Surfing Success?

[RinkyDink]

But if a person constantly drops in , blocks people, sits in the pit, throws their board, dings or causes others to crash into each other, YET comes out of the water Smiling and Happy, are they Successful ??

Some people call it sin, some call it bad karma, while others call it confidence. Most people cling to the belief that God will sort it out in the end ("If there is no God, everything is permitted"). I haven't quite answered that question myself. There are people who think Donald Trump is a success so maybe it's all subjective.

[oldmansurfer]

As long as there are people people will limit such behavior. I don't ever see any behavior like that repeatedly doing these breaks in the rules. Waikikichan must see it though. It seems surprising to me that surfers allow such behavior repeatedly..

[waikikikichan]

As long as they are happy I don't see why they can't be considered successful. I don't want to surf like them but they are enjoying it so....? Everyone was a kook at some point.

That's the point I'm trying to make about "the best surfer is .... ". If they're happy and having fun, it's all good, right ? BUT at whose expense ? My wife wouldn't like it if I slept with my co-worker, even if she told me the "main thing in life is to have fun and be happy". There are rules, priorities and safety to follow.
So maybe it should be "have Fun, follow the Rules and be Safe" , so you can be a successful surfer.

[waikikikichan]

Speaking of Success, is Lance Armstrong a successful bike racer ? He won the Tour de France 7 times. Is he still successful if he used performance enhancing drugs ?

Should a surfer be scored less for doing 4 "safe" turns versus another rider scoring more for doing one "high risk" air ? Who is more successful ?

[kookRachelle]

I've only been surfing 6 weeks and travel 90 minutes round trip to my local beach 3x a week doing 3-4 hour sessions each time. I'm actually buying my first board today! Needless to say I'm hooked. I like early morning and sunset sessions - something so beautiful about a quiet beach and the sky being on fire. I like the fact that I have so much fun and am determined no matter how much I eat it and fall because I know a good ride is right around the corner and I am progressing finally. I love knowing I no longer need lessons - I am a boss at moving through the water, I can paddle into my own waves, at least get up 50% of the time and judging the direction of the waves - the trick for me now is turning and staying up on the board! Haha! I have type 1 (juvenile/insulin dependent) diabetes so I have to stay on top of my blood glucose the whole time checking it and having a little juice every hour. I like maybe 3-4' nice strong waves - nothing crazy as I'm still learning. I like taking small breaks here and there, laying on my board, listening to tunes and enjoying some sun. Pretty much, a successful session for me is one where I feel I'm getting better, the beach is not swamped, my blood sugar stays in range and I get a few rides in.

I will say, though, I get out when I feel exhausted. The only times I've gotten injured a bit is towards the end of sessions. I have to say, at this point, a successful session is also no boo boos

[oldmansurfer]

Speaking of Success, is Lance Armstrong a successful bike racer ? He won the Tour de France 7 times. Is he still successful if he used performance enhancing drugs ?

Should a surfer be scored less for doing 4 "safe" turns versus another rider scoring more for doing one "high risk" air ? Who is more successful ?

You're caught up thinking surfing is the same to all surfers. It isn't. Success surfing depends on the surfer. No judges or jury unless that is part of what surfing is to them. Longboarders against a shortboarder Longboarder aren't really surfers are they Just kidding obviously you can't measure the success of an individual surfer by what other surfers have accomplished

[BoMan]

There is the phrase "the best surfer out there, is the one having the most fun" ( most likely attributed to Duke Kahanamoku ). But if a person constantly drops in , blocks people, sits in the pit, throws their board, dings or causes others to crash into each other, YET comes out of the water Smiling and Happy, are they Successful ??

After doing all that, other surfers will get in their face and turn that smile upside down.

[waikikikichan]

You're caught up thinking surfing is the same to all surfers. It isn't.

Not at all, I'm just bringing up the usual gauges of success vs. failure. Surfing shouldn't be about who is better. Surfing is a lifestyle. The part of surfing that IS a sport, Yes there are judging and criteria. But for the vast majority of surfers, "Success" in Surfing, is just coming back after catching a few waves without getting hurt.
If a newbie sets out to stay on his board for 2 seconds and does it, he accomplished his goal.
If a beginner surfer sets out to catch at least catch 3 unbroken waves and does it, he accomplished his goal.
If a intermediate surfer sets out to do a backside off the lip and does it ( even if it takes him 3 weeks of constant pearling, wipeouts and bruises ) and finally pulls one off, he accomplished his goal.
They are all successful in attaining the goals they set out to do.
Now take a look at a WSL pro surfer that isn't able to qualify for next years World tour, he can do way way more maneuvers and surf way bigger waves than any of the newbies, beginners or intermediate surfers, but to him ( and his sponsors ) he was not successful in attaining his goal of stay on the pro tour.
So the question " Surfing Success?" means different things to different people.

[oldmansurfer]

For a beginning surfer success is just standing up and riding a wave in to the shore. If you have a paraplegic surfer standing isn't even in the equation. We are all handicapped to some extent in that we are all have different maximum capabilities. Some will be able to compete as pros most won't. We likewise have different motivation and reasons to surf and different things we wish to accomplish. There are surfers who could compete as pros but choose not to. Some surfers want to ride a 100 foot wave, some want to do endless aerial maneuvers, some want to nose ride aboard for 300 yards some just want to ride to the beach. It is up to you to figure out what you want to do as a surfer and if you succeed it is success,