Late Starter Potential

[fevahdawg]

I’m not talking about being on the world tour, but about making money doing what I love. Starting at 15, one of the most dreaded thoughts I get is that I started at that age. I’ve scoured on the surfing reddit and found a quote someone posted said by an older journalist and surfer William Finnegan, saying “for people starting after 14, forget about becoming good, you’ll never be. Its possible however to have fun, provided the right conditions.” I know for a lot of other people, 15 is pretty young, but its older than most people i’m friends with who surf. I’ve found out about people like Peter Townend, who started at 14, and Ben Aipa, who started at 21, both competed in high qualifying competitions. But that was in the classic era of surfing.

So, in this day and age, would it ever be possible to become good enough to be the new Ben Gravy with signature boards and coffee cups bearing my name? (Provided I get popular) be free to answer this however you please.

[oldmansurfer]

hahahahaha. What a topic. You know it is possible to get good at surfing starting later in life but what are the odds of that happening? The brain is plastic when you are young and able to learn and adapt to a variety of conditions. As you get older this plasticity reduces. But this doesn't mean you can't learn as you get older just that more effort needs to go into it. so in order to get as good as someone say 9 years old gets in 1 year of 1000 hours in the ocean someone say 21 might have to spend say 5 or 10 times that amount of hours in the ocean surfing. Then there may be those who are not the average. I have no good idea what the likely hood of you becoming a good surfer at 15 but pretty sure it's much greater than starting at 40 or 80 years old.. Part of surfing is understanding the waves. What does it mean when a wave looks like this or that? I am guessing this is the real difficulty in learning at an older age as the skills to do whatever things surfing shouldn't be too hard it's just a matter of practice but to know when to do them is the real thing that may require some plasticity of the mind. If older then you need good observational skills and more time in the ocean should overcome that lack of plasticity. Then so the question is how many hours a week can you surf?

[fevahdawg]

During the summer, I can surf consistently for 4 times per week on average. During the fall, because it isn’t as cold, I can be driven by my parents mostly ever weekend. But, I don’t have any piers to pick me up when my main ride is unavailable. During the winter, since I am not able to drive yet (very close) + No friends to pick me up, means I might go through a long surfing sober period. There is that wave pool in American Dream that is opening up soon, and while I live in jersey, it is still pretty far away from where I live in central jersey, and I don’t know any details about who gets to go, the cost, and how long for. Fortunately from Nov-Jan, i’m on my high schools swim team, so for that amount of time, my paddling doesn’t go down the drain. I have also been for a while consistently using a carver and a swell-tech surfskate, and practicing pop ups as much as possible. So until I can drive, I’m stuck in my neighbourhood. As for skill, as I said in that other post, can go down the line + bottom turn front/back. So at least i’m not starting terribly.

[oldmansurfer]

If this is your dream. I would pursue it. It will be difficult at first but once you are independent then you can move close to a beach with waves and that will help. Maybe you will succeed maybe you won't but at least you will have tried. I learned to surf at 18 years of age. However prior to that I grew up in the ocean. I swam and bodysurfed and bodyboarded prior to surfing. I was good at both bodysurfing and bodyboarding before I tried to learn to surf. I was like a fish and needed to be in the ocean regularly or I would not feel right. Once I decided to learn to surf I spent around 14 to 20 hours a week surfing all year long. I rapidly learned but to start off with I wasn't afraid of big surf because I both bodysurfed and body boarded in bigger waves already. I was in good shape and prior to getting into body boarding I was on the high school swim team. If there was a way to make a living surfing back then I would have attempted to but there were a lot of good surfers back then. I grew up with them all. They all started earlier than me. It's possible you might find your nitch to generate income like some internet thing or who knows what is around the corner? Laird Hamilton was a model first. He is an entrepreneur. You are young don't worry about it and just go for it.

[jaffa1949]

Things needed, first a basic good skill set and then the fancies built on top,air game etc.
Next, time to surf as often as possible, and evolve those skills. Determination to,do it in spite of all else.
A local surf club with competitions.
Fierce contemporary surfers as mentors and competitors.

Next get a good school education to lead you into adult life, a degree level may well,set you to have a great surf life and home life in adulthood.

Surf stardom is like rock stardom talent needed as you pass the wreckages of those who failed.
My time predates all the world tours and other comps, there are more people who are surfing and are happy being as good as they can.

You can be a really good surfer, the tour hmmmmm!

[waikikikichan]

be free to answer this however you please.

First I am not a troll and have been in the action sports surf industry for most of my life, ( surf buyer, dept manager, warehouse distributor, sales rep ). You asked for honest opinions, hope you're ready, because it ain't going to be pretty.

I’m not talking about being on the world tour, but about making money doing what I love.

If you are not ON the world tour, THEN you WON'T be making money. Making money or being "paid" has to do with attaining a Sponsor. Local shops might float you deals or material cost on a board, but you won't be paid.

So, in this day and age, would it ever be possible to become good enough to be the new Ben Gravy with signature boards and coffee cups bearing my name? (Provided I get popular)

Nope 99.999% you will never have a signature board or coffee cup. WHY ?

