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When did groms dropping in become normal?

M

Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,599
3,607
113
California/Hawaii
I've had it with teenage surfers. I witness this so much that I just don't get it. I see groms and younger guys (ages 10-21) just straight up drop in on locals and pretend its no big deal. One teenager straight up burned me and then told me it isn't a big deal because he gave me plenty of room. As if I should be thankful he didn't get closer to me. These groms have zero respect for anyone. I witnessed another grom tell a guy that anything he says is going to be ignored and he can surf any wave he wants. The people they burn have been surfing these spots since before these kids were alive. I just don't get it. I didn't dare paddle to the peak and hassle older locals when I was a kid.

And to be fair, it isn't every teen. It is the ones born to parents who think they don't need to respect others in the water because they have money. The born and raised local teens here on the islands generally behave. That's mostly because if they step out of line then their parents will likely hear about it.

I fear there is no turning back. Lineups will just devolve further into chaos especially in California. I should quite now and take up mountain biking. What is the point of surfing if every time you paddle out you leave pissed?
 
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R

rts265

Phil Edwards status
Oct 19, 2007
6,190
1,307
113
Hands are tied. You can’t retaliate without wrecking your life.

I was punched by a grown ass man before I was 13 for dropping in. Learned my lesson.

I also had an older guy help me get back to the sand when I was super young on a big hurricane swell. Just more respect all around back in the day.

also, no lessons. No foamies. Friends step dad was a hard core surfer. He only showed us how to repair dings. His surf lesson? Get out there and figure it out.
 
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Q

QuadFin

Gerry Lopez status
Oct 10, 2018
1,318
486
83
I do the leash. I will jump off board, make sure my arm goes through leash area and yank arm as hard as I can. Jerks their back leg so hard it stuns them. Whoops, I fell behind you.

It is all entitled kids. They know cant be beat up until 18.
 
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M

Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,599
3,607
113
California/Hawaii
My experiences in the last few months:

One 21 yo asking me where I'm from after I called his back paddle. He is from the mainland and lives with his rich parents.

Numerous groms just straight up dropping in on me after looking right at me.

Groms attempting to paddle inside of me when I'm already dropping in then they try to call me off the wave.

One grom paddle into the whitewash to take off thinking he was going to get inside of me. I rode straight at him and almost ran him over to prove a point.
 
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Ifallalot

Ifallalot

Duke status
Dec 17, 2008
89,135
18,183
113
Muscles said:
I've had it with teenage surfers. I witness this so much that I just don't get it. I see groms and younger guys (ages 10-21) just straight up drop in on locals and pretend its no big deal. One teenager straight up burned me and then told me it isn't a big deal because he gave me plenty of room. As if I should be thankful he didn't get closer to me. These groms have zero respect for anyone. I witnessed another grom tell a guy that anything he says is going to be ignored and he can surf any wave he wants. The people they burn have been surfing these spots since before these kids were alive. I just don't get it. I didn't dare paddle to the peak and hassle older locals when I was a kid.

And to be fair, it isn't every teen. It is the ones born to parents who think they don't need to respect others in the water because they have money. The born and raised local teens here on the islands generally behave. That's mostly because if they step out of line then their parents will likely hear about it.

I fear there is no turning back. Lineups will just devolve further into chaos especially in California. I should quite now and take up mountain biking. What is the point of surfing if every time you paddle out you leave pissed?
Click to expand...
You should see how bad it is in CA. HI still has a modicum of respect in the water.

If a pack of gloms comes to surf where I'm surfing I go somewhere else
 
C

Clayster

Phil Edwards status
Oct 26, 2005
5,703
1,301
113
manbearpig said:
Kids these days have no idea how good they got it.

I think my generation was the last one that would get licks and barks by the older crew before they completely flopped and rolled out the red carpet for every grom
Click to expand...
Dropping in back in the day was grounds for a serious beatdown, or a spearing in the back.
 
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M

Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,599
3,607
113
California/Hawaii
Ifallalot said:
You should see how bad it is in CA. HI still has a modicum of respect in the water.

If a pack of gloms comes to surf where I'm surfing I go somewhere else
Click to expand...
Oh, I know.

I lived in San Diego for 5 years and it got to the point where I would just not surf unless I found a peak that wasn't crowded. I remember my first introduction to surfing in California and learning there was zero rules at some places.

There's some spots on the islands that are still regulated. Unfortunately, they aren't near me since my hometown turned into ground zero for wealthy transplants who think the rest of the island is there to serve them.
 
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K

Kento

Duke status
Jan 11, 2002
69,164
21,652
113
The Bar
Ifallalot said:
You should see how bad it is in CA. HI still has a modicum of respect in the water.

If a pack of gloms comes to surf where I'm surfing I go somewhere else
Click to expand...
Retodd reef on Saturday was comical with them. But that place is tricky the way it shifts. I have my lineups (trees and archways) and you have to be disciplined and not chase teases. 20+ groms did not have that discipline and it was joyous to watch them scatter from my peak after a north reef tease and stay there for 20 minutes or so. Had my peak to myself for a surprisingly long time. Last wave, one of them scratched over to the shoulder as I was paddling into it the peak. Yelled at him even while I was still paddling - zero chance I was missing it as I was in sweet spot where wave had most push. My voice carries pretty loud and far so at least he didn't have audacity to drop in anyways.

But yeah, generally, those sessions are nightmares. As a grom, I didn't dare even look at waves other people were paddling into, let alone try to paddle for them. I never got punched but I did get yelled at and I am a fast learner. Found that was a good mentality in Hawaii so as to not get localized.

Muscles, do people still punch fins out in Hawaii?
 
M

Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,599
3,607
113
California/Hawaii
Kento said:
Muscles, do people still punch fins out in Hawaii?
Click to expand...
No. You'd get charged with a crime the minute you touched someone's kid. Maybe at some heavily localized places. But for the most part surfing is tame compared to even 10 years ago.

A few years ago a guy dunked a teen at V Land and got arrested for attempted murder. And that's at V Land of all places. I wouldn't have dared to even paddle out there when I was a kid. But, times change. Last time I went to V land there were people on wavestorms and soft tops.
 
K

Kento

Duke status
Jan 11, 2002
69,164
21,652
113
The Bar
Muscles said:
No. You'd get charged with a crime the minute you touched someone's kid. Maybe at some heavily localized places. But for the most part surfing is tame compared to even 10 years ago.

A few years ago a guy dunked a teen at V Land and got arrested for attempted murder. And that's at V Land of all places. I wouldn't have dared to even paddle out there when I was a kid. But, times change. Last time I went to V land there were people on wavestorms and soft tops.
Click to expand...
That's crazy. V-Land was a place I'd always known as being so localized, don't even get out of the car to look at it. But that was 20+ years ago or so.
 
M

Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,599
3,607
113
California/Hawaii
Kento said:
That's crazy. V-Land was a place I'd always known as being so localized, don't even get out of the car to look at it. But that was 20+ years ago or so.
Click to expand...
Well, when I was a kid it was a different place. But a bunch of old housing was knocked over and a gated community with $2M plus homes was built in its place.

Its not really localized at all. Most people there are respectful based on my experience.
 
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