing is a mix of Fergie and Jesus. If they surfed.....

 

I think somebody already mentioned it, but I think whatever style I prefer, it all stems from trying to generate more speed, whether thats trimming across the face and getting to the top to build more speed going down the line. I just try to look as graceful as possible when I do that.

For some reason, I think I look a lot better doing that back side than front side. Front side I see an open face lots of "opportunities" so I think I end up doing a bunch of spastic moves. Still need video confirmation, but my wife doesn't have the patience to sit there with a cam and shoot me.

 

seeing yourself surfing on video can be humbling to say the least. It is however a great improvement tool.

 

lol we can only try.as long as your having fun thats the important thing.when u stop surfing for fun,and try to get sponsors or surf a few qs's,you'll realize your kidding yourself.tom curren is great tho.chris ward is my favorite surfer so i try to imitate him.i like to carve the face up or get super pitted.airs are cool,but they are dangerous.most injuries nowadays are from people who do airs.last week when we had that noreaster when its was onshore was perfect for punting huge airs.thats for the young guys.