During the summer, I can surf consistently for 4 times per week on average. During the fall, because it isn’t as cold, I can be driven by my parents mostly ever weekend. But, I don’t have any piers to pick me up when my main ride is unavailable. During the winter, since I am not able to drive yet (very close) + No friends to pick me up, means I might go through a long surfing sober period.

Look at all the sport " Greats" in Tennis, Golf, F1, etc. They had a great support team ( a.k.a Parents ) that sacrificed their time, money ( and sometimes homes ) to help their child pursue their dream. If your parents aren't taking you to the beach everyday ( Yes EVERY day ), videoing you from inside the car and cheering for you at contest up and down the coast currently, then NO you will not be a sponsored surfer. ( most of the kids I know now that are pros were home schooled )

I have also been for a while consistently using a carver and a swell-tech surfskate, and practicing pop ups as much as possible. So until I can drive, I’m stuck in my neighbourhood. As for skill, as I said in that other post, can go down the line + bottom turn front/back. So at least i’m not starting terribly.

Pop Ups ? If you are not currently doing Air Reverses, then NO the sponsor are not interested in you. ( and they are not going to wait another 6 years until you can )

Maybe you are mesmerized by watching all the WCT events and watching Kelly, Gabriel, Toledo rip. But those are the top top 35 surfers. What you need to do is watch the WQS, which is the qualifying series to make it on the Championship Tour. Can you name the top 10 surfers on the WQS ? Can you name the 3,000 placed surfer. If you are not surfing better than that number 3000 placed surfer, who himself is not making a pay check, how are you going to ?

[fevahdawg]

Well, ok then, I guess I needed that pill of reality then waikiki... O_O

[waikikikichan]

But you can still become a really good surfer and rip ........... but just not for money.

[BoMan]

You can also prepare for a career that allows a flexible schedule and provides enough money for living near your favorite breaks.

List of flexible jobs
https://www.trade-schools.net/articles/flexible-jobs.asp

Career Portal - Look at the green banner links across the top - Home, Explore Careers, Education, Employment, Support and Toolkit.
https://www.careeronestop.org/GetMyFuture/default.aspx

[dtc]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/ ... fing-glory

It’s really no different to any other sport. You probably won’t be a pro baseballer or golfer or ice skater etc nowadays unless you start pretty young, have coaches and do it constantly. Some people have great natural ability and do make it, but they are an even more rare species

You can still make money out of surfing (eg instructor) or the industry (eg waikikichan); or treat it as a lifestyle or just something fun. There is a full spectrum of involvement

[tomthetreeman]

https://elisedarma.com/blog/ultimate-gu ... influencer

There’s always this angle.

[Oldie]

No way.

But 15 is a great age to plan a fulfilling a life around surfing. Get a good education that helps you earn money to travel the world, built friendships and partnerships in the surf community, move to a place that allows you surfing in good conditions regularly. You can still become very good, and have a wonderful lifestyle.

[SnakePlissken]

Is this a joke? Please tell me this is a joke op

[SnakePlissken]

Seriously dude. The difference between the pro and the amateur is that one listened when they told him he couldn't go pro. Starting any sport at your age vs 1 year younger isn't that much different.

You want a dose of reality? You wanna go pro? Get your a$$ out on the water and earn it. Spend your time on land doing things that will help you on the water. Get a car as soon as you can, just to get to the beach every day. That's the difference between the pro and the guy who wanted to go pro. And every time someone tells you you can't, use that as fuel.

Start and end your day thinking your sport. Eat meals that will help you get in shape for your sport. Learn everything you can about your sport. Get out there and kick it's a$$

[steveylang]

Well, ok then, I guess I needed that pill of reality then waikiki... O_O

Sure it's 99.9999% chance you won't make a living being a pro surfer. But surf because it's fun and you love it, work on your surfing and surfing more for the same reason. Others have mentioned that you have a far more likely chance of making a living off surfing through some other angle (Instagram, vlogging, inventing some surfing widget, etc.)

Most 'pro surfers' are barely able to scratch out a living anyways:

https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/how-much-money-does-an-average-pro-surfer-make

So in the end, this is the best advice:

But 15 is a great age to plan a fulfilling a life around surfing. Get a good education that helps you earn money to travel the world, built friendships and partnerships in the surf community, move to a place that allows you surfing in good conditions regularly. You can still become very good, and have a wonderful lifestyle.

The idea of making a career out of some activity you love seems great, but the practical realities are such that it's often better to find a different career that allows you to pursue that activity at your leisure. Sometimes the last thing you really want to do is make a job out of what you love.

If after all of this you still want to be a pro surfer, then Snake's advice is good- if you don't want to let others deter you that's great, but you really have to put the time and work to really make it happen. I mean you gotta be like Million Dollar Baby dedicated (boxing movie) because that's what it will take.

[waikikikichan]

He's right, don't let anyone tell you can't be a Pro surfer with your own board model and coffee cup. If that is your dream, then go for it 110%.

But I will tell you this, if you are 15, you got only 3 more years to make your mark at the under 18 ISA Junior world surfing championships. Yes there is the under 16 bracket, but that might be pushing it. That is where sponsors are looking for new up and coming surf stars.