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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Surfing, skiing, climbing. They all have their rewards, but the highest highs I think come from climbing. The reward afterwards mentally is better then anything else. Skiing a cold deep pow day or surfing a big wave wave day and carving it up is unlike anything else, but climbing you are laying it out there.
I saw someone compared surfing big waves to soloing Astroman. There is no comparision. You make a mistake surfing big waves and the odds are way on your side that you will make it, especially if you are experienced and can swim like a fish. You make a mistake soloing Astroman and thats it brah.
Of course if you make the mistake of getting hit by a Jaws lip, see ya....
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luggi
Trad climber
atwater california
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I may be wrong..Cortez banks is about 100 miles off shore and maybe a handfull of ever surfed it? Everything has to be right every few years over that rise. The name escapes the old guy but there is one guy that basically made it his life work to wait and wait to surf the stuff..
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Send
Boulder climber
Three Rivers, California
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And lets not forget the pilot. Mad props to the ship operator.
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east side underground
Trad climber
Hilton crk,ca
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I think a guy named flippy hoffman first had the idea to surf cortes bank, hey fet , I'm with you, stone,surf, ski, the best!!!
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alpinerockfiend
Trad climber
The American West
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Mar 23, 2009 - 12:39am PT
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So what would you surfer folks out there recommend for someone who really wants to get into the sport if time/$$$ are not necessarily a factor?
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murcy
climber
San Fran Cisco
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Mar 23, 2009 - 12:51am PT
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Not sure what you mean that time isn't an option. It's a steep learning curve sport. You have to invest the initial time. If you have perfect waves at an uncrowded point break, then you could probably learn the basics in a few weeks of all-day surfing. In actual reality, though, for the first many, many sessions you have just the wrong hour to play with and are paddling hard to get out at a beach break exhausiting muscles you use for nothing else, and when you finally catch a crumbling mush-ball that the next guy isn't already riding, you fall on your face. Figure out how to experience that as fun, and you're on your way.
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alpinerockfiend
Trad climber
The American West
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Mar 23, 2009 - 12:56am PT
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I mean I have lots of free time and would like to learn how to surf, probably this fall (Nov-Dec). Any resources I should check out?
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murcy
climber
San Fran Cisco
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Mar 23, 2009 - 01:05am PT
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I think you edited "option" to "factor". That's better!
Nov/Dec are great months for surf in the northern hemisphere. If I were you and money were really no factor I would go to Hawaii and find a surf instructor with a boat to take you away from crowds. Google Hawaii surf boat.
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MH2
climber
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Mar 23, 2009 - 01:17am PT
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That Billabong clip is incredibly good.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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Mar 23, 2009 - 12:51pm PT
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Warbler is right on.
Costa Rica is a good bet too, the surf for the most part is chill, the water is warm and it's pretty cheap. Mainland Mexico has some great spots if you can avoid being beheaded by narco lords.
Look for sort of a "B" or "C" rated point, one that works pretty consistently but is not going to be mobbed by 200 ausies on their walk-about. Sand or cobblestone bottom is best to learn on.
I think it takes about two years of consistent surfing to become competent (less if you punch it to a point break and do nothing else).
As for the clip, I'm sorta tired of the big tow-in footage. It started to look the same to me a long time ago.
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drljefe
climber
Old Pueblo, AZ
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Mar 23, 2009 - 12:53pm PT
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"(less if you punch it to a point break and do nothing else)."
Check.
And if you have any board riding skills or ocean savvy that helps too.
Warbler's right about Baja.
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o-man
Trad climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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Mar 23, 2009 - 04:54pm PT
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I was Greg Hugglin's assistant camera man when he shot that scean. We were part of the film crew at Peahi"Jaws" for the 2001-2002 world Cup of tow in surfing. It was later incorporated into the "Billabong Odyssey". That was a great wave! There were alot of waves ridden that day in the over 50' range by the best tow in guys in the world. Laird boycotted that event but was there ridding between heats. I am always stoked to see how masterfully Greg framed Mike's epic ride.I was honored when Greg chose me to be his side kick for the shoot.
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alpinerockfiend
Trad climber
The American West
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Mar 23, 2009 - 06:54pm PT
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Thanks for the info you guys! I did change "option" to "factor"... don't really know what I was thinking.
I have been riding a snowboard for many years of my life on some of the gnarliest terrain in NA, so I have pretty solid boardriding skills... but do they transfer that much?
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alpinerockfiend
Trad climber
The American West
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Mar 23, 2009 - 09:40pm PT
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Shameless self-hijack-bump...snowboard-surf transfer?
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Mar 24, 2009 - 01:32am PT
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Awe inspiring. Thanks for all that intensive footage. The tube rides from the surfers' perspective was by far the most peaceful.
You know being a native to San Diego, having grown up around the beach and surf, body surfing, boogey boarding, and yes a little surfing, I have recurring dreams: one of being in massive dark sinister tubes that just keep going and are totally enclosed. Somehow I ride them best body surfing and can curl/duck out of them easily.
Sometimes the wave on the horizon is just so massive I dive down immediately and keep swimming down as fast as I can to bottom and let the massive monster roll over me.
Then other times it is so massive on the horizon, I run like hell to get into the truck and drive inland as fast as possible while watching the rearview mirror in fear and looking for the highest ground.
Weird. I have had these 3 types of dreams over and over again. I don't know what it all means. Perhaps just fear.
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o-man
Trad climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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Mar 24, 2009 - 02:08am PT
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I feel that just paddling out with the intent to catch a wave while observing the universal rights of way (locals have all the rights), is surfing! Catching a wave is a bonus. Riding it? Well, that's the prize.
We are all Kooks in the ocean. If you want to be humbled, watch the dolphins surf.
The good surfers that I know live near the ocean and surf the same breaks often.
The GREAT surfers that I know grew up at the beach and ditched a lot of classes in their youth.
There are so many ever changing elements involved in surfing, tides, currents, bottom configuration, swell size,interval,and direction. Just to name a few.
For years I traveled to surf destinations and found that unless I stayed for at least a month, my skills really didn’t improve. I also have used the assistance of area locals. They are respected and know the area.They will usually put you in the right spot and run interference so that you get some waves too.
A while back I made the decision and moved to Hawaii so I could surf and wave sail all the time.
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dogtown
climber
Cheyenne,Wyoming
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Mar 24, 2009 - 04:27am PT
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O-Man;
You da man! your right about surfing the same break alot and get it wired, is how you get good and also have the max fun.
(land locked) Dog.
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o-man
Trad climber
Paia,Maui,HI
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Mar 24, 2009 - 02:33pm PT
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We have a climber/surf bum type thread going in the forums of mountainproject.com (other sports/surfing and wave sailing) it would be great to have some of your input.
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Josh Higgins
Trad climber
San Diego
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Mar 24, 2009 - 03:21pm PT
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"Locals have all the rights"
This is part of the reason I never got into surfing. The culture sucks. It's too much ego, "this is mine" mentality. Go to a new climbing area, jump on a classic right before a local and they'll say hi and talk to you for a bit while waiting. Maybe I'm jaded because I never had the money for a surf board so I body boarded in college. I would go out in the 15-16' waves with the surfers and be the only guy on a body board. Even though I WAS a local, the surfers would cut me off right after I would give them the right of way, just because I was on a different type of board. Lame.
The climbing culture is the best I've ever seen...
Josh
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Mar 24, 2009 - 04:17pm PT
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O-man, is their still an old character thereabouts named Jim Loomis aka "Zantar Buru"?
Edit: Quick google search and yes, seems to still be with us and looks like he may also still be free diving and rowing his dory to Lanai and back - burly as ever.
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