Elements of surfing style
After watching the world's best struggle in small, low tide waves at Bells blindboy was moved to consider the neglected issue of surfing style.
Style was once almost as important in judging a surfer's performance as the path they sliced and carved across the wave. Think Dora, Edwards, Farrelly, Lopez, Lynch, Fitzgerald, and Abelleira amongst others. Now, if the word is used at all, it seems to have a much more limited application. This is not to say that modern surfers lack style, Parkinson, Fanning and Florence are the names that come to mind but many other professionals past and present, are also exemplars.
However we rate individual surfers it is indisputable that style counts for less than it once did and, consequently it is also less understood. These days it seems to be considered as a unitary quality which a surfer either possesses or does not. This is wrong. Surfing style is composed of discrete elements that need to be considered individually.
Functionality: In simple terms style has to work and ceases to be style when it inhibits performance. A classic example of this is the surfer who, having pulled into a large barrel, strikes a pose that results in his head getting hit by the lip. There are many lesser examples that can be seen fairly frequently at almost any level of surfing. The point is that where ever self-consciousness intrudes, style is likely to disappear. Functionality then is the base on which all else depends.
Economy: All movements need to be the minimum necessary to achieve their purpose. This does not mean minimal power. It means matching the power to the purpose. Consider the surfer who hits a bottom turn without considering that the approaching section is actually filling up. Often the board can be ripped through the turn with little loss of performance but usually with much loss of style. More broadly the idea is to dispense with the inessential; that trailing arm waving randomly in the breeze, the floppy wrist, the tics and twitches? Get rid of them. Claims, by the same criteria, no matter how richly justified, are never stylish.
Flow: It can be defined as the continuity of movement of both board and body in smooth regular patterns so that there are no pauses or sudden jerks. The path of the board, represented in space, should appear as one long curve with no singularities. No matter how much power is applied over how small a distance, the resulting path should be curved to maintain style. The radius of the curve may be tiny, but it should be there. The most common breach of this is the pivot on a rail fin to imitate a cutback or snap where it is not possible to perform the actual manoeuvre. Heinously abused in competitive surfing. Board flapping across fat sections need not even be mentioned.
Harmony: This is probably the most controversial point but is no less valid for that. The surfer should surf with the wave rather than force a pre-conceived pattern upon it. This is another area where many competitive surfers lose style. The most obvious example is when a surfer, desperately needing a high score, uses the whole wave to set up a final aerial. Aerials as such are not the problem, it is their imposition into a situation where they do not fit the wave. A similar point could be made about surfers forcing themselves more vertically into the lip than suits the wave, so they end up with a jerky recovery onto the face rather than a smooth transition. Recreational surfers can be equally guilty of this kind of over amping. Watch any beach break and see how long it takes to see an otherwise competent surfer force too much rail into the water on a cutback and either fall off or make an ungainly recovery.
Aesthetics: It may be theoretically possible to apply a purely aesthetic scheme to the relationship of board, body and wave but it is probably impossible to work from that scheme, that design if you like, to actual performance in the way that dancers and ice skaters do. The constantly shifting surface on which we perform mitigates against it. Rather the aesthetic quality arises naturally from other elements. A well balanced stance and natural flowing movements that fit the curves of the wave should automatically cause the lines of body, board and wave to align in a manner pleasing to the eye. That said, in some circumstances a greater awareness of posture would make a big difference. The most common fault is probably the hunching of the shoulders and dropping of the head.
Young surfers and beginners need to be aware of these principles from day one. The focus, for a considerable period of their development should be on control and surfing the wave as it presents itself. Very often young surfers think only in terms of manoeuvres and force themselves in to attempting things that are clearly beyond their powers, if not to complete, then to integrate into the totality of the wave. It can be hard to recover from this in later years. The best surfers seem to demonstrate an inherent awareness of style from the moment they first step onto a board and build their repertoire without straining for particular manoeuvres in isolation. The rest of us, even if we can never approach their level of performance, might learn from that. //blindboy
Comments
I much prefer to watch good free surfing than competition.. more flow and less ulterior motives
In my opinion, based on the criteria above, Tom Curren would have to be the epitome of style.
Agreed. Where's Curren on your shortlist Blindboy??
Other worthwhile nominees: Parko, Alex Knost, Sean Holmes, Simpo (so shoot me), Figgsy (local stylist).
My list was of examples and was not intended to be in any way exclusive, so absolutely Tom Curren is one of the great style masters.
im not so convinced knost is style .possibly like thinking huge silicon boobs are the biggest boobs in the world ? He does look cool no doubt
Knost has big boobs, "He does look cool no doubt" with droopy old woman ones.
