I know I'm getting older but after riding mals for many years and now SUPing for the last two years I'm seeing more and more short board SUP where the riders dig in hard to slash and turn and totally shred the wave.
To me it's not a good look and I think these guys are trying to emulate short board surfboards.Why not go back to surfing short boards if this is how you want to surf.
The glide and graceful turns finding the pocket of speed and fanging down the line to me are really what it's all about.
Different generation I guess. Bit more mellow.

Everybody have different tates, and even different moods. One day I like to glide, another session I like to fit as much turns as possible on the wave, another day just draw long smooth curves, etc ... . And the fun is inside the head of the rider, who cares what it looks like?

On "Why not go back to surfing short boards if this is how you want to surf.", well, SUPs give you more volume, thus more speed than mainstream shortboards, so it is not the same feeling. Bascically I would need waves twice as powerful to get the same rush on a shortboard than a ShortSUP. And if I tried to ride a shortboard with as much volume as a SUP, I would not be able to turn it tight without the paddle.

I think Shortboarding and ShortSUPing offer different kind of fun, even if from the outside they look to achieve the same goal... the journey is not the same.

Why does anyone care what anyone else does on a wave anyway?

The weird part is that everyone commenting on this thread is right. Hopefully surgery will allow me to surf on short boards again in the future when I feel like it. I must say I have no interest in mellow surfing anymore, been there and done that in the late sixties and early seventies. The beauty of all kinds of surfing is you can do what you want as long as you don't hurt anyone!!!! You can be mellow, try and shred, compete, tour, downwind etc. The great part about Seabreeze and Australia is that it used to be (and sometimes you still are) allowed to have a personal opinion to write/comment about any thread. Unfortunately as with any group of individuals (many of them probably taking Viagra and therefore with elevated testosterone levels) ooops, sorry about the dig), over time cliques develop and people start to try and dictate their agendas as being the correct and only dogma. Fortunately we hopefully still live in a democracy where you can still have a say be it correct or incorrect, normally free from persecution, ridicule, bullying and outright animosity. Or can we?

I'm quickly learning that if you don't agree with something in certain streams of SUPPING then don't post about it, or you might receive suprising PMs accusing you of being a bitter and twisted old man who wears his heart on his sleeve and most likely has psychological issues that need attention due to crippling physical complaints. ( I still run an hour five days a week, stretch for a half an hour a day and in the last six weeks have managed to surf around 10-15 hours a week I'm pretty lucky to be fairly comfortable in my own skin at the moment, possibly too self opinionated but that confidence ebbs and flows with the issues life puts before me (as do most of us all in some form or other) So here is my understanding of Seabreeze as a forum (and I must say this is my only interaction with other males for days on end sometimes) at the moment.

If you don't have something positive and supportive of the "exspurts" (SIC) to say, then keep your opinions to yourself. I personally don't agree with that but general feedback and extremely patronising emails that I've received of late have intimated that unless you're directly involved in one of the various aspects of SUP, then don't comment.....even if it involves the safety of participants and innocent water users.

The beauty of your observation and comment is that it's a general statement so hopefully everyone will be allowed to comment without being judged, chastised and their sanity questioned. Slash and turn I say, Slash and turn Muhahahahahaha. I am not mad. Oh.... look at the colours......the pretty colours I can see a rainbow, see a rainbow.....................

At the end of the day passion for SUP is what's really being communicated here, just in different ways.

Keep the passion Rockmagnet, Colas, and Leroy as you guys know that this is what makes life so fulfilling, and makes the BREEZE a forum of therapy

rockmagnet said..

I know I'm getting older but after riding mals for many years and now SUPing for the last two years I'm seeing more and more short board SUP where the riders dig in hard to slash and turn and totally shred the wave.
To me it's not a good look and I think these guys are trying to emulate short board surfboards.Why not go back to surfing short boards if this is how you want to surf.
The glide and graceful turns finding the pocket of speed and fanging down the line to me are really what it's all about.
Different generation I guess. Bit more mellow.

BTW Rocky, There is only 4 inches between your board and mine. What is your definition of short? I reckon we are riding short!!!!

boofy said..

Dont know why people are compelled to keep comparing SUP to other surfing disciplines who cares what you do as long as you are having fun. I have SUP, longboard, kneeeboards, handplane and am a kook on all of them try crazy moves on all of them and have never critiqued what other surfers do. Dont see many shortboarders when I am out that can cutback like Dogman and a few others on here

I am going back to supping cause I cant stand up on my handplane

Ride what you want, where you want and when you want. Cause no harm to others and enjoy the hell out of it!!!
Its not rocket surgery
Cheers
Sparx

Find your own style , as the old saying goes the surfer with the biggest grin is the best surfer in the line upI for one enjoy watching guys and girls who are smooth and powerfull when they need to be , looks crap when guys are bagging out hacks after hacks , with no flow.Joel Parkinson is the best at flow ive seen love watching him surf , jackson Close on a SUP also has very good flow.

I think you might have your answer Rockmagnet. We're a despised bunch as it is, not much point in despising each other

" We're a despised bunch as it is, not much point in despising each other "

Exactly. The surf world before us has splintered into different camps, short, long, sponge....
At times despising each other.

Style is personal, fun and stoke are universal. I see the paddle as a unifying common entity.

I prefer larger and longer boards. I also like to rip and gouge as best as I still can. Judging board size or riding style starts to miss the point of it all, if there is one, beyond feeling the joy.

I'm personally trying to branch out and do one turn instead of just riding down the face like this

To JOYRIDER after over 50 years of surfing, I can but I don't. Chill out, the forums just a bit of fun. A bit like going fishing to see how many bites you get.

Have been reading this post and trying not to get involved.

I have to say that Rager and Tea Tree make the most sense to me!!!!!!

Cheers everyone. ET.

if we all surfed the same it'd be pretty boring :)
just surf, have fun, it's all good :)