Proof That I Still Surf Boards
I've been matting a lot of late. But I've gotten on my board too. Now that summer is upon us and the lineups in L.A. are so bloody crowded, I've been forced to beat a hasty retreat to spots I don't normally frequent. These spots, as it turns out, have some damn good waves. And when I'm presented with a damn good wave, particularly if it's a right (cos Lord knows this goofy foot lives for going left), I think of my mat first. Mats are great fun. That, of course, is the thing that keeps you on the mat. However, when you get the mat on a wave with a decent shoulder, mats turn into serious, mind-blowing business. You needn't take my word for it. Other mat riders know. George Greenough knows. There's no law that says everyone in the water must know . . . that . . . one's relationship to the wave, to the very ocean itself, is more intimate on a mat.
With that said, I still surf. My most recent sessions have been ones that saw me hike into a spot, with my fellow matter/surfer TT, with fins, a mat and a board. In those cases, my sessions were split between the mat and the board. Alas, I've yet to see a good left during these sessions. Point breaks that go right seem to be the theme for the summer of 2011.
There's a mat meet tomorrow. I will take a board. And I probably won't surf it. Unless. I see a good left. A really good left. A really good almost empty left. Yeah. Summertime. Weekend. Not.gonna.happen.
posted by Surfsister @ 21:26
9 comments
9 Comments:
U Complain about crowded surf conditions on a somewhat consistent basis....yet, you maintain a blog about surfing on the internets.......go FIGURE?!
And your point is? How does my blog contribute to the crowded conditions in the second largest city in America?
It's a good question to consider.
But you obviously have- you go out of your way to never name spots. I think you strike a pretty good balance between self-expression and respecting the social mores of surf culture (at least this old surfer thinks so).
I like your "message" a lot; I like your enthusiasm and for sure like what you have to say about mat surfing. That right there is a solid contribution to the future health of our overcrowded surf future.
These ARE the good old days- enjoy them harmoniously.
Thanks, Tuskedbeast. My blog is what it is. It's unlikely I'm doing much to contribute to the overcrowding of lineups with surfers. I am, however, responsible for getting a few other folks into riding mats. Given how many people we don't see riding mats, I doubt that I can take any responsibility for clogging the local lineups with mats either.
I believe, Anonymous and Tuskedbeast, that surf blogs fill in the very large gaps that printed surf publications leave in terms of spreading the stoke. Now, I don't think spreading the stoke necessarily crowds lineups. It simply reminds all of us what we love about surfing. No 18 year old outfitted head to toe in the de rigueur surf wear is going to look at my blog as a reason to go surfing. The mags are out there for him and all of the others like him. The mags titillate them with pictures of perfect peaks and stories that lead them to believe all that a young man dreams about surfing is easily within his reach.
But if you want to give me—a middle-aged black chick with a titanium knee who rides longboards, hulls and mats—grief about adding to the crowded conditions, knock yourself out.
Well put!
I think you should be the first person to ride a mat @ Doo-Dah...
If I thought I'd survive without being run over, I'd do it. I rode a mat this year at the Rincon Invitational. That was one of the highlights of my mat riding experiences!
surf matttt. so fun. i think im a believer..... LA is so crowded thats why you go up north where is sharky and cold, but soooo many (relatively) empty waves.
We go up North because the wave in question has perfect shape for a mat.
And I know you're a believer. In fact, we put your picture on the mat riders blog!!
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