Using a Jetski to catch a wave and calling it surfing is like using a "Ecureuil/AStar" helicopter to land you on top of Mount Everest and then after walking down from the mountain stating you climbed it in record time!Surfing is not water-skiing onto a behemoth wave while standing up in a fixed position with a surfboard attached to you feet and/or ankles. How can you call it surfing when a Jetski Chauffeurs you around like a rich old lady into the wave at 25mph so as to remove all the athleticism, dexterity and both gravity and momentum concerns? (Yea, yea, yea, water-skiing takes skill but it is not surfing.)
What would Olympian Duke Kahanamoku; (3-gold medals, 2-silvers), the founder of modern surfing think of being towed into a wave by a machine that spills oil and gas into the sea?
Riding the "biggest wave in the world"with a Jetski assist is nothing short of "vanity surfing" and definitely illustrates some serious personal compensation issues therein. Ken Bradshaw was the first to display his "peacock feathers," now it is some guy named Garrett McNamara is apparently a bigger "peacock" now.
From the Mail Online: [Link]
17 comments:
Not unlike swimming in a wetsuit.
Your analogy does not work here. There is still a body in the suit, not a machine that can swim as fast, or faster, than a dolphin propelling you.
Ok Andy Rooney.
You should next set your sights on cliff divers. I mean c'mon how hard is it to jump from 90 feet? It's not like they're DOING anything. Right? They're just jumping, and letting GRAVITY take care of the rest.
Athleticism? Dexterity!? Hogwash.
Cliff diving is an art form and commands athleticism, strength, courage and timing.
It takes skill to waterski too but water skiing isn't surfing. If you think it is, I bet your one one those jetski operators or "jetski surfers" who sends several gallons of oil into the water being towed around.. NO... Chauffeured around like some old lady on Rodeo Dr., William.
:-P
You seem to be missing the point. People don't care how he got there. That fact that he's there SURFING that massive wave is most impressive.
And it's not like it takes much to catch a regular wave anyways. It's largely being at the right place at the right time. You're ranting about nothing.
So your point is, surfing a 90 foot wave has nothing to do with athleticism, strength, courage and timing?
You're arguing something that's not even relevant.
It takes a lot of effort to catch a wave. Gerry Lopez once said if you want t o be a great surfer, be a great paddler. The Duke was a great surfer because he was a great swimmer.
The biggest wave I have ever caught was 13-feet and it was a sprint to get enough momentum to get into the wave.
The biggest wave a surfer ever paddled into is perhaps 30-feet or 1/3-the-size of the one mentioned in the article.
Watch videos of tow-in at YouTube and then watch big wave riding at Mavericks and you will get the point. Tow-in is seemingly effortless when compared to generating your own momentum to catch a wave. the drops are steeper, and the positioning is more critical.
My point is this: Once you are standing up; which is the hardest part of surfing to do, and the momentum you have generated matches that of the wave your riding, the skills you need athletically are far less strenuous, and do require less dexterity.
If you live in L.A., let's go surfing. I will get you a board and a suit
"the skills you need athletically are far less strenuous, and do require less dexterity" -- not unlike swimming with a wetsuit
Tony wrote "Your analogy does not work here. There is still a body in the suit, not a machine that can swim as fast, or faster, than a dolphin propelling you."
I'm with Bruckner Chase on this. There is still a body on that surfboard too, and you can't swim as fast without the wetsuit either. I wonder how Duke Kahanamoku would react to swimmers in full body neoprene suits?
I can't really speak for the the Duke but since I all ready have...
I think the Duke would be fine with wetsuits since they are both safety related and they are not a technology assist by making one paddle faster or make it easier to stand up.
If anything, wetsuits bind one's shoulders somewhat and make the body heavier when trying to stand up.
The state of Hawaii has endorsed them too:
http://www.wetsuitexpress.com/surfing-wetsuits-and-surfing-becoming-school-sport-in-hawaii
Come on, Tony. My comment couldn't have been clearer: I was talking about SWIMMING in wetsuits, not surfing in wetsuits.
And I was talking about surfing.
By the way Bruckner, there are divisions for wetsuits in open water - You know that. It may not be pure swimming as envisioned by you but there would be fewer swimmers and more fatalities without them.
Surfing according to Websters : -the sport of riding the surf; especially on a surfboard.
This man was surfing my friend...on a 90 ft wave. who cares how he got there.
It would have been more impressive with a sailboard. A kite would have been a better option in my mind than a jetski. Surfing is an experience that bonds with the power of nature (that is in the soul of the sport). Jetski... not so natural. Wind.. much more natural. I was bummed when i saw it was just another tow-in. That wave was more about balls and redbull bucks than skill.
Thank you. those that disagreed with me don't surf! You understand that bond!
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