In my eyes at least there is good surfing and bad surfing - no matter what waveriding vehicle that person might be riding. The bad is always pretty awful to behold and if it comes with a bad attitude its even worse to witness, and though the good is always pretty incredible to behold, that stoke you felt soon sours fast around bad attitude. Pictured is Ryan Mattick at Zion in NSW
Great pics,great words,great sport(all types of surfing),now it'd be PERFECT if the minor few remaining standups out there can take heed from those words.So come on ,lets ALL just get along and enjoy what we ALL love and share,the surf,the way of life,the funtimes,those days(of few and far between)when it's pure perfection,and hey maybe even share some waves with each other-GO ON,it's actually quite enjoyable when you and an unknown have just ridden the same wave together :-).
I do long, short(ish), and BB, but bodyboarding less often now than in years past. Some of my most intense memories are of bodyboarding down what seemed like nearly vertical 9+ foot faces. Everything I do I would continue to do if I were the last person on earth. How many angry young shortboarders can say the same - that they would continue to paddle out and perform the same aggressive slashing and carving if no one was watching, and no one would ever again be watching? You are who you are when no one is around. The rest is just vapor.
Haha! SO TRUE...
I remember dropping into 10-12', triple-ledging closeouts at *XXX* Beach, way north of the main peak, time after time, day after day. Usually after a while a small crowd of tourists would have gathered, "what the fuck is that guy doing?!" At that point it was time to go in...
(I'm 44 btw.)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2005403&id=1350297199&l=fe12e1d9f1
Bodyboarding rules! If I was a surfer and had spent ages learning to stand up, perfect the art of not looking like an ape taking a shit, then some more time eventually getting barreled. I to would be pissed that some cock on a sponge, who has only been in the water for a few months, can turn up at my local break and gets pitted on every wave.
Hahaha love this article! great photos! good job MSW.
Oh and for those boogie haters lol i think its a complete fact that bodyboarding takes more fitness / stretchiness / balls to do it, so that fact is yes its more hardcore and more athletic than surfing but at the same time surfing is fun but only in 2-3ft small barreling waves :P
PS: Im a bodyboarder lol and i like to do this http://magicseaweed.com/photoLab/viewPhoto.php?photoId=129161&browseSession=096d0b99d0850a90209fa849590af813
One thing I know is this.....if you are out in the water and need help, it will come from whoever is nearest, stand up or bobyboarder and regardless of nationality or wherever you are in the world. It's great to read some of the banter on here as most of it is harmless and is meant tongue in cheek....but come the time we would all look out for each other.
Yesterday 10am was chilling outside with a few longboarders an SUPer, a couple of kayakers and some boogers (i was on a little retro fish). everyone was calling each other into waves, sharing, one going left one going right then by accident i dropped in on a booger yesterday but i said sorry...i didnt think he would make the section. but he was cool, and so was I and much fun had by everyone... the only guy who was a wanker was one of those (you know what i mean, looks in the air, paddles round everyone and snakes in a neon suit types) shortboarders wiht stickers etc who made the most horrific drop in on me, i was coming off the top and shouted and he looked at me and took off anyway, buried his rail - no wasnt pulling off jsut fucked up - and narrowly missed me with his pirouetting fins in the air). LEADS ME TO SAY WHO GIVES A FUCK WHAT YOU RIDE - there are wankers everywhere and in my experience its the 'poser types' that need culling.
I was a hardened sponger for 10 years, used to spend everyday getting slotted , busting ARS's and DK'ing on non-barreling section, but eventually I hit a plateau where it wasn't that challenging anymore. Being able to take off prone on any crazy ledge, no matter how late, negotiate the bottom turn and get shacked doesnt take THAAAT much skill, really. Its sick, but not that hard.
