Kooks aren’t harmless

youcantbeserious

Billy Hamilton status
Oct 29, 2020
1,518
4,579
113
Location location
My kid got stretchered off the beach, ambulance to Queens today after tweaking his neck. No feeling in limbs for two hours. X-rays and CT scan, luckily he’s going to be okay.

All because some KOOK on a Wavestorm thought it would be so fun to surf Gas Chambers, even though they have no clue how to paddle, get out of people’s way, judge distance, hang on to their board etc. — basic surf skills.

Last two weeks in CA have been eye opening re: the sheer danger of clueless learners in lineups where they don’t belong. Worse than Hawaii, but on smaller days we’re not far behind.

Done being nice. I’m kicking kooks out of lineups that are not for beginners. You should, too.
 

PRCD

Tom Curren status
Feb 25, 2020
12,502
8,538
113
Glad your son is OK man.

In lifeguard training they teach you to put the victim between you and the oncoming piling during a pier rescue so that is my advice to anyone who is about to hit a structure due to a kook - put the kook between you and the structure if at all possible.

Here's a lockdown special.
http://instagr.am/p/COUBs4rnM3e/
 
  • Like
Reactions: youcantbeserious

youcantbeserious

Billy Hamilton status
Oct 29, 2020
1,518
4,579
113
Location location
I actually think kicking people out of the ocean is lame, and it doesn’t work anyway.

better to educate, point out the dangers, suggest a better spot

but in the moment you are hurt or almost hurt or scared and you get pissed
 

sh3

Michael Peterson status
Dec 1, 2008
2,403
3,115
113
Had a beginner ditch a longboard in front of me as I went to duck dive. Hammered me in the head drawing blood. I wasn't nice to him. Let him know exactly how I felt and I did not hold back.

If I'm not being hurt by a beginner, I explain where NOT to be and how to keep from being in the way. If it happens once, so be it. If it happens twice, I'm not nice. 9 out of 10 times, they want to learn the rules of etiquette in the water.
 

doc_flavonoid

Billy Hamilton status
Dec 27, 2019
1,740
3,198
113
parent nightmare. sorry man. the stress is wrenching. stoked hes good.

didnt surf today. couldnt motivate on the conditions or dealing with the donkey show. was watching and thinking how far backward we've gone.

when we were kids. the regulation felt like it was nonstop. looking at it today you'd never know soneone made an effort last century to keep it in order.

the failure is ours but its easy to excuse. no way would our uncles have faired any better today given the sheer volume of fuckery.

to put it bluntly there are shitton of people in the water nowadays who cant/dont/shouldnt surf

hug ur kid. nothing is changing
 

casa_mugrienta

Duke status
Apr 13, 2008
43,203
17,631
113
Petak Island
Glad he’s gonna be OK, I've seen it end badly.

Perhaps this entitled attitude and lack of general respect for others is a generational thing, or simply doesn't exist without passion?

When surfing is simply something you take up as millennial from Pittsburgh who grew up snowboarding and then went to college in LA where he learned to surf at Malibu then moved to Hawaii for a year who is now applying for his dream job at a new social media startup in Chicago...why would you give two fvcks about preserving some sort of order and respect? Surfing is just a passing phase.
 
Last edited:

warble2

Gerry Lopez status
May 5, 2008
1,320
545
113
It's a sad state of affairs out there these days. The first thing we do when I take my 12 year old daughter and her friends to surf is identify the people, not the conditions. If a parent trusts me to take their kid surfing with my own, I only think about their safety. Half the time it's not even enjoyable for me. Full on crisis management. We assess the peak that gives us space to actually surf, not get hurt.

These are children just trying to have fun that all of a sudden find themselves competing with middle aged Torq Dorks with zero awareness. I'm often caught in limbo trying to be a positive role model for the kids while suppressing my anger towards kooks just trying to get theirs. Wise words about education and suggestions. It's so hard sometimes.

The absolute worst these days are the wannabe cool guys who insist on surfing longboards without leashes. Who told them that scores points? Nothing more terrifying than watching a 10ft log with a 10"fin tumble towards your buddies kid in the shore break just praying it doesn't scalp them.
 
  • Like
  • Angry
Reactions: bruhdakine and PRCD

One-Off

Tom Curren status
Jul 28, 2005
14,120
10,240
113
33.8N - 118.4W
I actually think kicking people out of the ocean is lame, and it doesn’t work anyway.

better to educate, point out the dangers, suggest a better spot

but in the moment you are hurt or almost hurt or scared and you get pissed
Understand your anger. And I like the aloha spirit that came back once calmer heads prevailed.

Two winters ago I had two yunnguns on old school longboards, no leashes, shoulder hop me and both fell. I was trying to maneuver around the carnage when one of the boards flies out of the soup right at me. I put my hand up to prevent it hitting me in the head and in the process caught the back of the fin with my pinky finger. Cut to the bone. Ended up with 14 stitches and nerve damage ( nreve reattachment surgery was suggested but I was otld it had a 30% success rate). I was especially pissed off because it was a week before winter break and now I knew I wasn't going to be surfing during the best time of year.

I yelled and cussed at them and told them to look before they went. I held up my grisly finger to make my point. I didn't get up in their face but made my displeasure evident. They apologized, but in the moment I called them kooks and shoulder hoppers and kept repeating the admonition to look before you go.

Since that time, whenever I see beginners bail their boards I will paddle over and tell them politely to learn to hold on. I will even show them how to duck dive or if they're on a longboard how to turtle. I also don't let drop ins go with out simply saying, "I was behind you." It gets the point across.
 

Autoprax

Duke status
Jan 24, 2011
68,226
22,978
113
62
Vagina Point
Years ago, I began to notice the entitlement of the unskilled.

I always deferred to the more skillful and tried to say out of the way.

I'm glad my leg got paralyzed and I was forced to quit surfing.
 

estreet

Miki Dora status
Feb 19, 2021
4,827
4,199
113
Southern Cali
Damn, glad your kid is okay.

Reminds me of the story that my wife likes to tell about when I first tried to teach her how to surf.

So there we were, having just paddled out in a small uncrowded beach break and, according to the story, I turned to her and said something like, "There's a couple of things that you need to be careful about. Be careful about hitting the bottom. Be careful about your board hitting you. Be careful about other people's boards hitting you."

"That's three things," she pointed out.

According to her account I didn't say anything else and just paddled away.
 

freeride76

Michael Peterson status
Dec 31, 2009
3,336
4,141
113
Lennox Head.
Glad he’s gonna be OK, I've seen it end badly.

Perhaps this entitled attitude and lack of general respect for others is a generational thing, or simply doesn't exist without passion?

When surfing is simply something you take up as millennial from Pittsburgh who grew up snowboarding and then went to college in LA where he learned to surf at Malibu then moved to Hawaii for a year who is now applying for his dream job at a new social media startup in Chicago...why would you give two fvcks about preserving some sort of order and respect? Surfing is just a passing phase.
Correct.
 

racer1

Tom Curren status
Apr 16, 2014
12,920
14,979
113
Honolulu, Hawaii
Damn! Glad to hear your boy will be okay. That is frightening.

I try really hard to avoid kook spots these days. Rather surf windblown, rocky, shifty, "crappy" waves by myself or with just a few others. It's really not worth dealing with a bunch of dangerous idiots.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rowjimmytour