Future of surfing

Variability, diversity ...its just wave riding whether its with a body,Paipo,kneeboards or any of the stand up forms.
Competition KookNess exists for no reason apart from selling product or ego.

disagree quadzilla about competition only selling product and ego (assuming you are serious??). competition led to the expediated refinement of the thruster to an extent that they are seriously adaptable to a wide range of conditions for both the average and expert level. this occurred by the late 1980s. further refinement occurred with the introduction of concaves, machine shaping and a better understanding of foil/volume. i am not overly fussed on competition surfing but it has led to better equipment for the average punter. This cannot be denied. this is true for surfing as it is true for motor vehicles. much of the advancement in motor vehicle performance, efficiency and safety can trace its roots to motor vehicle competition.
as to solitudes question, i would like to see competition by fin category. There is still a bit of work to refine single, twins and quads to the degree that the thruster has seen. The Burleigh single contest is good but riders must use old designs. it would be interesting to see a modern/new single division at that contest.

Good point about backhand surfing Solitude.
I can really only think of a couple of instances that stand out.
- Kelly at Fiji going mental in a contest, hyper-speed turns, not sure what year. A little while ago.
- Andy in video parts in Indo and Fiji.
- Gabe at Bells a couple of years ago, massive bottom turns that went for about 20 meters absolutely flying into huge carves, reo’s and floaters. Epic to watch

samerubi wrote:

disagree quadzilla about competition only selling product and ego (assuming you are serious??). competition led to the expediated refinement of the thruster to an extent that they are seriously adaptable to a wide range of conditions for both the average and expert level. this occurred by the late 1980s. further refinement occurred with the introduction of concaves, machine shaping and a better understanding of foil/volume. i am not overly fussed on competition surfing but it has led to better equipment for the average punter. This cannot be denied. this is true for surfing as it is true for motor vehicles. much of the advancement in motor vehicle performance, efficiency and safety can trace its roots to motor vehicle competition.
as to solitudes question, i would like to see competition by fin category. There is still a bit of work to refine single, twins and quads to the degree that the thruster has seen. The Burleigh single contest is good but riders must use old designs. it would be interesting to see a modern/new single division at that contest.

This alleged competition led innovation is a furphy. Even if it were true the designs which were discovered would have come along sooner or later and in the meantime surfing is fun as fun can be.

Do you think surfers have more fun now than they did twenty years ago because there’s more manoeuvres and equipment is more refined? F course not.

Do you think that surfing is less fun for you today because the surfers of the future might have better equipment than you do now?

Switch surfing is the future of progression. That and bigger moves in more critical sections. Example being airs currently considered impossible at the outside peak at Margs Mainbreak will be winning heats for some future champion who launches North Point style airs out the back of mains.

I reckon surfing the whitewash behind a section will get a lot more functionality in the future. Dynamic hits on the foam will become a regular part of surfing. Not just pragmatic foam climbs or belting oncoming foam but proper inclusion of whitewater as viable surfable area.

I think quadzilla is right -- variability and diversity will continue.

it's pretty easy now to get a good version of any style of board -- be it a mal, mid length, hp shortboard, kneeboard, paipo etc and with good fin set ups. so it's not likely one style of board or one shaper's idea is going to dominate because it's so much better than other board styles.

and as for media influences...it's hard to see one magazine or even pro surfing dominating as they may have in the past. so we won't see the majority following one style there either.

but I imagine there will still be trends bubbling up, like there was for quads a few years back. and more minor/fringe trends...like finless or mat surfing that will then just become part of the seascape

probably the biggest trend is already on us -- an ageing surfing population, and boards that suit that.

Dsds - “ Do you think surfers have more fun now than they did twenty years ago because there’s more manoeuvres and equipment is more refined? F course not.”

When it comes to tube riding fkn oath it’s more fun on modern day refined equipment

I agree with the point that competition innovation has NOT been a huge or even net benefit.

In some cases I think the opposite is true.

Competition bred innovation has taken board design backwards.

Thats another story for another time though.

goofyfoot wrote:

Dsds - “ Do you think surfers have more fun now than they did twenty years ago because there’s more manoeuvres and equipment is more refined? F course not.”

When it comes to tube riding fkn oath it’s more fun on modern day refined equipment

I don’t agree. I think in some cases it’s easier on a modern board but the buzz felt by tube riders of the two decades ago and those of today is the same. Expectations might be higher but the fun levels are the same. Crew used to walk away from society to surf back when trimming across the face was radical.

Fun is the only true constant besides the waves themselves. Everything else changes .

