contest judging

[Steeno]

Australian Surfing keeps a book on it, and splashy noted the criteria for judging competition, hence why the debate. What I am saying is that, there are two forms or more of kneeboarding and they do require different equipment. The competitions are for pushing the limits of our sport, not for everyone, but enjoyed by alot. If you like to push yourself against others in a comp...go for it, if you dont...and search for different reasons...so be it.

[john -]

perhaps best in the design thread but since topical here...here goes

different styles different boards


lip smacker board = big rocker, soft rails, (for easy release) quite toed in fins and possibly only 3 rather than 4 - slower board but turns in a dime - tail type optional or is it?


mellow rider (but dont call me yellow) flatter rocker, not so much fin toe, 4 fins for drive, harder rails to push one along the wall - tail type? a board for cruising but not shap turns

mellow board also seems to be for down the line speed waves as well

over simplified :?


I always thought a forgiving board had softer rails and hot riders (vertical)had harder edges

[john -]

perhaps best in the design thread but since topical here...here goes

different styles different boards


lip smacker board = big rocker, soft rails, (for easy release) quite toed in fins and possibly only 3 rather than 4 - slower board but turns on a dime - tail type optional or is it?


mellow rider (but dont call me yellow) flatter rocker, not so much fin toe, 4 fins for drive, harder rails to push one along the wall - tail type? a board for cruising but not sharp turns

mellow board also seems to be for down the line speed waves as well

over simplified


I always thought a forgiving board had softer rails and hot riders (vertical)had harder edges

[Steeno]

Your right, performance boards do have harder edges and more forgiving boards, softer edges.

the toe in does not vary that much at all, either. Rocker, rail foil, bottom shapes do vary alot and are also very personal to each rider.

[john -]

harder rails need more power (aggressive approach) to release?

thus in the hands of the mellow, a hard rail board has one stuck under a lip and bang! no escape due to no release due to mellow approach

yes

[splashy]

Yep - but you could argue that a board with softer rails may actually be better for comps because they are less likely to bog in (reducing risk), and good surfer can still make them "SMACK"....

Competitions aren't about going berserk. They are about going berserk....and making it....

[albert]

I figured no one has put this on here so I will...
This is the judging criteria straight from the ASP website.

“The surfer must perform committed radical maneuvers in the most critical sections of a wave with style, power and speed to maximize scoring potential. Innovative and progressive surfing will be taken into account when rewarding points for committed surfing. The surfer who executes this criteria with the highest degree of difficulty and control on the better waves shall be rewarded with the highest scores.”

[red]

Soft rails 'bite' better
Hard rails release quicker
Most boards have a combination of these in the rail flow, or am I missing something?

It's horses for courses but I don't believe that contest boards can be typified separately from 'fun' boards.

Some people's setups allow them to do certain turns well (at the cost of something else), hence a board set up for aerials is probably not going to be able to drive hard rail turns, etc. But again it's not a contest vs non contest design philosophy but rather "a board that goes well for me".

[hart]

"And it is because of the difference between free-surfing and competitions that we need a thriving free-surfing culture as well as a competition culture

and allow them to support and nuture each other."


umm

i reckon that having both is divisive..(and always have).

you can read it in the Forums both here and on other sites.

guys off the street are looking for incredible surfing..whether it scores a point in a heat or not. street cred. you either have it or you don't. it doesn't come from a poster

Last Friday arvo..packed Surfboard Factory in Harbord Road..4pm

lots of Coopers, ex pros (standups), current wqs surfers, old surfers and young guys that go off and just work in the industry coz they love it and are talented.

One OLD kneeboarder (me) puts on a dvd on Brett Warner's laptop.

NOW AND THEN

Lots of interest..from everyone watching.

End of vid?

"How good is Simon?"..fullstop

a surfer's surfer.

but what about those young guys?

ON TOPIC FULLY..the audience of my learned friends could not understand how Troy and Cheyne Simpson have not won a 'substantial' event..yet other guys (that they are witnessing) have.

"iS IT THE JUDGING"??

What can I answer..I am not qualified to say?

If anything I do know..time to let the future unfold.

I want to applaud young surfers like Cheyne and Troy..whether they surf a Contest or not.

Better still..

Let the Contest System support the way THEY SURF..



How else can we possibly reward them and maintain their talent?

Tomorrow is literally, only a day away.

Let's not keep looking behind

hart

PS

Tomorow isn't in fact, a day away

It is under our bloody noses..should we choose to look

Thx for the soapbox..(Don and the Bonster )

you're welcome in the Domain (Sydney) anytime..

ha

[Steeno]

well put bruce

chayne has won an open pro circuit comp, the merimbula pro
and a world age title

[scoop]

But Bruce....they have to bring their own box....(to stand on)
(to the unknowing....the Domain in Sydney is a park where people download their thoughts verbally)

Tony

[Jack Beresford]

OK - let a Yank in on the discussion...

I think some people assume that because guys like Troy and Cheyne aren't winning world titles regularly that there's something wrong with the judging criteria. I can't talk specifically about those two but I do think there's a lot more to it than that. The best contest surfers - guys like Simon, Baden and Kyle are not just pure rippers. They have the ability to consistently turn it on when the horn blows - and do so in a wide variety of conditions.

With that said, I think we should continue to explore alternative formats that encourage more high-risk, high-performance surfing.

[splashy]

One word - "Consistency".

The champions have it in truck loads.

Winners have it sometimes.

Everyone else is just looking for it.

You can be the best surfer in the world, but unless you can perform when required in the time slot in front of the judges, then you CANNOT be judged (no matter WHAT the judging criteria).

That's all there is to it. You can't judge someone who flunks a heat by how they freesurfed yesterday morning, or how they surfed in last month's semi-final.

"Consistency"

If you haven't got it - go find it. Take up the challenge.

Winners practice till they get it right, champions practice till they can't get it wrong.

To be a champion competition surfer you have to work within the competiton system - whatever that system is and however it evolves.

Keep changing and keep evolving the system (its the only way to improve) - but if you can't perform at the required time in the contest area in front of the judges then someone else who can will beat you.

[ross]

i'll probably be shot down for this,but here goes.
to me the best kneeboarders are:
regularly complimented by surfboard riders for their ability.
are known in their local area as great surfer(regardless of their chosen medium.)
get set waves regardless of crowd size
not scared(if they spin around they are going)
make things they shouldnt have
have a place reserved in the lineup of a hollow wave
have a knowledge of what they are riding.

hows that for a criteria?we all know alot of guys who fill it.makes the four wiggles to the beach criteria look lame,i reckon.
hey i know lets have a peer poll!!that might be contraversial!!

[red]

Funny thing Ross,
The top competitive guys fit all your criteria, too