Then, 5 years ago I bought an old surfboard just to mess around on on the flat days, and wow, the speed, the drop, the infinitely more technical challenge! To get barreled and come out on a surfboard is alot harder than on a sponge, thats obvious. I'm not bagging on bodyboarding at all, just that having done both seriously I can only say I wish i started surfing earlier, woulda helped the style some! And of all you bodyboarders reading this piece, how many of you are 30+ years old? Don't see too many older dudes bodyboarding in the lineups, all got sore backs and real jobs now. Surf for the rest of your life, thats counterculture :)
your definition of bagging on someone must be different than other peoples. your passage is like saying "you suck, but I'm not not saying you suck". throwing in the "I'm not bagging" dosent unbag the bagging.
interesting, I doubt very much though that you had been busting ARS's and DKing and then stopping to start a fresh. So, should Stewy give it up and start standing up as it's a progression, is that what you're saying? Nah, two different sports using the same elements. For the record I'm 30 and still bodyboarding, I don't do it for the image and don't take life seriously that's why I love it.
Thats a strange attitude Ubuntu Surfing Lodge, mantis and dicer have said it all i think. It's like comparing rugby to football (soccer to you non british), when a football player gets to a certain standard, do they really want to pick the ball up to add another element to their game, i think not. How about ice hockey and figure skating...(sticks being the prancers in this case...sorry lol)
This one of the most insulating passage I have seen on MSW. I wont go on but it insults everyone that can read. It insults EVERY ONE'S intelligence. I have only one thing to say. Man, you don't talk to the colonel, the colonel talks to you"
fair comment Ubuntu - I grew up surfing Snake Park, Country Club and Battery in DBN, Ballito and further north when I had the time (and petrol money), the Bluff and various south coast haunts too - I'm now 33, my knee gave in a while ago so my DK is restricted to long fat waves - live in the UK now, 400 yards or so from arguably one of the best setups the UK has to offer, and certainly one of the best bodyboarding waves around - on its day, it's world class - the crew is tight, there's no stress whatsoever between spongers and standups, just mutual respect at all surfing what is a fairly critical and unforgiving setup - stress involves out-of-towners arriving with upcountry attitudes - again, respect seems to be the key - as you said, you're not bagging on bodyboarding, just making an innocent statement related to the difficulty factor - to that end, I agree - difficulty aside (cos this isn't a pissing contest, and some of the coolest things in the world are relatively easy), i'm stoked to be a bodyboarder - for that matter, i'm stoked to be a surfer - i'm stoked i live so close to a "$^"%$^ kickass wave that's 100% about bodyboarding - it's so damn shallow, i've seen standups literally stop mid bottom turn as their fins catch - inevitably, there's a couple good chuckles that follow, but we paddle back out, bodyboarder and surfer, stoked on what we do.....peace and love people ;)
(sorry, correction "Hey, man, you dont talk to the Colonel. You listen to him. The mans enlarged my mind." Veeps, you should have called me on this one)
over 30 wtf i'm 44 just turned and charging harder and bigger than ever when 20 backs fine too and i have a proper job well paid to. But in life i'm in charge fun fun fun ahead dudes
some stand-ups tend to be more prima-donna than the relatively friendly and down-to-earth bodyboarder. such stand-ups tend to think of themselves as the subject of a photo or a video, and ache for the shot where there's an almighty heavy wave behind them in the shot, as if they've actually ridden that wave. 9 times out of 10, they're actually stood up (well done btw) on the shoulder. For bodyboarders, the wave is always the subject of the photo, the steeper, shallower and thicker lipped the better. The rider is secondary to the wave - it is always the wave that is the spectacle. For videos, the maneouvers rule, big ramping sections after the initial barrelling take off are the bodyboarders order of the day. They may not stand-up on taking off (well done btw), but the good riders can be seen to perform unimaginable maneouvers on the waves most critical closing end sections. Bodyboarders make their own rules. They are not bound by the industry nor do they feel obligated to conform to a sterotype in order to "fit in". Who the f'ck wants to be accepted by some other c'nt anyway. How weak is that?
