Board test for the every day surfer

ChaseTMP

Michael Peterson status
Apr 6, 2014
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He’d be considered a good surfer at my local and I’d venture to guess he looks better on non man-made waves.

Since Covid there are so many Stormkooker’s and Torq Dorks clogging line-ups, who seem to be perpetually in the way. I’m much more welcome than I used to be to new faces that can put some turns together.
 

LifeOnMars

Michael Peterson status
Jan 14, 2020
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Exactly the point I was making. There is a sh!t ton of talent at my local these days and he'd be well above average but nowhere near the top.
NJ is a hotbed of performance surfing :monkey:

paging makaha mundus to the white courtesy phone

can you confirm or deny these claims?
 
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GromsDad

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Jan 21, 2014
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NJ is a hotbed of performance surfing :monkey:

paging makaha mundus to the white courtesy phone

can you confirm or deny these claims?
You might be surprised the level of surfing you'd see here.

Mundus is from a different part of the state but the locations he surfs also has a few guys who I'd say surf at a higher level than Kale. Where hal is from there are definitely a handful of guys at a higher level as well.

Like I said, Kale is a well above average surfer but nowhere near the top you'll find in a lot of lineups.......not just here.
 
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Feb 8, 2008
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Finale Ligure, Italy
Ok, a guy makes a series of videos where he tests a bunch of surfboards in a wave pool. The discussion seem to focus on how good a surfer this guy is, and the definition of "everyday surfer". Well, can we please move to the boards themselves? Who has surfed one of the boards tested in the first episode? I'm especially interested in the Chilli BV2.
 

Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
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You might be surprised the level of surfing you'd see here.

Mundus is from a different part of the state but the locations he surfs also has a few guys who I'd say surf at a higher level than Kale. Where hal is from there are definitely a handful of guys at a higher level as well.

Like I said, Kale is a well above average surfer but nowhere near the top you'll find in a lot of lineups.......not just here.
The level of surfing on the East Coast in 2021 is fucking dogshit. He'd be near the top of every lineup unless there was some sort of ripper convention at New Smyrna. Sam Hammer is the only person in New Jersey clearly better, and that's only in waves of consequence. After Balaram Stack, Cam Richards, and the Geiselmans, he's close to everyone under 40.
 

Northern_Shores

Miki Dora status
Mar 30, 2009
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The level of surfing on the East Coast in 2021 is fucking dogshit. He'd be near the top of every lineup unless there was some sort of ripper convention at New Smyrna. Sam Hammer is the only person in New Jersey clearly better, and that's only in waves of consequence. After Balaram Stack, Cam Richards, and the Geiselmans, he's close to everyone under 40.
What about Ben Gravy? He is quite good at surfing.


Next episode is in 5 hours!
 

Sharkbiscuit

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What about Ben Gravy? He is quite good at surfing.
Honestly I'd rather watch Ben Gravy's blog and Rob Kelly and Brett Barley than Felipe Toledo.

Maybe Barley in bombs, maybe Brendan Buckley in bombs are better? But they're close. Gravy was in those amateur and local pro contests against all the East Coast surfers his age and he was generally competitive.

Brazil, Australia, and Hawaii passed the East Coast by. They got serious about practicing in shitty waves and our lineups got too crowded. When the current crop of 30 and 40-somethings was trying to have a go, I used to see them all the time at the Pier or Poles in light crowd. Gabe Kling in St. Augustine with 5 guys out. Cormican at Smyrna with peaks to spare on a sunny Saturday. Wedges all over the place at Sebastian with the Hobgoods, Watters, Taylors, Yergens, a bunch of people. Anyone with any crowd moxie and willingness to assert got theirs.

Plenty of practice for the willing, even with our meager swell.

Sebastian is 95% gone and these other places, lots of days it seems like every wave someone is getting a section paddled down or straight up burned.
 
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GromsDad

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The level of surfing on the East Coast in 2021 is fucking dogshit. He'd be near the top of every lineup unless there was some sort of ripper convention at New Smyrna. Sam Hammer is the only person in New Jersey clearly better, and that's only in waves of consequence. After Balaram Stack, Cam Richards, and the Geiselmans, he's close to everyone under 40.
Are we watching a different Kale Brock? I've watched a lot of his videos and his surfing and like I said he's above average but not top dog anywhere. Not even remotely in Hammer's league. There isn't a guy in the following video that I think he would best......not to mention some of the up and coming talent that has emerged in recent years.

 

potato-nator

Phil Edwards status
Nov 10, 2015
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The level of surfing on the East Coast in 2021 is fucking dogshit. He'd be near the top of every lineup unless there was some sort of ripper convention at New Smyrna. Sam Hammer is the only person in New Jersey clearly better, and that's only in waves of consequence. After Balaram Stack, Cam Richards, and the Geiselmans, he's close to everyone under 40.
theres at least 3 members of ACFD that could well prove this wrong.
hello Frank, Joe and Chris.
:jamon:
 
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GromsDad

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How would he stack up on the West Coast? Would be be in the top 20 on any given day in San Clemente?

How about against the crop of kids from Florida? North Carolina? Think he could take Ben B or Mason B. You seen the crop of rippers that frequents the lighthouse in Buxton? Guys who you'll never see on social media or might get a wave or two in a Brett Barley video but absolutely rip.
 
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Sharkbiscuit

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How about against the crop of kids from Florida?
IMHO there isn't a crop of kids from Florida right now. There's Caroline Marks and Peter Mendia's kid. I think there is some agreement based on the Florida Boardriders Association or whatever - like they're trying to get back to when NSSA was very competitive and Florida had some younger surfers people thought might make the tour.

Are we watching a different Kale Brock? I've watched a lot of his videos and his surfing and like I said he's above average but not top dog anywhere. Not even remotely in Hammer's league. There isn't a guy in the following video that I think he would best......not to mention some of the up and coming talent that has emerged in recent years.

There isn't a guy in that video that obviously looks better than Kale Brock to me. YMMV.
 

GromsDad

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IMHO there isn't a crop of kids from Florida right now. There's Caroline Marks and Peter Mendia's kid. I think there is some agreement based on the Florida Boardriders Association or whatever - like they're trying to get back to when NSSA was very competitive and Florida had some younger surfers people thought might make the tour.



There isn't a guy in that video that obviously looks better than Kale Brock to me. YMMV.
There are three young Florida surfers that jump to mind: Joel who is turning into a Pipe specialist, Braden (longshot) and Karl (very promising) Pete Mendia's kid as well. I've seen all of them surf and each of these kids rip.

If you surfed with the guys in that NJ video you'd think differently. Like I said, I could name 20 guys between AC and CM NJ who surf better. They just don't have name recognition and youTube insta presence other than Rob, Ben and a mini grom.
 
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