The level of surfing has to be pretty close to the ceiling, i think we will just see more guys at the JJF, Gaby, Toldeo level.

I personally think pro surfing is at a real nice stage compared to the last ten years or so, seems we have got past this race the whole wave to do an air and judges give a 9 and that only happens now if the wave wont allow a big score from turns.

I don't hate airs they have there place but it did get a bit overdone for a while there, and its great to now see guys doing these big carves not just JJF either Toledo and others did some amazing power turns the last few comps.

samerubi wrote:

disagree quadzilla about competition only selling product and ego (assuming you are serious??). competition led to the expediated refinement of the thruster to an extent that they are seriously adaptable to a wide range of conditions for both the average and expert level. this occurred by the late 1980s. further refinement occurred with the introduction of concaves, machine shaping and a better understanding of foil/volume. i am not overly fussed on competition surfing but it has led to better equipment for the average punter. This cannot be denied. this is true for surfing as it is true for motor vehicles. much of the advancement in motor vehicle performance, efficiency and safety can trace its roots to motor vehicle competition.
as to solitudes question, i would like to see competition by fin category. There is still a bit of work to refine single, twins and quads to the degree that the thruster has seen. The Burleigh single contest is good but riders must use old designs. it would be interesting to see a modern/new single division at that contest.

I also disagree with competition being responsible for all the boards we have today.That's why i started riding Banksys hes a freesurfer/shaper who makes boards for indo and quality barrels so i started riding his boards. Also at the time it was before firewire so the boards were considered very durable compared to other four oz cloth shapes. I love his fishes too some of the best fishes available for indo, pretty hard to find a guy shaping fishes specifically for indo and the north west. Every high performance board ive ridden since is great but lacks that feeling of glide and feeling under foot i cant describe.
Nobody rides fishes in contests.

Solitude wrote:

Anyone learnt to do airs after the age of 18?
Seems like that style of surfing produces diminishing returns as surfers head towards 30.

Yep i didnt start riding a shortboard until i was seventeen, started doing airs at about twenty three but mainly on wedges where its piss easy to launch an air of the ramps coming back at you after taking off on the sidewash and going through a barrel then bam a launch ramp. Ive found there's not as many wedges in Australia as i thought there was so i was pretty lucky to live near one when i was twenty three.

As for progression i believe you will see surfers going switch as blowin says and can do it...but will also see people going through foamballs from behind the foamball, kelly almost did it at chopes in 2014 final heat against gabe. if he did make that one he would have won the contest.You can backdoor foamballs on a bodyboard going prone and maybe even on a kneeboard but ive only ever seen standups go through shockwaves standing up and making it through it, not foamballs.

I believe surfing may get too big then die out as its too crowded everywhere and people don't like waiting or getting dropped in on. Like what happened to skateboarding in the early 90's, i was once skateboarding after it went out of fashion and a guy up on the hill yelled at me "get off that skateboard you faggot".

I think the future of surfing is a set of questions, like how come recreational surfers are not interested in forming a recreational surfing association with the aim of crowdfunding surfing reefs, or even better crowdfunding a Kelly Slater wave pool.
I think it is a bit sad that surfers are just going to sit back and allow the corporate ownership of wave pools, if only we could wake ourselves up from our 'collective coma' and get to a place in the future where all the surfers who like wave pool technology own a share in this technology, which would entitle them to a wave pool surf session every few months when their turn comes around.

I reckon hydrofoil goat boats, with hand held windsurfer sail thingys. Look out for them at your local.

velocityjohnno wrote:

I reckon hydrofoil goat boats, with hand held windsurfer sail thingys. Look out for them at your local.

This is close

Wave ski Looks good for people like lieutenant dan….philo, you don’t need an association or money to build reefs….just get a few mates to collect old bricks and concrete from demolition sites and make your own triangle reefs in spots where it just closes out all the time…no money required …just determination…..oh and don’t tell council….shhhh.

Optimist wrote:

Wave ski Looks good for people like lieutenant dan….philo, you don’t need an association or money to build reefs….just get a few mates to collect old bricks and concrete from demolition sites and make your own triangle reefs in spots where it just closes out all the time…no money required …just determination…..oh and don’t tell council….shhhh.

Has anyone ever done that? With all the multimillion dollar artificial scam dream reefs that have failed, I reckon what you described would work, given heavy enough rocks.

You only need enough rocks to catch the sand….a triangle that domes in the centre a bit is best…many of you have surfed perfect banks extending out a long way just from two small sea floor pipes side by side….what a few mates and a Tinny could do on a flat day is up to your imagination.

