You found the perfect board, but . . .

[RinkyDink]

you can't stand looking at it. It's your dream board though. It's got the right shape, the right price, the volume you wanted, what's not to like? Well, the board looks ridiculous. You ask yourself, is it any more stupid looking than a Wavestorm? Am I that superficial that the look of the board should matter?

My theory is that the look of my board actually affects my surfing. I'm not sure why though. Is it because I want to be seen? Am I all about having everybody see me pull off 2cm airs? Should I take the high ground and tell myself that looks don't matter? What's your take on the look of your board? Does it matter? Should it matter?

[jaffa1949]

It is like looking at your own child, WTF does it matter, are they or is it beautiful in your eyes?
Leave the glossy photo opportunities to the fashion victims.
Nothing beats the feel of the new board you have really selected to fit your dream. The vision may well make you jumpstart your surfing!
Post a picture of your dreamboard!

[waikikikichan]

I sold my Harley because I had to polish it more than I rode it. Now I ride a moped that's better on gas, easier to park, doesn't need safety checks or insurance.
The silliest thing is showing up with a bad ass bike, car, golf clubs, surfboard, whatever and not be able to use it properly. I rather rock up with a Wavestorm and throw buckets on the kooks flailing on their Hypto Kryptos. It's not what you ride, but how you ride it.
( that's unless it's got some hideous spray can mural of Bob Marley on it )

[RinkyDink]

I guess I feel that there is an aesthetic quality to surfing. It's like painting on a canvas. Would I still surf on a board that looks like crap? Yes, because I love waves-- being in them and watching them. Would a gymnast continue their sport if there were no judges or audience to see their performance? Maybe some gymnasts would still get up on a balance beam in their garage or wherever for the fun of it, but there seems to be an artistic element to gymnastics that goes beyond the simple mechanics of the sport. I think that artistic element applies to surfing just as much if not more. The wave is like a canvas and if your board looks stupid then your rides along the waves are kind of diminished. I'm not concerned so much about an outside audience on the beach watching me, but I do have an aesthetic conception in my own mind of what I look like riding the wave.

[Big H]

I honestly could care less....trying to understand as well what a stupid board looks like or a "dream" board....surfing is personal though and if it bothers you then you should get something that you like and adds to your enjoyment.....can color coordinate your leash, deckpad and fins with the board as well.........

One observation I have had is the people that I see with the nicest, most matchy-matchy gear are usually not very good.....that goes for surfing, cycling, diving.....pretty much any gear intensive hobby, the guys with the new bright matching stuff are the ones to watch out for. That is not to say that you should intentionally use beat around stuff, or mis match fins, but when a golfer pulls up with a brand new set of Taylormade clubs, same model year from driver to wedges and the latest odyssey or titleist putter vs. the guy with lead tape covering his woods, a mismatched set of mizuno cb long irons and old wilson blade short irons with a dime sized wear spot in the middle of the faces, a couple of (intentionally) rusty wedges and a putter that looks like it was from a thrift store......taylormade is about to lose some $$$.

[Big H]

I sold my Harley because I had to polish it more than I rode it. Now I ride a moped that's better on gas, easier to park, doesn't need safety checks or insurance.
The silliest thing is showing up with a bad ass bike, car, golf clubs, surfboard, whatever and not be able to use it properly. I rather rock up with a Wavestorm and throw buckets on the kooks flailing on their Hypto Kryptos. It's not what you ride, but how you ride it.
( that's unless it's got some hideous spray can mural of Bob Marley on it )

[Big H]

BTW.......not one of mine.

[jaffa1949]

FFS RInky , ride what you want to ride. Ride how you want to ride! Really this is a first world issue.

[waikikikichan]

BTW.......not one of mine.

At least it looks like Bob and nicely airbrushed. You got to see the ones with hand painted Che Guevara that I've seen on Craigslist.

[Big H]

BTW.......not one of mine.

At least it looks like Bob and nicely airbrushed. You got to see the ones with hand painted Che Guevara that I've seen on Craigslist.

MJ Art Bali.....he's got skillz....

[icetime]

I ordered a surfboard from a local shaper 2 weeks ago, still waiting on them to finish it.
Most kids at the lineup have performance shortboards with pointy noses but I went with a rounded tail and a circular nose not a pointy one, a lil bit extra rocker and a bit more volume than usual in the front, I told them to paint the rails in yellow for extra style I guess, I can't wait to see how it turns out, I basically told them everything I love in a surfboard(it's a 5'10 by the way, people my weight and age ride 5'7), hopefully it comes out as I imagined it

[RinkyDink]

the guys with the new bright matching stuff are the ones to watch out for.

That's exactly my point. I'd be fine with just a white, no frills board. I actually prefer that. Unfortunately, there are gazillions of boards with loud fluorescent colors and flashing, look-at-me laser beams on them.

[oldmansurfer]

Can't you paint your wavestorm? Wear colored glasses when you look at it? For myself I like a board that brings me pleasure but not necessarily from looking at it. Long ago I would ride my boards till they looked awful all patched and discolored and even then my shaper had to convince me it was time for another board. So I really don't care what anyone thinks of my boards (other than my shaper)

[RinkyDink]

Can't you paint your wavestorm? Wear colored glasses when you look at it? For myself I like a board that brings me pleasure but not necessarily from looking at it. Long ago I would ride my boards till they looked awful all patched and discolored and even then my shaper had to convince me it was time for another board. So I really don't care what anyone thinks of my boards (other than my shaper)

It's really not that big of a deal. I just threw the question out there to get an idea of how others felt about it. My Wavestorm is a grey and black tar waxy mess and I kind of like it that way.

[dtc]

huh, I'm the person who thought about and got a custom spray job on my custom board. And I like having it. And I like Jaffa's new spray job. A nice looking board is a nice looking board. It doesnt make you surf any better and I guess after a while its like the ugly tiles you have in your house that you swore were the 'first to go' when you moved in 10 years ago. But nothing wrong with a bit of colour and interest - and I certainly see boards I would never buy because they look stupid. Or have symbols that I dont like

[oldmansurfer]

hahaha.....I don't really care what other surfers boards look like but if I see one that looks absolutely beautiful then I am suspicious of that surfer. I guess in my mind if a surfer has an ugly board they likely have a good reason to have it but a pretty board it might just be because it's pretty

[BoMan]

there seems to be an artistic element to gymnastics that goes beyond the simple mechanics of the sport. I think that artistic element applies to surfing just as much if not more. The wave is like a canvas and if your board looks stupid then your rides along the waves are kind of diminished.

A very artistic ride...and you can't see the board.