Awesome pics, inspires my aspirations and shows what Bodyboarders can do. Bodyboarding is one of the oldest forms of surfing and should have the acolade it deserves.
Nicely said to Sneaky Badger! I am interested in getting better skilled at both Bodyboarding and Surfing. I have respect for both and agree with the comments about it doesnt matter what you ride as long as we are loving the sea, experienced or not. Light inoffensive banter and commeradery amongst friends, ok. But the tireless, even immature comments and discrimination has to stop. We are all here as part of a surfing commmunity, loving the sea. If we are bickering and behaving in an irrespectable way amongst our own ranks, then how do we look in front of others or to newbies? Lets just all appreciate the ocean and focus on issues that effect it, ie. pollution, climate change......... name more if you want guys.
Good Article, been a waterman since I can remember. Swimming, Diving,(thats Tomb Stoning head first), Free Diving,(that's snokling but deeper). Finaly aged 30+ moved to Cornwall and discovered Ceiling tiles are fun. Now nearly 20 years on I enjoy it more that I ever have. I've met some idiots over the years, but not many. Early on every one just wanted to share the water and share their knowledge of the sea. The passed 10years have seen big changes here. There are vastly more people in the water now and better suits, means that even mid Feb, the good breaks can be busy. But generaly the attitudes are still the same. People respect ability. if you can take off from a thrown DoH lip and land it, or turn into meaty barrel and come out the other end pumped, then who cares what you are riding it's fun and other people respect it for what it is.
great photos with some really inspiring words. it makes me proud of the sport which i spend so much time trying to better my skills at. shame the final photo wasnt this one.
http://magicseaweed.com/photoLab/viewPhoto.php?photoId=79190
yeah, that would've made a lot more sense than that one of me! Have you seen the latest cover of Riptide? Think it's that same location, but... argghhh http://www.riptidemag.com.au/
yeah, that would've made a lot more sense than that one of me! Have you seen the latest cover of Riptide? Think it's that same location, but... argghhh http://www.riptidemag.com.au/
About time that Bodyboarders (especially pioneers of big wave charging) get an article. Mickey has opened the door (and eyes) to this in recent years and thanks to him and others it's on the lips of most wave riders , but it's always been there. Oh and to all those Florida teens that foul mouth SUCK MY STUMP.....
Good article and its good to see some props.
What some dont realise is that Bodyboarding is today what surfing was in the 60;s & 70's....anti-conforming & anti-establishment etc...
Surfing is now sooo mainstream and bodyboarding is exactly the opposite.
In a way I like it like that tho, as Im sure many others do but for the pro's it will never get them to where they really deserve to be for risking life & linmb & taking it to the next level.
Also what the guys are doing on the Drop Knee with nothing but a rail is ridiculous!!!
Okes are carvin properlike with no fins!
we just need the mense with chips on their shoulders enlightened and be brothers in the water, cos at the end of the day the love of the ocean and waveriding ins whay we r all braving those kuk cold days in hoodies and booties right?
Great piece, well thought out and well articulated, respect. From my own perspective anyone who enjoys the sea whether on a board, standing up or lying down, uses sails or oars and who respects the sea, treats their fellow sea-farers well and affords them help if needed and welcomes their presence, deserves our respect and to be treated with honour. We are all showing our love for the sea by being out there in the first place and surely that is what it is all about. Thanks MSW for putting a bit of perspective on this.
I've just arrived to LA this week and went to buy a bodyboard.
I first tried at Santa Monica Surfshop based on all the great recommendations they had. The guys were very nice and relaxed, and it's in no way a complaint on my end, but because they didn't sell bodyboards they recommended me to go to Big 5 to get one... I didn't know any store so went there naively. Arriving here I just realised how little this guy knows about bodyboarding, and how little respect they have for it. Someone looking for a bodyboard is probably a newb who needs a family board. But he's not the only one, virtually every surf shop I've tried had these cheap, basic 50$ BZ boards, it took me the whole afternoon to find a proper store.