Knost's style is way too affected to be truly stylish which is a shame cause he's still a bloody good surfer.
Compare him to Curren, Joel Tudor or even Wayne Lynch - not in the same league.
I agree in general that there is more acceptance these days to get a good score from one big move, especially when the conditions are poor such as the last two events, but, when the waves are world class, the 10 point rides go to the people with the most style
It's not cool to admit this but some claims are ok I reckon, but they have to be humble. I think Toledo's claim in the snapper final was cool because it seemed like he surprised himself on the wave and was really saying to the judges, holy shit how good was that?? It actually seemed spontaneous.
Not like you so often see after an average ride where a big score is needed and you get a premeditated pumped up, I'm shit hot!
Interesting read BB. Cheers.
The thing with style in surfing, isn't it a bit like observing art, it's really in the eye of the beholder IMO. What appeals to me as style might not even go close for someone else. Case in point being Camls & Nevs posts above re Alex Knost.
Taken a step further in regards to competition judging, unless "style" is "classified" in a similar way to say "performing a manouvre in the critical part of the wave", one judge may observe a less or more pleasing style than the judge next door, hence effecting the scores adversely. Maybe this is already happening......
Single fins are good tools to use for style as the turns will not go outside the natural arc of the rail line and so you are constrained into certain, fluid lines. We re-learned this by around 'Litmus' time in 1996. Singles are very good for learning to read waves too. I can't get them out of my style at this stage & there's no point in trying to. Smooth fast and powerful is the goal. The most pleasing turns in the Bells comp were the rail turns when smooth faces presented, for my 2c.
& kudos to you BB for categorising style; something to ponder.
For quite some time a lot of surf technique coaching and guides has emphasised big arm movements and body rotation. It obviously works. Lots of the girl pros do it to an exaggerated degree and many male Pros. Medina on his backhand is big on the arms thing. It often looks ugly.
A lot of modern poor style comes from this. It seemed an necessary evil for high performance until John John came along. He uses a lot less arm movement and still does super radical stuff that looks really cool. Hopefully all the coaches will take note and see that helicopter arms are not the only way to go.
Nice work BB.
Got to disagree with the economy call though as Ozzie Wright flails like fuck yet still has an inimitable style that somehow even makes a waist high session at onshore Narrabeen look like an attractive proposition.
true Ozzie is an animal and great to watch because the approach he has is so unique.
@BB, good article on a difficult topic to put succinctly in so few words.
I enjoy the prettiness of the posture, but in the pro contests, they don't seem to judge much on that. Which is correct. It is extremely subjective. They do judge on economy and flow. It is why Fanno and Parko get accused, in some circles, of being overscored. People will say Fanno did the same 3 turns as the other bloke but got more points. Why?!!! But the difference is that Fanno transitions were one smooth arc. They do seem to give a bit extra for that. You could call that style points.
When I think of style I never think of pro surfing except perhaps for Curren.
It's a bit hard in pro events when the surfers have to maximise the number of manoeuvres. I thought there was a some truth to Miki Dora's description of modern high performance surfing as nervous surfing.
In good right-hand point style waves, some of Stephanie Gilmore's free surfing has exceptional and beautiful style.
The closest the WSL judging criteria comes to considering style is the use of the word 'flow', which is still a long way from the criteria outlined above by BB. Personally I think top tier surfers should work on their style as much as they work on other aspects of their game. Judges are as susceptible to aesthetics as every other human, so if, hypothetically, two surfers had identical rides of identical difficulty and innovation the surfer with better style would get the nod.
In that sense working on your style isn't an affectation but an expoitation of the judges subjectivity.
I think you are right there Stu. It was pretty clear in watching some of the Bells event that the judges were scoring that way and in Fanning's case that absolute economy and continuous flow gave him a real edge.
Do you really think style is "something that can be worked on" or is just a natural state. As widely agreed, Tom Curren oozes style. Be interesting to ask Tom if he consciously "worked" on his style throughout his surfing life........
Well, just as in every other physical endeavour some people are natural and others would have to work towards it. I think it's entirely possible to augment a surfers style.
I can understand a surfer working on/improving their specific required skill set (to advance their level etc) but for a surfer to consciously work on/improving their style sounds contrived. To me pure style is individual & comes naturally, that said it would be possible to attempt to imitate another's style I suppose, if that was one's desire....
