Big-Wave Surfers Are Making SUP (Surfing) Cool

A few years back, a contingent of prominent pro surfers took up stand-up paddleboarding in spite of its reputation as a leisure activity of lesser wave riders. Can they convince the curmudgeons the sport deserves respect?

By: David Ferry J
an 30, 2017

Just one of the reasons why SUP Surfing isn't bigger - "In terms of market forces steering surfers away from SUP, the multibillion-dollar surfing industry revolves around traditional prone wave riding. So if you want to get sponsored, you need to stick to the discipline that's getting the most attention and exposure. "A lot of these guys, myself included, are trying to figure out how to make a living doing your passion," Hamilton says. "And that means you kind of have to participate in the system."

Full Article & Other reasons here: www.outsideonline.com/2152516/could-big-wave-surfers-make-supping-cool

Money talks that's for sure.

cantSUPenough said..
Great article. I just wonder if we will still be having this discussion in 5 years, 10 years, etc. I guess while novices (and others who should know better) hit the line-up and wreak havoc it will never go away.

I just don't know why the industry has not done more to educate their customers. From what I have seen they have done nothing, yet it is those manufacturers who will suffer through reduced sales.

x 2 ...they will see the light soon

cantSUPenough said..
Great article. I just wonder if we will still be having this discussion in 5 years, 10 years, etc. I guess while novices (and others who should know better) hit the line-up and wreak havoc it will never go away.

I just don't know why the industry has not done more to educate their customers. From what I have seen they have done nothing, yet it is those manufacturers who will suffer through reduced sales.

Even a simple surf etiquette pamphlet with every board sold ? Just give total novices a idea

Surely not.

Paddleboarding is somewhat of a gateway sport - it lets you get out on the water with the bare minimum of experience and ability.

Sure, some guys like Laird and Kai Lenny absolutely rip, and they do things on a SUP that used to be considered impossible. However, you can't really argue that any SUP regardless of rider could ever match the speed, maneuverability and style of a world class surfer on a HP short board.

I guess its like truck racing. Sure its has a market, and people will go an watch it, but its never going to be able to compete with formula 1.

I think with surfing in general, we all want less equipment. By that I mean, the ideal volume in our boards (less is better for overall performance) and ideally, with our hands-free to feel more of the flow and rush of being on a wave in general.

SUP boards obviously have far more volume so there is less flow, in general, for the rider.

That, and once I'm up and going on a wave (on my shortboard) I personally would struggle to get my ideal and desired flow with a paddle in my hands.

Each to their own of course.

P.S. SUP Fitness Paddler here.

cantSUPenough said..
Very good point.

When it comes to choosing people in surf magazines to promote surf culture merchandise, you would choose a short-board ripper every time. The exposure of their sport, and their abilities can't be compared to all but maybe a few SUPers (who you mentioned). When SUP surfers can do desirable things that short-boarders can't, then maybe our sport will achieve greater exposure.

The trouble is that in the surf community, on the spectrum from admired/respected to chastised/hated, we are well and truly at the wrong end. If you behave in the line-up, and surf reasonably well, then you may be tolerated, but then some kook will paddle out and wreck everything...

How about SUPs not going out into crowds at all, really I don't care how good you are. 80-90% of people who SUP cannot control their craft in crowds but yet I see it all the time.

cantSUPenough said..
Whatever you're on you have to know your limitations, you have to understand the risks, and you have to know the "rules". I avoid crowds because I constantly see the rules being broken, by everyone; including by the guys who think they own that break. But if you are on a big SUP, longboard, ski, or whatever, if you can't control it don't go out there.

But where's the education? Surfers on SUPs understand what's going on and are rarely the offenders. Everyone else should be educated about the rules and the risks.

SUP + crowds = NO SUPs

I dont give a sh!t about your ability everyone makes mistakes falls off even Laird

Imoutthere said..
SUP boards obviously have far more volume so there is less flow, in general, for the rider.

