When Team Riders Take Over Your Spot

[endlessfight]

if any SUP teams want to invade my waves on the great lakes be my guest. I think i've only ever been out with a couple other SUP surfers in the water so come on over haha

[Strand Leper]

We had some of the Hurley team riders here for a kids thing during the summer.  I don't know if it was because they ended up on SUP's (some wouldn't ride them), but some were really great.  It was funny watching some of the local youngsters rip around the pro's, but guys like Timmy Curren and pat O'Connell were great with the kids.  Tim and pat took my daughter out and paddled with her for a bit and made her day.  I've heard that Pat can be less than friendly, but he was great that day.  Usually we don't have a pro issue at our breaks here, it's mother nature we need to worry about.

I have surfed with Pat a bit at my local break. It is his home break too. On work mornings he is in the water before first light, and out before the sun comes up. We have exchanged friendly words both in the water and at the coffee shop at the top of the hill. He thought my double racked and loaded mountain bike was the coolest thing and was quite vocal about it. All of my experiences with him have been positive. Someone may have caught him on a bad day, but he has always acted the part of a stoked grom in my presence... And my presence is standing up and paddling at "his" break.

SL

[surf monkey]

You mean like this day ( not sure if the link worked it's surfline golden CA.) The guy just filmed one spot on the beach and the guys he tagged surfing are just the local guys the whole beach had waves and people like Kelly Slater, Tom Curren both come down from Santa Barbara 45 min drive. The day started off normal hand full of guys light off shore and clean, predicted off shore most of the day. I just live 6 houses from the beach so I ran down checked it, saw it was good. Sunday is a day I let the wife sleep in play with the kids family time, I get to surf everyday and like the mid week best.

Then it changed off shore kicked in 20+, thought I'll wait till it backs down a bit, wife gave me the green light took the dogs to the beach and guys with sticker-ed up boards were just parking and running out, counted 15 pro camera's on the beach. The normal pro guys are normally cool it's the other guys that follow the cameras trying to make it that make it bad.

For me that day, I went out in the Zoo the waves were so good. The wind was crazy hard offshore at that time, hard to paddle in then so many guys in the way, you pull in with the SUP and it was more survival not to hit someone or get hit. Then add the board blowing back at you with every wrong move I pulled the plug more worried about getting hurt. (wish I had a helmet on) just my own board trying to kill me.

Side note this is the same day as the Demo day you can see the wave difference we get the NW/W swells that they don't get in the OC area so we get people traveling here. So you guys have me on the hook for a sim sup but not my winter stick but come summer. 

http://www.surfline.com/video/webisodes/sunday-funday_92998

[SoCalSupper]

We had some of the Hurley team riders here for a kids thing during the summer.  I don't know if it was because they ended up on SUP's (some wouldn't ride them), but some were really great.  It was funny watching some of the local youngsters rip around the pro's, but guys like Timmy Curren and pat O'Connell were great with the kids.  Tim and pat took my daughter out and paddled with her for a bit and made her day.  I've heard that Pat can be less than friendly, but he was great that day.  Usually we don't have a pro issue at our breaks here, it's mother nature we need to worry about.

I have surfed with Pat a bit at my local break. It is his home break too. On work mornings he is in the water before first light, and out before the sun comes up. We have exchanged friendly words both in the water and at the coffee shop at the top of the hill. He thought my double racked and loaded mountain bike was the coolest thing and was quite vocal about it. All of my experiences with him have been positive. Someone may have caught him on a bad day, but he has always acted the part of a stoked grom in my presence... And my presence is standing up and paddling at "his" break.

SL

Patty O seems like a cool guy to me-he pushed CD into a few waves at point when CD was a frothing grom-always a big smile on his face-Fletchers are pretty cool-even though Christian is a space case hes pretty mellow in the water-the only aholes i have heard about are the occasional elite ASP guys that show up from time to time.

[Strand Leper]

Agree on c fletcher. Been surfing with him a bunch lately and he is maxi chill in the water. The first few times I surfed with him I wasn't sure what the deal would be... Never a cross word.

Funny, on Presidents' Day I was surfing with a guy that used to be aggro at me personally. We got to talking and he basically apologized for being an ass.  We talked about life. He asked for some life advice from an older dude's perspective... Then he asked if I wanted to go grab some Chipotle. No, it wasn't an attempted gay hookup. (Not that there is anything wrong with that...). That only happens when I am rollerblading. 