Then, they told me that Malibu pier wasn't open to bodyboarders (apparently they're old school locals). Is that true? The store where I finally found a good board (ET Surf) told me it wasn't, and he probably just wanted to keep me off the spot.
Not that I'm dying to go there, but I'm curious to know if there are still such things as bodyboarding forbidden spots around California. I'd find that incredible - ultimately kick anyone who's a pain from your spot if you want, but there are good bodyboarders out there, I couldn't believe there are such rules.
Finally, if anyone has recommendations for nice spots around the LA area, where bodyboarders can also feel welcome (other than The Wedge, which I already know), that'd be much appreciated!
Great article and good perspective. As mentioned by others in various comments, true watermen don't care what you ride. Surfing is surfing. It was great watching the bodyboarders during Hurricane Bill here in Florida. The waves were standing up fast and closing out, but the spongers were just killing it. Fast drops almost impossible for a stand up to make, no time, but the vertical drops the Spongers were doing was super fun to watch. Stand up, Sweeper, Sponger, who cares, just surf, rip, respect and enjoy.
I've been bodyboarding for years and I've rarely had hassle from stand-ups that I respect as good water-men, mostly posers with an unwaxed 6'2" squash tail that they can barely stand up on. In general I find the worst you get from genuinely good, experienced surfers is light banter. It's a damned shame that people new to the sport of wave riding should be aggressive to people with far more experience than them, rather than learning and sharing.
who cares what you do?
I surf stand up but i dont see why people hate body boarders just shut up and go surfing!!!! its all about having a bita craic!
Btw pretty sick photos.
I enjoyed these pics. And it is always apparent who is the first season standup but their comment. I started on a surfboard and now when I am fortunate enough to get into the water, it is on my boadyboard. And after a few years in the water one realises it is not about what piece of equipment one is using, it is about the fun doing it. Does it really bother you Stone Step how others enjoy the ocean? Get some hair on your balls then get a life. And after more than 25 years of surfing, it is no longer just about pure fun, it is about a certain peace that comes over me especially when I am in Indo. Relationship problems and mortgage and bills and work all vanish while I am sitting out in the water. A certain calm comes over me waiting on the next set and a definate thrill fills me when I am on a sweet wave. Bodyboarders(standups, kneeboarders, bodywhompers, etc) suck? change the record already. This one's burnt
Very true, isn't it strange how putting yourself from one environment to another can have such a profound effect on you mental condition! I could just be swimming but as soon as i hit the sea everything else disappears:)
and you know something, I get the same feeling now as I did 25 years ago when dropping in on a wave. when almost everything else in my life has changed due to simply growing up and the trials of life, the one thing that has stayed the same is that feeling and thrill of dropping in and riding a wave.
stone you are either a spotty teen with your balls still up round your arse or an idiot with your balls blurring your vision. your comment is neither offensive nor clever. making a comment like that on an article like this suggests you probably, at best, just looked at the pictures which to me is very childish. maybe you should consider getting out your GI joe again and stick to playing on your living room floor under your mothers supervision
That was a very well conceived article, just disappointed with one thing - that my wave looks so gay compared to all the others ha ha. Nice shot [Gary, you know I dig it], but surely we could've come up with a wave [and rider] that would've augmented the case better than moi on a 2footer! Anyway, still nice to be included in the portfolio of the world's best, you know, along with Piere Louise, Ben Player, Toby and the rest ha ha, how did that happen? Won't pretend I don't like it, just a bit embarrassing
Thank you MSW for running this article - the 'us versus them' argument is tired, and I personally draw a lot of inspiration from standups. Mickey Smith puts it perfectly, in describing good surfing versus bad surfing in this article. Ill-conceived bodyboarding (small, flat waves, spin-obsessed, arriving as a pack at a local break, paddling straight past all other water users to the peak) is to me far uglier than ill-conceived surfing - I've bodyboarded for close on 25 years, so feel I have warrant to comment.