It depends on the wave. I love SUPing on non-AAA wawes because of the added volume that gives more speed... and more flow (speed is the essential ingredient for radical surfing) where shortboarders are just slogging pathetically.

What you must realize is that, outside of surf movies, most real-world waves benefit from the added volume of SUPs. You must realize that, with shortboarding, the number of what is considered surfable waves have dramatically shrinked. SUPing re-open a lot of forgotten playgrounds, ans I guess Foiling is going to open even more.

This sais, it is also why SUPs should not stay on a spot if too many shortboarders crowd it. Even if I think I control my SUP OK, surfing in crowds is no fun compared to paddling 2mn and have fun on neglected peaks nearby. Plus prone surfers are often a nuisance anyways: they all go for the first wave and fall in the impact zone, and paddle back out directly in the surfing path (OK, a bit provocative here )

"Big-Wave Surfers Are Making SUP (Surfing) Cool"

Piss off! SUP is already cool.

Seriously, how cool is it to cruise up and down the beach, going from bank to bank,peak to peak, pick off a wave here and there, check the scenery in the water.....
Just because its not the F1 of the sport, the fact is 95% cant drive a F1 to its full potential anyway and they're mostly 2 litre turbo wanna be's.

Generally, and of course there are exceptions and examples that anyone can draw on, but if anyone really thinks that SUP surfing can compete with regular surfing when it comes to a spectator sport for TV etc then they are kidding themself.

Watch the likes of Slater, Fanning, John John at Pipe or on the circuit then watch the best guys on their SUPs.....the proners are way more spectacular.

Coque said..

cantSUPenough said..
Who is allowed? How small should the board be before we can join the crowd? If my 8'7 (or 7'10 or 7') can't join the crowd I guess that rules out all mals.

Easy, you need to be able to duckdive, so when the set comes, you can control your board.

I'm a shortboarder, longboarder, SUPsurfer and SUP racer with a good control on every discipline (I won several contest on all of them) and I don't dare to go into the crowds with a SUP because I can't control my board, and I'm 85 kg using a 7'7"*27" with 92 L.

Cheers

Yep, fair point.

There are crowds and there are crowds. And some breaks have "easy" ways to get back out (most places I surf I paddle around the break). But you are right, if you will have people within striking distance as you paddle back out (and you can't get away from them), and you can't prone paddle & duck dive, then you shouldn't use a SUP.

Slab said..
Generally, and of course there are exceptions and examples that anyone can draw on, but if anyone really thinks that SUP surfing can compete with regular surfing when it comes to a spectator sport for TV etc then they are kidding themself.

Watch the likes of Slater, Fanning, John John at Pipe or on the circuit then watch the best guys on their SUPs.....the proners are way more spectacular.

I guess you are kidding yourself here. Try to get a non-surfer (typical TV audience) and make him/her watch a shortboard contest. They will get bored fast, modern contest surfing is incredibly repetitive. Only surfers with some level can appreciate it, in a kind of hyper-focused tunnel vision.

Of course a SUP surf contest will be as boring, though. It is a darwinian evolution: the same set of judging rules will produce the same behavior...

Attractive TV programs must be more varied, and get out of the tiny scope of competitive surfing. Look at the surf movies that attract a wider audience: like the classic Endless Summer, plenty of various crafts and waves (even river rapids...) are used. For instance, the sequence that I remember most in it is surfing the outgoing backwash waves in tahiti. Basically people like having emotions when watching a TV program: thrilled by the danger, seeing people having fun, intrigued by novelty (foils currently)... and for this SUP is arguably a bit more versatile than prone shortboarding.

colas said..

Slab said..
Generally, and of course there are exceptions and examples that anyone can draw on, but if anyone really thinks that SUP surfing can compete with regular surfing when it comes to a spectator sport for TV etc then they are kidding themself.

Watch the likes of Slater, Fanning, John John at Pipe or on the circuit then watch the best guys on their SUPs.....the proners are way more spectacular.

