Italian funny situation

[Dewizzer]

Hi all, I'm very curious to know what people from proper surfing countries think about the situation on the italian mainland, surfing is getting popular and fancy, you see surfboards exposed in any type of shops even if they have notihing to do with surfing and in our spots you can see at least twenty people not only during weekends floating around in a sea that is not surfable. What you think? Is it honorable to try at any cost or is just a fake act?

[oldmansurfer]

I think a little was lost in translation but if you haven't ever surfed you don't know if it is for you. Sad to hear things are so tough for surfers over there in Italy but look at Leonardo Fioravanti. He is certainly doing well. I guess there are all kinds of surfers but the ones who stick it out seem to actually love to surf as opposed to the posers (fake surfers if you want to use that name) who will quit eventually.

[Oldie]

Do you surf yourself? Italy is windswell mostly. It may very rarely be perfect, but I am sure there are surfable spots and days.

[RinkyDink]

Sounds like Italy is having its own little surf craze. It's about time. Italian hand gestures are the stuff Californian longboarders dream of. Eventually shopkeepers will figure out that the standard cardboard bikini girl in the window sells more pasta than a sparkly surfboard.

[jaffa1949]

Just quietly there are lots of surf zones within the Mediterranean find a fetch and you will find days when you can get good surf.not as consistently available but there none the less. Some of the better zones unfortunately are in areas of international dispute or under religious fatwas.

The Jaffa quest will be on some of the non dangerous zones soon!

[waikikikichan]

Is it honorable to try at any cost or is just a fake act?

In Tokyo, Oka-Safa ( fake surfers ) drive around with board bolted to the roof rack on their cars. They spend more time at the tanning salon than at the beach. Then there's those who go to beach, put down their Channel Islands Al Merrick on the sand, layout for a few hours, then go home never having gone into the water.

In the U.S. there's a surf brand called Hollister which is from Ohio. So-Cal "inspired" clothing.

Screenshot 2018-01-07 at 10.06.37 AM.png (235.65 KiB) Viewed 819 times

[tomthetreeman]

^^^Waikiki, that's hilarious!!!^^^

[Big H]

Poseur is a poseur.....I see a lot of Italians over here and most can’t surf FWIW. They can be kinda aggro though.....whatever, let them fight with the Russians. More waves for me.

[312T4]

Hello everyone,
It’s been a long time. I hope everyone is well and stocked.

Since I’m Italian I cannot help but have my say on this.

First, the first post here is provocative and as such is not accurate.

As someone mentioned, Leo Fioravanti is on the World Tour performing decently. Others will follow. An Olympic team is already training for the big day (no need here to discuss the Olympics..).

The fact that surfing in Italy is still young (windsurf is The sport), does not mean that there’s no surf.
Ridable waves in the Mediterranean are generate by storms on a kind of short fetch. That means that you get to surf good waves just after the storm (or strong wind days) for 1 day or 2 maximum.
Also, storms happen in winter. And you should know that winter in Europe is cold. Water is pretty cold.
So those stupid Italians posers actually freeze their balls at every surf. They wait for months for 1 good day and wake up in the dark, get changed inside the car and hit the water with penguins (if there were penguins)!
The rest of the cold season, in between storms, October to March, they surf mostly poor waves (but still, waves), and after that is about praying for the odd event.

So the surfers are really committed.
I know a good few aussies that wouldn’t surf if they had to drive 2 hours and freeze in the water..

Probably best region to surf in Italy is Sardinia. It’s the island facing Spain. It sits far enough from the mainland to the west (Spain) and the west coast has plenty of spots. It also gets lots of Mistral wind from NW that creates conditions for when the events is finished.
If you wonder how it is, it’s a bit like Tasmania. Mostly empty, lots of sheep, narrow windy roads.
I was born there. But as I said, in my youth I only saw windsurfers.

As I wrote somewhere, I started surfing here in QLD.

Too easy making fun of people taking up a sport in adulthood while you did it all your life.
I see people floating in the water too. But my days as beginner are only 6 years far from now and I remember the struggle.
Also, how can you tell they are Italians? Can you distinguish Italians from Frenches or Spanishes, or some latinos?

About posers… they are everywhere!

Cheers guys!

[jaffa1949]

Well put, posers come in all shapes and sizes, the have it easy surf nations have little idea of what's need to be a dedicated surfer elsewhere!

Not quite a trump call, all nations have behaviours that warrant, laughter! Aussies no different.

Thanks for your input!