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***The Official Mid-Length Thread***
- Thread starter 92122
- Start date
I think what drives the hate toward midlengths is that there is so focus on design and all the bells and whistles of the boards, but little to no actual surfing to show for it. Half turns and jazz hands 
Same as the contempt and ridicule towards hipsterism. In the pursuit of being special and unique they all end up looking the same and being garbage. It's the fixie bike of surfing
I don't hate longboards because it requires dedication and skill to master. Midlengthing is just low effort.
This was high effort though, but you get my point
Same as the contempt and ridicule towards hipsterism. In the pursuit of being special and unique they all end up looking the same and being garbage. It's the fixie bike of surfing I don't hate longboards because it requires dedication and skill to master. Midlengthing is just low effort.
This was high effort though, but you get my point
People just like to hate stuff that's different.
For whatever reason, 6'0 shortboards are considered standard and everything else is lessor.
It's a hyper competitive battle for limited resources so anything that gives you an advantage is suspect (unless you're the one on it).
I'm not buying the "effort" argument. Most longboarders don't do much on their longboards and I bet about 80% couldn't cross step if their life depended on it. It's just a way for fat old guys to get waves, which is fine.
A lot of shortboarders look absolutely horrible putting in all this "effort". Pump, pump, pump slash. Not sure why they somehow get points for it.
To me flowing with the wave and hiding the effort behind it is much preferable aesthetically. I like the way mid lengths facilitate this flow. I ended up getting one because the guy I surf with who had the best flow had one and I figured I'd give it a go. At the time I was riding shortboards 90% of the time and this guy who was a good 10 years younger than me and an accomplished shortboarder was just killing it on his 7'0.
But, I'm guilty of it too, I hate body boarders and SUPs.
Also for the record, riding a fixed gear bike takes way more effort and skill than riding a road bike. Have both and it's no contest. Put most roadies on a fixed gear for the first time and it will buck them off till they get used to not being able to coast or stop peddling.
Also I would say there is so much less focus on design on mid lengths. Most are very simple flat to vee bottoms. With the extra length and volume you don't need to worry so much about design. When I rode sub 6'0 boards everything had to be perfect for it to go right. I've had the same very basic 7'0 for like 7 years and haven't thought about design much at all. With shortboards there's always a flavor of the week and the width, length and thickness vary like hem lengths in fashion.
For whatever reason, 6'0 shortboards are considered standard and everything else is lessor.
It's a hyper competitive battle for limited resources so anything that gives you an advantage is suspect (unless you're the one on it).
I'm not buying the "effort" argument. Most longboarders don't do much on their longboards and I bet about 80% couldn't cross step if their life depended on it. It's just a way for fat old guys to get waves, which is fine.
A lot of shortboarders look absolutely horrible putting in all this "effort". Pump, pump, pump slash. Not sure why they somehow get points for it.
To me flowing with the wave and hiding the effort behind it is much preferable aesthetically. I like the way mid lengths facilitate this flow. I ended up getting one because the guy I surf with who had the best flow had one and I figured I'd give it a go. At the time I was riding shortboards 90% of the time and this guy who was a good 10 years younger than me and an accomplished shortboarder was just killing it on his 7'0.
But, I'm guilty of it too, I hate body boarders and SUPs.
Also for the record, riding a fixed gear bike takes way more effort and skill than riding a road bike. Have both and it's no contest. Put most roadies on a fixed gear for the first time and it will buck them off till they get used to not being able to coast or stop peddling.
Also I would say there is so much less focus on design on mid lengths. Most are very simple flat to vee bottoms. With the extra length and volume you don't need to worry so much about design. When I rode sub 6'0 boards everything had to be perfect for it to go right. I've had the same very basic 7'0 for like 7 years and haven't thought about design much at all. With shortboards there's always a flavor of the week and the width, length and thickness vary like hem lengths in fashion.
I think what drives the hate toward midlengths is that there is so focus on design and all the bells and whistles of the boards, but little to no actual surfing to show for it. Half turns and jazz hands
I don't hate longboards because it requires dedication and skill to master. Midlengthing is just low effort.