I guess you are kidding yourself here. Try to get a non-surfer (typical TV audience) and make him/her watch a shortboard contest. They will get bored fast, modern contest surfing is incredibly repetitive. Only surfers with some level can appreciate it, in a kind of hyper-focused tunnel vision.

Of course a SUP surf contest will be as boring, though. It is a darwinian evolution: the same set of judging rules will produce the same behavior...

Attractive TV programs must be more varied, and get out of the tiny scope of competitive surfing. Look at the surf movies that attract a wider audience: like the classic Endless Summer, plenty of various crafts and waves (even river rapids...) are used. For instance, the sequence that I remember most in it is surfing the outgoing backwash waves in tahiti. Basically people like having emotions when watching a TV program: thrilled by the danger, seeing people having fun, intrigued by novelty (foils currently)... and for this SUP is arguably a bit more versatile than prone shortboarding.

Colas...are you serious ???? SUP surfing will never be as spectacular .....

i watch the SUP surfing events and enjoy them because I SUP surf.....you just can't do the same on a SUP as you can on a shortboard.....fact. The money follows the crowds.

Im not really a fan of comps overall when it comes to prone or stand up as it gets very samey....the SUP surfing events tend to be more samey.....bottom turn, cutback off the top and so on.

Big wave events are the best imho....that's the pinnacle of surfing for me.

colas said..

Slab said..
Colas...are you serious ???? SUP surfing will never be as spectacular .....

For you, perhaps, but try to look at a surf contest, or better try to make a member of the "general public" watch them. It is incredibly repetitive. Just gathering down the line and wham a big turn. They all look the same. It feels like the repetitive laps of a Indy 500 race. But I guess a Indy 500 race may be the ultimate in driving skills.

Hey, even watching DJ glide on his gentle rollers can be more entertaining... (ok a bit provocative there :- ) )

Watching the top surfers being inventive outside of contests is of course enjoyable. But then, for expressing yourself on vaious waves, a lot of crafts are extremely fun to ride and to watch: shortboards, mini simmons, longboards, finless boards, alaia, waterskis, goat boats, Va'a, inflatables, J.O.B. antics. It is like watching rallyes, where bikes, cars, trucks can be entertaining.

What I mean is that the "spectacular on TV" is a very subjective metric.

But what I am saying is sup surfing is MORE repetitive in comps....it's maybe an opinion thing.....

Slab said..
But what I am saying is sup surfing is MORE repetitive in comps....it's maybe an opinion thing.....

I guess so, or it depends of what you are watching the comps for.

I know for example that I watched a lot the SUP comps when riders were on ultra-small (sinking to the tights) boards, whith chop, to try to see the techniques they use to keep their balance out of the rides themselves.

Or that I tend to prefer watching female SUPers and surfers, as they have less physical strength, they need to compensate by techniques I can hope to use myself one day.
But I must say that if I do not have a specific interest in learning techniques, I get quite bored by surfing comps.

colas said..

Slab said..
Colas...are you serious ???? SUP surfing will never be as spectacular .....

For you, perhaps, but try to look at a surf contest, or better try to make a member of the "general public" watch them. It is incredibly repetitive. Just gathering down the line and wham a big turn. They all look the same. It feels like the repetitive laps of a Indy 500 race. But I guess a Indy 500 race may be the ultimate in driving skills.

Hey, even watching DJ glide on his gentle rollers can be more entertaining... (ok a bit provocative there :- ) )

Watching the top surfers being inventive outside of contests is of course enjoyable. But then, for expressing yourself on vaious waves, a lot of crafts are extremely fun to ride and to watch: shortboards, mini simmons, longboards, finless boards, alaia, waterskis, goat boats, Va'a, inflatables, J.O.B. antics. It is like watching rallyes, where bikes, cars, trucks can be entertaining.

What I mean is that the "spectacular on TV" is a very subjective metric.

Spot on let the kids get creative with sup let it all hang out push the limits in the early days of surfing the most respected guys weren't sticking to the norm they got out and pushed the limits in there own way..