I read an interview with stylemaster Terry Fitzgerald. He said his style was ugly. He put it down to doing all his surfing on short walled Sydney peaks. He went and spent 6 months surfing the gold coast points. He said, that was where he turned into the sultan of speed.
Mark Warren said a similiar thing. He said he thought he surfed great until he first saw some film of himself surfing. He was shocked how ugly his style looked. He then knew where he had to improve, urgently.
All true no doubt Wally. Wonder why they couldn't change their styles surfing the same type of waves? That's my point really. Surfing different types of waves naturally forces a surfer to acquire new skills to surf the wave effectively. IMO style just comes along for the ride, evolving naturally....
This is true, the transition from abrupt beachies to the goldy (east coast, really) points is a real opening in a surfer's life.
If you marked a lot on aesthetics, I think it gives an advantage to the long-limbed, slim hipped type surfer; Curran, Steph etc. That physique seems to give an added grace to the big, stylish carve. A bit unfair.
That being said, stumpy Occy's physique worked aesthetically with his particular power style. When many of his pro peers rate Occy at Bells as being best ever surfing to watch, a lot of that is style I reckon.
Style can be a function of where you grew up, your genetics, the boards you rode at crucial stages of development, but most importantly style is character. Which is why it so rarely changes during a surfers lifetime. Terry Fitz didn't really change his style, he just found the waves that suited his character. Like a sculptor who removes the excess material to release the shape within.
Take Ryan Burch and Rasta out of the equation and the Pro Tour has, by far, the best current surf stylists.
JJF, Parko, Fanning, Slater, even Julian Wilson shitt all over the current Paid Freesurfers with the above two exceptions.
If you are constantly surfing short under powered waves I think functionality tends to dominate as it is so difficult to get flowing manoeuvres. Clean long walls encourage smooth transitions and that experience can be carried over into other types of waves. In competition any nervousness or anxiety translates into muscular tension which distorts body movements. This is an also an issue for lots of us who find ourselves trying to fit a surf session into a busy day and consequently are less relaxed than we should be.
Also BB this: "More broadly the idea is to dispense with the inessential; that trailing arm waving randomly in the breeze, the floppy wrist, the tics and twitches? Get rid of them"
is at odds with a lot of seventies stylists including the above mentioned Fitz and Abellira and particularly MP and alot of other aussies who's surfing was full of these little superfluous eccentricities.
Functionality is so true, air reverses that put you behind the next section when it would have been make-able is my pet hate example. I don't agree about floppy arms and twitches though (see like everyone else). When I think of TF that's what I love about his style he was flying, barely holding on and his arms were going wild and they communicated that on the edge speed. too good
Yes Turk; it was also in the hips, such a powerful movement - look for TF's use of knees, hips and arms with that massive forehand projection he does: a crouch down in the turn then almost a pelvic thrust weighted on the front foot sending the entire board a mile down the line - his arms pushing up from down low and ending up above his head - euphoric. Combined with the single-double concaves, pinched railed singles it creates an enormity of speed as the rail bites. Try it at lowers and blow your mind, the speed is phenomenal to this day...
Interesting BB - always good to see this kind of critical thinking about style, though as FR76 and others have noted these categories are always political (as is judging as a whole). The main issue I have with the taxonomy is that "aesthetics" encompasses all the other criteria, and I think it's a mistake to see it as some kind of an add-on but is the way the other formal elements are composed (though unlike BB I don't think this is natural but a byproduct of the viewer).
Kant wrote the book on aesthetics ("The Critique of Judgement") and made a few interesting points that are relevant even though he never left Königsberg on the Baltic Sea which was not a major surf destination in the 18th century. The first thing he says is that creativity or genius is a natural force, you can't teach it. However, the viewer only learns how to read someone else's art through the social "rules" that give it meaning - creativity which was not given the structure of the rule would be like bees, we would not see it as art. The interesting part comes when the artist gets to see their own art "as others see it" (as in the video examples), but Kant is skeptical that style can be managed as a skill. It's in the tension between the unteachable creativity and the changing social style (grammar) that we see an artistic practice we can enjoy watching.
One of the implications is that style is social and political; ideally we can learn to appreciate a range of styles and not be locked into just the one we feel most comfortable in. That's not to say that the principles of economy, functionality, flow and harmony are not good terms to break down style (Curren was my guru also as a youngster, before Buttons) but the historical Australian examples of Occy, Fitz, MR or Rabbit (or today Ozzie or Ando) also suggest that a certain way of busting out of established ways of doing things can also be stylish, but it does imply an unstudied attitude.
