by Brent » Mon May 31, 2004 10:51 am
Hmm, here we go Lads
Is the current trend for funboards a direct result of the gradually increasing obesity statistics worldwide, i.e. many people are simply too fat & heavy to paddle & use a shortboard effectively...
Are they a direct result of the "working" culture we find ourselves in in the early "00's" ? Are people are so busy working long hours they can only surf once or twice a week and thus never get good enough at paddling or water fit to use a short board properly.
Are they a symptom of the instant gratification culture we a surrounded by...the I want to be a surfer NOW and I want to stand up NOW, I've been to the surf shop & decked myself out in the labels....so give me my funboard & I wanna stand up today !!!!!!
They are not a "longboard" and are not connected to that iconic period, nor the late 70's shortboard revolution...so what are they?
In my opinion they are a hybrid designed for one purpose... to achieve a good success or "hit" rate, i.e be easy to stand up on...and that's it.
Because they are such a compromise design wise...you cannot do anything well on them - you cannot toes over the nose like a Mal, you cannot cut back or even turn them hard. You cannot (heaven forbid) ride a tube on one, Why is it that no good surfers (I'm talking Pros here) ride them "and now folks the Andy Irons v Kelly Slater heat of the Bollabong Pro....and wait folks, oh no, it can't be - is Kelly breaking out the...Funboard for this heat???"
Not once have I ever seen anyone I know pack one in their bags when bound for exotic or interesting surfing locations...."oh yes, I'm off to Indo tomorrow, the surf is going to be great...better pack my new Funboard eh?"
Lets be serious...
Sorry if I offend people, but at my local break every day I see weekend charlies or whatever you want to call them, these fools out floundering around on "Funboards" getting in peoples way, making the already busy peaks genuinely dangerous with their uncontrolled barges. Or squealing teenage girls who've seen some stupid Cameron Diaze (is that how you spell it ??) movie & think they like the idea of surfing..
These people do not hang on to their funboards when attempting to duck-dive. They don't even know they're meant to hang onto them, they don't even care....daily I see these people who have no interest in learning how to surf well.... their only goal is to stand up.
I make no claims to be an expert surfer, I'm old & wise enough to let that one go "P" or whoever you are, I have however seen enough surfing trends come & go...and I am looking forward to the demise of this "Ford Cortina" of surfboard desgn....