SL

[Fark]

We had some of the Hurley team riders here for a kids thing during the summer.  I don't know if it was because they ended up on SUP's (some wouldn't ride them), but some were really great.  It was funny watching some of the local youngsters rip around the pro's, but guys like Timmy Curren and pat O'Connell were great with the kids.  Tim and pat took my daughter out and paddled with her for a bit and made her day.  I've heard that Pat can be less than friendly, but he was great that day.  Usually we don't have a pro issue at our breaks here, it's mother nature we need to worry about.

I have surfed with Pat a bit at my local break. It is his home break too. On work mornings he is in the water before first light, and out before the sun comes up. We have exchanged friendly words both in the water and at the coffee shop at the top of the hill. He thought my double racked and loaded mountain bike was the coolest thing and was quite vocal about it. All of my experiences with him have been positive. Someone may have caught him on a bad day, but he has always acted the part of a stoked grom in my presence... And my presence is standing up and paddling at "his" break.

SL

Patty O seems like a cool guy to me-he pushed CD into a few waves at point when CD was a frothing grom-always a big smile on his face-Fletchers are pretty cool-even though Christian is a space case hes pretty mellow in the water-the only aholes i have heard about are the occasional elite ASP guys that show up from time to time.

We didn't have any issues with him at all.  Pat was great, in a great mood, and after getting some pics with he and my daughter, took her out and paddled with her on a huge board, pushed her into some waves, and took some shots of her with his own camera.  He seemed like a great guy to me, but another guy I talked to said he has his days.  My response was don't we all.  Sounds like my experience is the norm.

[BrentP]

A couple years ago, the Bing surf crew came out to "Barney's" in Cardiff and acted like they owned the spot (user reports).
About a dozen of them on their various sized longboards (and CDM on a fish) all taking the primo waves.
I fly threw on the biggest set wave of the day, riding my SB Pocket Rocket, and clear the lineup.  Supposedly, there were cheers from the audience on the cliff.  (Imagine that...they all hate that I SUP, but hate it more when strangers take over their spot).


Fast forward to this past Sunday.  My buddy texts me that the Inifinity SUP crew is invading another local spot South of Cardiff (but north of SL's NW secret spot).  I didn't even bother to venture there, and went to Sunset Cliffs instead.  Which ended up being a good decision in and of itself, being as the wind and swell were favorable further south.


Anyways, when I head that the "PRO'S" were at a local spot, it just put a bad taste in my mouth.  I guess they have to surf somewhere.  But the spot they went to has almost come to fistacuffs in the past year about too many SUP's in the water (let alone one!). 

Has this ever happened to you?  The sponsored guys show up like their shit don't stink and make you look like a fool?  Or were you enamored by their talent?  Donald Takiyama was a legend, but back in the day, people hated when he showed up with a dozen young girlies and ran rampant on the local surf spots.

Just a rant, and speculation.


 

Cardiff!

i know you were just using the Infinity SUP crew as a reference to the said topic but just wanted to say that the infinity guys were definitely not there last sunday. I actually work at infinity and can assure you we were not there. Dave was at a kids bday party (boringgggg) Slater lives in Maui (bastard) and Anthony Vela is out of town (lives the dream) that would pretty much sum up our "pro" team. It may have been boardworks employees? Our friend Brody at PaddleFit has a few boards? but to be honest those folks are all rad humans... No biggie just wanted to clear the air since we are one of the biggest advocates and sensitive to the SUP vs Surf vs Local spot arguments... We sell all types of boards besides just sup so we have to be!  We deal with that stuff up here too. As long as SUP continues to grow it's inevitable it will happen more and more.

now on the topic! I deal with that stuff a ton up here being our shop is down the street from Salt Creek. If it's sunny out no matter how the waves are there are pros out there shooting from all over. It's a way of life here! When summer comes and NSSA invades wow don't bother Salt Creek gets filled up with kids from all over the world and they are all frothy to practice and get photos its insane. It's seems like the team managers should regulate some how but really what can they do? Oh well back to dogpatch...

[Cardiff Sweeper]

I was relaying eye-witness info via a text sent to me, and can in no way verify who was actually there.  My friend could have been high as a billy goat (he usually is), and he mentioned "several Pro's were going out".  

At the Reef the past couple days, Tudor's crew was out, catching lots of waves. Friendly guys...they seem to be interested in my 7'7".

[BrentP]

No worries mate! See you out there. Goin left!