There’s really no parallel, no way to prepare for a moment like this. Photo: Jason Reposar
Charles Bukowski once said “To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it. To do a dangerous thing with style is what I call art.” This is certainly true for surfing, but the problem is so many of us are doing this “dangerous thing” without the slightest glimmer of style. Walk down to your local beach and you’ll likely see a proverbial storm of average style out in the water: The old bloke on a mid-life crisis longboard; the weekend warrior (like me); or the Euro tourist learning to surf on their Aussie vacation. I’ve decided it’s time we did something about the style crisis. So in honor of the great Bukowski here are my top tips to improve your style (or at least give the illusion of someone who can ride a surfboard gracefully).
Stick with “The Power Source”
Can’t get any more comfy in the pocket than this.
Too many surfers spend their entire surfing lives inadvertently dodging the pocket. I’ve been guilty of this myself, riding meters out on the open face before I even think about hitting the lip. Rest assured this will kill your style. If you’re bogging a rail or running out of speed then chances are you’re too far out on the face. All the most stylish surfers in the world use this pocket to their advantage. It is the power source, the sling shot, the equivalent of a good bottom turn. The cutback, the top turn-wrap, the foam climb and the stall are all functional maneuvers designed purely to get you back in the pocket. Riding the barrel is the ultimate example of surfing in the pocket and done well can be the epitome of style. How to do it? It is generally easier to sit in the pocket of a mushy, shoulder high wave, so start here. Practice harnessing the wave’s power in the pocket and feel the rush of speed and stability it gives you. Before long it’ll come naturally and you will see this steep, critical part of the wave as your very own flowrider.
Less is more
Ando. No wasted movement. Iker San Martin/Instagram
You don’t need to move, wiggle or twist your way from one turn to the next. A stylish surfer has flow, control and technique. They know how to generate speed without their arms flailing about and head bopping up and down like a rabbit in heat. Watch Craig Anderson and you’ll be forgiven for thinking he’s just crawled out of bed half asleep and landed on his surfboard. The word effortless comes to mind. Nothing is forced, and more importantly, Craig has no unnecessary movements between turns. He’ll use his arms, torso and legs to complete a bottom turn, then smoothly transition his limbs into position for a top turn and in between is silence, stillness, flow. Next time you’re on a wave think about slowing down your movements. Think about linking your turns together in the pocket to propel you from one turn to the next. If you find this hard to do then you’ll need to…
Ride a single fin
Single fins, always making it look good.
Most surfers in this day and age have never ridden a single fin. Hell, some have probably never even seen one, but rest assured that riding a single fin will offer an invaluable lesson in style. Why? Because single fins reward an emphasis on form and style. They require smooth, flowing actions – not jittering or snapping or twerking. Single fins can’t generate speed by pumping down the line the way a thruster, quad or twinny can. Instead you’ll be forced to harness the wave’s energy, find pockets of power within the wave and look further down the line to set up your next turn. Single fins rely on your positioning and timing to get the job done. This may all sound like a lot of work for little reward but don’t be fooled because it’s all incredibly fun. The straight line speed is unmatched by other board types and the single fin style just looks so damn good. Think of all those ’70s surfers soul arching their way through barrels. If you can surf a single fin, well, you will never be single again.
Take Those Dreaded Selfies
Between GoPros, smartphones and drones, it might seem like technology is getting out of hand. You’ll be excused for wanting to build a bunker in the woods with a shotgun and 40 year supply of canned spaghetti just to get away from it. Instead, let’s try and use it to our advantage. You’ve probably heard many of the top pros or surf coaches preaching the benefits of watching yourself surf. It may seem like something that only pro surfers need to do. After all, they are the ones with a contractual obligation to rip. That doesn’t mean they should be the only guys reaping the benefits of self-shot surfing analysis. Watching footage of yourself surf is undoubtedly the number one way to improve your style and technique. At first it will suck. You will see yourself and realize all these years of ripping have been an illusion, like your own personal Matrix, and the real you is just unconscious lying in a tub of weird goo hooked up to machines. Ok, it might not be quite that bad but you’ll likely surf worse than you imagine. Get over it. Watching footage is the perfect way to fix those little style ticks like a wayward swinging arm or a hunched back. Try filming your sessions for six months and focus on improving one or two aspects of your style each session. You’ll be amazed what a difference this can make.
Hopefully these tips will have you channelling the love child of Gerry Lopez and Parko. If anything they might have you look at surfing in a new light and we’ll all finally be partaking in something Bukowski would call art.