Finally while I didn't want to open the can of worms I think we have to admit that the discourse of style in respect to professional surfing is often ethnocentric at best and racist at worst. That bums me out.
How my heart sings when I see Kant being quoted on Swellnet!
As for your last paragraph, I agree, though demographic shifts will dilute it. The dominant approach to wave riding will soon be connected to South America.
Spot on, demographic change makes old farts out of all of us, even within "the same culture".
Quoting Kant is a great way to describe 'style'. I suggest 'style' is in the eyes of the beholder - very subjective. Hence difficult to translate to key elements for objective measurement for a contest, say. The interesting point though is that there does seem to be a common element of 'style' where many or most agree with. Eg Slater, definitely has a 'style' which seems unique, as did many others you mentioned. Question, I suppose, is 'does surfing need more style or more difficult manoeuvres.
There was an interesting piece in Surfers Journal a little while back (23:5 Oct - Nov 14)...Greyson Fletcher having a chat with John John about surfin' and skatin'. For those that don't know, Greyson Fletcher (son of Christian) is one balls-out, fast and stylish skater. He also rips surfing...as does John-boy skating (there's a pic in the article of him doing a rock n roll at a mate of mine's backyard concrete creation that is pretty fucken gnarly if you know it...or even if you don't). The chatter drifted towards style traits. A snippet:
GREYSON: Also, when I'm surfing, lately, I've been bottom turning and trying to use my upper body more because in skating, you keep your arms down, and you don't use your arms so much skating as surfing. Have you noticed that?
JOHN JOHN: I've noticed that. Yeah, for sure. People say that I do that when I surf. I don't really know.
GREYSON: Yeah, you do, for sure. You have full on skate arms when you surf, like an orangutan, down at your side.
JOHN JOHN: [laughs] I don't even notice it. It's kind of funny when people tell me that. I'm like, "Really?"
GREYSON: It looks sick though. It looks good.
Anyways, I thought it an interesting piece. Check it out.
Also, the Bells final was really a 'style' divide, for mine. Or am I being ethnocentric? Racist??
Good article BB, I'm sure you also have a great style at your youngness;)
Uuummmm good point about arms S-B.
IMO arms flinging around look uncontrolled to say the least.
Turning, carving etc in done from pressure on a rail which drives your equipment where you want it to go.
This comes from correct body position, ie hands/arms being low will give you that body position a sitting style...?
Where you look with your eyes, power thru your core, hips, knees, ankles and feet are the key IMO.
If surfers, skated and snowboarded more, they would learn more about style, because the riding time is 100 fold compared to surfing percentage wise, going back to that old article about 2.5%......
This has to be one of the best back hand bottom turns I've seen with a doubt.
Awesome Occy big up champ. Yeeewwww
Yes! There's nothing like that first wave in clean overhead point surf in the depths of winter after you've just spent a week on the slopes and tree runs and setting edge, after edge, after edge...
True Velocity so true;)
When you look at skateboarding's influence on surfing the one person who has seamlessly interlaced the style is Chippa Wilson. Skateboarding focuses on style in the air, and maybe that's a future direction where style in pro-surfing becomes prominent as it becomes increasingly above the lip.
Is style purely a physical thing that you can practice or does it also reflect in part where your head is at? It can't just a physical thing; the sub conscience mind has a role to play surely.
had a conversation yrs ago with 2ozzy stylish g-land chargers bout crew n their style.we concluded that it seems like when u surf/art/music its your soul/ personality that surface's for all to see and is on public display.
i believe style is a fingerprint or a snowflake.similarities but everyone is unique.
Beyond board design, a big difference for the modern pro is that they see so much film of themselves surfing. Plus, with surf forecasting and the ease of travel and the discovery of so many new spots, they probably surf 10 times more great waves than the old pros, despite the crowds. You would think both would make a difference.
On style, I was a little amused that so many seemed to be enjoying JJF's head flicks towards the end of last year. I just thought he needed his fringe cut.
more from the horse's:
Style = rob machado and Gerry Lopez
occy when firing would have one of the best styles ever
Yes - Occy. For that matter watching Curren in the amazing Occ-Curren heat at JBay last year was just incredible, very complete surfing.