I have several friends who are professional / ex-pro standups, ex WQS campaigners, etc - we're all stoked on good surfing, and they hoot at good bodyboarding just as much as I do for good standup. Unfortunately, it's too often poor-to-average standups who fuel the fire against 'dick draggers', 'mats', 'lids' - it's borne of that distinct sense of inferiority that they suffer when comparing their lesser ability against better standup. Who better against whom to exorcise those demons than a minority, and as bodyboarders, we're (fortunately for the most part) that minority.
Let's bury the hatchet once and for all people - bodyboarders: get out there and do your thing - don't arrive in hoards at your local break, paddle straight to the outside, and expect a welcome reception - show respect at all times, greet as many others in the water as you can; don't spin; invest in long, drawn-out bottom turns, focus on drawing clean lines; don't spin! Let's respect all surfers, regardless of ability, for the root reason for encountering them in the first place: we're all surfers, and we all share a similar stoke for our playground.
Very true, although spinning does have its place, just not on the flat bumpy sections, in the pocket or barrel can look pretty damn awesome if you ask me....just my opinion! ;)
true enough - a bit of a generalisation on my part, apologies - let's consider rawlins / hardy spins as the model for performance - you'll barely ever see them spinning in the flats - for that matter, you barely ever see them in the flats, period!
Don't be so quick to push down a move you cant even do!, if you learned it you would find there are places on a wave it can be awesome fun where I guess your doing nothing right now. I enjoy from the a simple reverse on a 2ft wave to make a cut back a bit more fun, to a 1080 across a flat section where there is little else to do, to a big 360 across a 8ft face and kongs. Try learning it before you write it off. You dont see them done in a lot in bodyboard videos these days because its dam hard to find a place to spin when your full speed across a barrelling 10ft wave.
Well, although i don't agree with shorey completely when he said that (non air) spins shouldn't be done at all, when you get past the first 6 months/1 year of Bodyboarding maybe just leave them up you sleeve until the heavier sections and/or barrels! In my opinion there is nothing more unsightly than someone riding a fat bumpy wave, spinning on a sixpence, bouncing all over the shop.....on the other hand/arguement....Ryan Hardy's barrel spin at macking teahupoo during the contest!
Fair enough, wish i could be that picky though, we english channel riders have to soak up anything we can get, although southbourne (my local) normally has a nice hollow shorey on it somewhere (when there is swell that is..
no need to get that way - i was expressing preference, nothing more - you're making such categoric assumptions in your post, they're barely worth acknowledging - keep spinning bro..
if the masses of surfers weren't narrow minded manipulated kooks, we wouldn't have to justify ourselves all the time for the equal respect that good bodyboarders deserve!
:) I couldn't have put it better myself...To be honest i have never had anything bad to say about sticks, unless they have warranted it (drop in, abusive behavior etc). We have done a lot for surfing but we have to remember that surfing is our own route. To reiterate, thank you sticks, but accept our choices, heavier and shallower the better:)
It's about time, and i am very proud to be featured as a sport on MSW, it means a lot to me and i am sure to a lot of "dick draggers" out there. Honestly some of the captions almost brought a tear to my eye. I love all forms of wavecraft, and i hope this is one more step away from the bigotry that we encounter every sesh!?1?!?!?!
I totally agree with you dude.
In Durban, South Africa there is a culture of if you arent a surfer your a fag.
But Bodyboarding has proven to most surfers in the water that whatever they can do we can do better and with a growing number of followers it is becoming more and more accepted as a sport and not just a past time.
Looking at it from another perspective..it may have even helped our sport progress to where it is now, it's always hard being the underdog but i believe that maybe it has given the serious boogers out there that extra push to show the narrow minded people what we can really do, pushing the limits, busting bigger airs and tackling heavier more dangerous spots. That said i think it is time now, to leave the handbags at home and accept everyone for what they ride. If this kind of discrimination was in any other walk of life, there would be international out roar...
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Dan Ottley915 days ago
