John John Florence didn’t get this barrel by not surfing. Photo: Mike Healey
I drove into a parking lot in southern France last month. The sandbanks were really good this year, and the swell was solid while I was there. As I grabbed my board and started walking toward the break, I ran into John John Florence and some of his friends, all trailed by a stream of photographers.
I am never quite sure how to act around pro surfers. They probably get sick of people going gaga over them (unless you are a hot French chick, which I am not) and so as I passed him I gave him the “what up bro” head nod. He was cool, and nodded back. I was just another piece of human seaweed floating by his awesomeness.
I got to watch him surf the peak next to me later that day, and realized he deserved more than a nod. He likely deserved the double nod with a shaka thrown in. I’ll remember that for next time. These young guys are so impressive. Gabriel Medina and John John are barely 20-years-old, and both are already becoming surf legends. I was never really into contests growing up, but with all the new technology these days, it sure is fun to watch the best surfers in the world surf the most challenging waves in the world.
Malcolm Gladwell talks about the 10,000 hour rule in his book Outliers: The Story of Success. His premise is that 10,000 hours are required to master any art form or sport. The Beatles, for example, used to play clubs Germany for 8 hours a day for weeks on end before they got famous.
Gladwell writes that they played for 12000 hours in the span of two years. That’s more time than most bands play in their entire career. The Yellow Submarine does kind of have a German Polka feel to it, doesn’t it? With that in mind, I’ve come up with three basic practices to become a better surfer. Of course, 10,000 hours in the water will help.
1: Spend More Time Surfing
If you want to do anything well in life, you need to put in the time. So the first thing you need to do to become a better surfer is to spend more time in the water. If you want to surf better, then you’ll need to surf more. Be the last one to get out of the water and catch as many waves as you can every session. When you are in the water concentrate on surfing. You can talk about that new hot chick you saw at Mondos in the car on the ride home.
2: Surf With Someone Better Than You
If you surf with kooks all the time, then you will remain a kook for longer. There is this awesome saying that you are the result of the five people you spend the most time with. Your surfing is the result of the five people you surf the most with. When you surf with someone better than you, spend some time just watching them. Ask them how they do various maneuvers. Ask them to honestly critique your surfing – and actually listen to what they say, no matter how hard that might be.
3: Have Someone Take A Video Of Your Surfing
You remember those Facebook pictures of people thinking they were surfing one way and then the cold reality of what their surfing is really like? Watching yourself surf on video is a great way to analyze your technique. Where do you place you front and back foot? Are you bending your knees and extending in your turns? What is the angle of your board on takeoff? How deep is your bottom turn and how vertical is your off-the-top?
These are just a few questions you’ll need to ask while watching your personal surf movie. Don’t lose sight of the real reason most of us are in the water—remember to have fun.
I hope you enjoyed these tips. If you did, grab some eco surf gear at Wave Tribe, which will also help your surfing. We’ve got free shipping right now, along with a few other rad specials.