.

Surfing has no future
Surfing has no past
comp surfing, stick it up yr arst.

Just todays poetry.

What if some of the events on tour became one design spots? Forget sponsors and shapers for a moment, get everyone on the same board, with some variation in volume to account for height and weight differences. It’s been done before as novelty events but it could mix up finals day at trestles if everyone had to jump on the same board, with not surfing it beforehand. Or throw it out the window one year and say everyone has to ride a single fin or twinnie at jbay. I don’t think this would be advancing surfing but it would sure be fun and could show us some new takes on surfing those waves by the tour surfers

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” – Alan Kay

I think that you can predict what will happen through watching the advancements in other industries.

1, longevity - enhanced human capabilities, - physical, exponential muscle growth but with massive weight reduction. ( hulk hogan strength - baby gram weight )
2, Immortality or slowed / suspended time - looping memories of favourite surf sessions, but with memory wipe, so multiple experiences of the same session without actually surfing.
2, mechanical animal assisted surfing - mechanical dolphins pulling surfers into monster waves, ulu etc
3, sky or air surfing - surfing in wind / hurricane, man made barrels, swell etc,
4, wetsuit in a pill or liquid drink form.
5, sunscreen in a form of vaccination
6, digital board shorts

Can I come round to yours Mick, and sample some of your digestables.

Sustainable Eco boards, men in g-strings, and the metaverse.

No mention of jetskis? https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-22/surfer-numbers-have-doubled-at-so...

suchas wrote:

No mention of jetskis? https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-22/surfer-numbers-have-doubled-at-so...

Id say that report on the increase in numbers is pretty accurate. Driving around the point at kirra you will see surf schools daily with groups of men and women in the 30-40 age bracket on their soft tops giving the knee high waves a crack . Within a few months they are managing to paddle out at rainbow because that’s where it looks really fun with so many people enjoying the long peeling perfect waves . It’s only going to get worse so bring on the wave parks . It also amazes me how many learners paddle out at D-bar , the rip next to the groin makes it all too easy .

Surf Industry online research summit 2023 > 2030
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2021/08/13/surf-industry...

we may not have class, but we have Bulli_ _ _ surfschool
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-20/south-coast-school-ramps-up-surfi...

The day men start surfing in G-strings is the day I will hang up the towel for good.
I am still hoping that one day with all the old fossils surfing the younger generations will see surfing to be about as cool as lawn bowls. Why actually surf when you can do it virtually online and be a pro in three weeks.

I was out at Canggu in the 80s and a french dude was surfing in a g string, my mate gordo the great gave him a dressing down. ( pun intended )

What's the problem?

As long as he was wearing it around the right way. C'est La Vie!

This is the beginning of the end for Margaret river:

https://amp.abc.net.au/article/103633848

Sounds like the council can’t wait to have the entire region completely overrun with international tourists.

I'd say that Ballina airport played a significant role in opening up Byron and its hinterland to the ultra-wealthy.
Seems like real estate in the area is heading towards international levels of desirability and price, with accessibility and services being main factors.
Maybe being on the west coast, MR won't be subject to that level of pressure.

depends if you want to increasingly begrudge the inevitable, or want your kids to get amazing hospitality/tourism opportunities close to home. Both valid goals.

I'd be very wary of claims of "amazing hospitality/tourism opportunities".

Making coffees or waiting tables while having to commute from afar because accomodation is unaffordable locally seems like a shit deal.

Yep.
Lots of low paid service/hospo work with uncertain hours and ultra high cost of living is the deal.

OK, if you are 16-19 and live at home.

mm, probs a bit rose-coloured.. and certainly disingenuous.. not-wanting-change-in-our-lifetime is a large part of the reason why I chose to start a family somewhere isolated that is largely unattractive to others, haha.

Understandable mate, hang on to it.

pretty special. a couple of the pubs in the one pub towns around here have changed hands the last couple years. people losing their rag and boycotting about things like the new owners 'not cashing my cheques' or 'not buying my fish'.
..on a future of surfing note, beautiful day yesterday (perfect intel, craig) Robe-town was as crowded as I've seen it, and Long Beach had windless standing shoulder-height waves. great banks either side of third ramp, and CROWDED! as many as 5 surfers and a sup at each!

When I moved to New Brighton in 1972 , the Baron Shire was still 3 or 4 hours drive from Brisbane .

There was only ONE family that had a beach house and would spend their holidays with us .

We loved them , as the McGilvray's had 3 gorgeous daughters !!!