Perhaps style is the wrong term ,maybe 'grace under pressure'.There are a number or surfers (both sexes) who make everything look hard,bog rails,just manage to pull off amazing stunts,squat and Huntington hop (or Bells bop),then there are the surfers who make even dodgy conditions look good.Some truly ugly surfing went down at Bells but there's still a strong bunch of worthy stylists among them.
judging surfing is bad enough. Even though most people on this web forum think surfing contests are legit, there is still crew who think they are a joke.
judging 'style' is just impossible, but good on BB for the story and throwing it into the mix. How can you judge style? It is just an opinion, a bit like judging a surf contest but even more intangible. But BB is right, at least they had that in the old times. Guys like Dora though, hated contests.
I would like to see these pro surfers (who are now more like athletes, acrobats & gymnasts) surf a contest with no legropes and watch them surf the wave with flow and form. If they fall off they are swimming and lose their heat. It would be much nicer to watch than this current wham bam thankyou mam 'style' of surfing everyone seems to think is good to watch. This current 'style' of thrash surfing has been going on for twenty years now and it is BORING. There is a reason that pro surfing struggles with tv audiences and always has, and that is because, hello - it is BORING. It is just repetitive boring nonsense and i know I am not alone in those thoughts.
There is a reason that pro surfing struggles with TV ratings.
Yeah Malibu , agree with you on how can you judge surfing style,sort of impossible really as everyones opinion is different but i woudnt call surfing 10ft cloud break as in Kelly a couple years ago boring or Chopes last year,i thought it was awesome so agree with you to a point.
i was going to add that.
Tahiti with slater and the other guy both surfing nice.
both scored 'the same score'
perfect tens.
it was nice to watch because they couldnt 'do' anything.
just take off get in the tube and come out.
nice to watch.
how they managed to stuff that up and not have another heat, another wave to determine the winner, well that just shows how silly the whole thing is.
everyone thought the other guy won, not slater.
anyway, not to open up the contest surfing debate. this is about style.
lets go and judge some style. wont work.
it isnt judgeable.
Bruce Irons would have to rate a mention, one of the most progressive surfers ever and still maintains good style, especially in heavy tubes. Watching the wsl is hard to tell many of the surfers apart - generic wide stance style, created by riding short wide boards and having to pump them for speed. How many ugly race down the line to try (and mostly fail) the big air and the other half of the wave peel off unridden. No style needed as opposed to flowing from take off until the wave actually ends, riding from start to finish, more time to actually develop style and connecting up sections rather than blowing them.Watching a good longboarder for example, looks like he is doing nothing (which is actually quite hard) rather than a frantic shortboarder who is so busy but fighting the wave flow. Possibly an age perspective also(would rather drink good wine vs woodstock cans I guess). Lopez, Lynch, Nat Young, Hackman,Occy, Curren,Kelly,Andy and Bruce, Parko, JJ, even JOB -shit not a single Brazo i can think of . Bring back points for style, deduct points for wave wasting and claims.
Well said Mike. I agree with your sentiments.
Andy Irons had incredible style attached to an amazing abilty to perform at such a high level, free surfing or competition & from what I can recall his style didn't seem to be affected whilst competing.....
Interesting topic isn't it. Like all aesthetic concerns, there is bound to be a degree of subjectivity affecting our assessments, but that doesn't mean there are no useful objective criteria that can be applied. I reckon BB's points are right on the money.
Watching the Bells final had me thinking about this stuff a bit, and I decided style was the major difference between the two surfers. They were both ripping, but while Mick resembled a kind of balletic ninja, Adriano looked like a drunken orangutang with his back arm waving around needlessly above his head..
As long as style is pure and reflective of a surfers personality then I don't give a fuck.
Whilst I don't enjoy all styles , an affected style trumps all for ugliness.
Style is an expression of personality be it aggressive and balls out - AI and Eddie Blackwell - , poised and composed - Anderson, mayhemic - Wright or absolute grace combined with explosive commitment - Curren ....it's all a joy to watch when performed with skill.
We're all salesmen selling our brand when push comes to shove. You've either got something someone desires or you don't , just don't try and fake it Cause that's transparent and cheap.
Dave Rasravitch, no1 style master although there's a lot. Length if board seems to reduce style , say riding a gun in mediocre waves. Unless by camel, camel has style ridingcreally big boards.
I like Mick's style, love it actually. So aggressive and powerful springing through turns.
Some say its boring I like it. Donavan f, some love him I don't see it.
Fanning is incredible. Calling him a robot is like calling The Terminator a robot.
Alex knost epitome of no style.
Mick Fanning. The 2011 Mexico footage that came out this week shows pretty faultless style. Great surfing.
Whether is be out and out ripping, carving, shack riding, or airs,
Style is the light of it all.