This was high effort though, but you get my point
View attachment 165322
You are mostly right in your post, but these two quotes disqualifies anything you say.
I dont necessarily disagree with some of what you said here (and have been saying for years in this thread) but it's very one sided. It's like, if someone isn't surfing at a certain arbitrary level, then GTFO.I think what drives the hate toward midlengths is that there is so focus on design and all the bells and whistles of the boards, but little to no actual surfing to show for it. Half turns and jazz hands
I don't hate longboards because it requires dedication and skill to master. Midlengthing is just low effort.
This was high effort though, but you get my point
Many of us don't have or make the time to surf often enough to stay proficient on true performance boards, and I'll include Grovelors and Fish in the performance category.
That said, many of us don't like the feel of a longboard, let alone just taking the damn thing around to get a few waves is generally a PITA.
Hence these 'lower effort' boards that work in a variety of conditions. When the current is pulling and the waves are 3-4+, I'm going to have a much better time on my 7' 45L Mid, that can still pull some sh*t with its pointed nose, quad fins and squash tail. It generally helps me make the most of the time I have in the water, while keeping the ride loose enough, which I prefer in general.
Havent surfed in a couple weeks and the surf is anything but micro, the Mid is the call, but if I've been grinding 1-2 times a week for months (yes that's grinding surfing for me...lol) then I'll get on my 'short boards' and try to improve. Generally by mid summer I hit a point where enough of a base is built up that I will force myself to take out my smaller boards every session, but then it's often small or variable conditions where they might not work so well.
There's just so many factors to play with that's what's so interesting about Surfing for the average person, but you often come off sounding like you don't want average people Surfing. You could lighten up a bit, maybe.
Now, show us your Mids.
Keep up the lampooning...it's fun.
I'm 60 so mostly don't care less what anyone else thinks I should ride. In the last couple of weeks I've ridden a bodyboard, 6'2", 6'6", 7'2" and 7'4" in waves from 1'-8' plus and had fun on all of them.
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You’ve kept growing your hair out since the start of the pandemic? Must be fabulous when it blows in the wind on those HPML carves!
You still riding the mid a lot or has the novelty worn off a bit?
The romance is over. Kind of.
I rode it Sunday at my NS regular but the waves were small. I was super conscientious of the other surfers in the water. There was a regular that rips and some weekend warriors on longer boars. I paddled for and caught the 3 waves I looked at, while waiting way longer for my turn. Didn’t want to be a hog. The boar is fun. Engaging that much rail feels good even in smaller waves. I still want to surf it when it’s pumping at the NS regular just for fun. But been enjoying trying to figure out the upper end of my 5’9 DJ twin.
I also get a kick out of surfing the mid aggressively when my friends are being nay-sayers.
The reason I say the romance is ending is I’ve been working on Chuck Andrus’s house. He looked at my Vesso mid and wants to make me his version of something like it. I’d just have to pay for the glass job. Basically half price. I’m thinking have him make me a step up. His guns are prized. A two boar quiver of mid lengths isn’t that exciting to me…..yet. Haha
I'm not hating on for example Yuri. He is trash, but genuine. The midlengthing cult is trying to elevate their half-turns and bogged rails into some higher art form. It just ends up in the same hipster garbage can as fixie bikes, boutique coffee and man-buns. And I am a midlengther too. CI Mid 6'10" is 42,3l. My Average Joe is 43,3if someone isn't surfing at a certain arbitrary level, then GTFO.
Dr. Cliph Capone, The Knost and Howard Stern
Enlightened
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If there is a midlengthing cult, they're not having an affect on me....The midlengthing cult is trying to elevate their half-turns and bogged rails into some higher art form. It just ends up in the same hipster garbage can as fixie bikes, boutique coffee and man-buns. And I am a midlengther too. CI Mid 6'10" is 42,3l. My Average Joe is 43,3
Funny that you surf some, when you call them sh*tlengths, and generally seem to despise everything about them.
(from the General Discussion) Mason Ho midlengthing on the North Shore starting at 3:03-. Discuss.
7'6" used to be a meat and potatoes "shortboard" on the North Shore.
Back when dinosaurs roamed...