My mate from Billynudgle ( talk about a One Pub town - Ma Ring was famous ) made the first move .

Walked up 2 1 as she was on the beach ( we were all watching ) sun baking with her Labrador .

Pops mate walked ( fn slowly and like a fn snake ) up and blurted out " Does your dog bite ? "

Not what he was supposed to say , at all .

It didn't matter :)

One daughter was Jane and she wasn't plain .

Took her 2 the Bruns movies , my highlight 4 the summer !

It was Doctor Zivago Blood Thirsty shit , gosh I was freaking out with the blood and gore but she grabbed my hand :) so loved the fn shitty movie ( I was only 15 :) .

What am I chatting about ?

Ok , as the Road got fixed up , the travel time from Brisbane was reduced to the Magic 2 Hour mark and the Byron Shire exploded .

NFI , but guessing 50% plus of the Houses in NB are owned by Queenslanders .

Ballina airport may have helped grow the Shires South of Byron .

Byron was always going to explode , there was never any NEW Blocks going to appear .

Just a little insight into the reality around Byron Bay.
Apropos of not much at all but hopefully still interesting.

First story.
A couple of years ago I went to a party out past Federal.
The owner was an American married to an Australian woman from Sydney.
He'd sold a coal mine for half a billion and was in the process of buying up significant chunks of old grazing land out north-west of Federal.
Planned to plant it all out and sell the timber down the track.

Second story.
A mate of mine is the property manager for a Sydney fella who is worth a couple of hundred million.
Rich fella has several hundred acres of prime land within spitting distance of Byron with views to the lighthouse and Julian Rocks.
It's definitely a special property.
He's been asked by a Euro guy if he wants to sell but Sydney fella said he wouldn't consider anything under 100,000,000.
To me this starts to put the area on a footing comparable with anything worldwide, from Cap d'Antibes to the Hamptons to Tuscany.
It seems this is what happens when you have easy access for that level of wealth and the area can be seen as being "undervalued" by that standard.

That's global capital.

God, I remember thinking in the early 2000's that prices would not get too high around here because wage levels wouldn't support the mortgage payments.

Real Estate is now an investment for global capital and prices reflect that in desirable locations.

I agree AndyM

Byron is now Bigger than Bondi Beach .

It is really on the International Map .

I went there a few moths ago and expected 2 C Ohpra W , there .

The US Rich and Famous love " Byron 4 their Winter , Hamptons in the Summer .

If any Coastal Town can deal with International Stardom , The Bay , can do it .

Their Council are used 2 dealing with Over Developers .

I used 2 hate The Bay ( three Blue Double Decker buses would deliver the fn invasion force to school in Mullum ) , now I love it .

The thing is, it's not hard to argue that Byron's not dealing with it.
Funnily enough, there's something to be said for the pensioners and crackheads getting around Ballina only just down the road from Byron.
To me it shows something like a real community.

basesix wrote:

depends if you want to increasingly begrudge the inevitable, or want your kids to get amazing hospitality/tourism opportunities close to home. Both valid goals.

This is a Gold Coast type situation. Once international flights start it’ll be non stop development. I begrudge that kind of change.

But you’ll be happy because your kids can get a part-time job at a restaurant or coffee shop? Are you serious?

freeride76 wrote:

That's global capital.

God, I remember thinking in the early 2000's that prices would not get too high around here because wage levels wouldn't support the mortgage payments.

Real Estate is now an investment for global capital and prices reflect that in desirable locations.

100%.
New Zealand is a classic example, outer islands of Hawaii as well.
These days it’s somewhere perceived as clean and green away from potential trouble in the world and somewhere they can hole up and if necessary

In The Bay , its been old The Locals , that have made The Big Money .

They used to own the Whole place and surrounding area's .

Blocks in the Town and All the farms surrounding the place .

My friends all stayed there , bought ( fixed up ) and sold , heaps of places over 40 years .

Some were Plumbers and Builders , but others , just had a Go .

New business's have been built and New Industry has moved into The Bay and surrounding area's .

The Music Farm was built just outside on Byron 40 odd years ago .

There are New Farms up there now , nuts and avo's for example .

Health retreats and I chatted 2 the Local Guy running the Surf School .

An old school buddy is a Local Chiro in The Bay ( lives at Lennox ) .

Waveman , it's not a wise idea to judge Ballina's Right 2 change imho .

The Byron Shire , has exercised It's Right 2 decide the type of development , it wants .

As a result , The Bay is VERY different 2 Noosa .

Unless U live in Ballina , mate , please leave them alone and let them decide !

I think we're talking about different things Pop.