kneelos in recent edition of Surfing mag

[Tom Linn]

I was in the airport killing time yesterday flippin' thru a surfer mag guest edited by Joel Tudor. In it Joel selects two classic kneelo pics of Rex Huffman and adds the caption, "kneeboards are cool."

Questions- are we about to become the next hot fad cuz super cool retro dude Joel Tudor has endorsed us? Is this when all the money and sponsors and TV coverage finally descends on our little underground cult?

But seriously, did any one else see the pics? Any comments?

[kidrock]

since when did kneeboarders ever give a rat's arse about what the standup community thinks about us?

I'd still like to see the pix, tho.

[Bob]

I just search the posts for the Capt. Kneemo comments, priceless.

"You know where" was good two weeks ago, all week. Not much since. Maybe a day or two but with contest at Steamers, I have kept far to the North.

Now that summer is over I am back to my smaller, more narrow boards. Off the big, wide orange fishy.

[C J Gagner]

what is coolity?

[Bob]

What's this I hear about a women's contest at Swarmis?

And a group vote?

[Bob]

Seriously, though...

Good kneeboarders are fun to watch just as really good long boarders, bodyboarders and standups are fun to watch.

Joel probably meant that really good kneeboarding is cool.

[kage]

the opposite of lamity.

[sf_firestarter]

I don't want to see a bunch of hipsters showing up in skinny jeans and shirts three sizes to small on their fixed gear bikes...

[MWROBERTSON]

Tom,

I finally saw your post. Yes, I saw it and thought it was cool. I love those old shots. How about some new ones. A lot has happened since then.
(frigging understatement of the year!?)

[analbirth]

Who T F is Joel Tudor don't know don't care
BTW anyone who enters a comp, pens a post or posts a pic etc want's recognition, to varying deg. Human nature, not nerracessally a bad thing.

[womble]

Human nature, not nerracessally a bad thing.

Hey come on AB ... that band was shocking.

Now stop listening to that dribble and tell me where you hide all the waves ...

[analbirth]

Womble, just recently you told me to be discreet so which is it? anyway i think you know - up me clacker

[red]

Kneeboarders ARE cool.

• patly because we're an endangered species,
  partly because we DON'T care about mainstream fashion,
  mostly because you can go to any hidden, inaccessible spot on the planet and, when the waves start firing, some grizzled kneeboarder pops out of the undergrowth and rides it like it's their back yard.

What's there to debate? Sponsorship, etc is out of our control. If surf cos decide there's money to be made then we might encounter a windfall, but I wouldn't bank on us seeing too much cash. Best we can do is continue doing our own thing without consideration of what "they" think.[/list]

[Bill F]

What would really be cool is if surfing isn't cool anymore...it is fading. Longboarding is dead,boogie boarding is dead, pro surfing next? I think so.

[womble]

Kneeboarders ARE cool.
patly because we're an endangered species,
partly because we DON'T care about mainstream fashion,

Interesting that ... I was just considering this the other day ... whilst a lot of surfers and people in general ... especially the younger crew ... are quite obsessed with image (again the herd mentality) ... the majority of cripple stick enthusiasts are far removed from worrying about how others view them ... and this is probably why they are kneeboarders ... the very fact that they choose to ride something that is far from mainstream ... because of the practical and exhilarating nature of the craft ... without regard to others perceptions ... for their own enjoyment ... with no need fit in and satisfy or comply with the herd.
To me kneeboarding is more about the feeling I derive from the ride ... and not so much how others consider my surfing ... yes I would like to think that someone watching was impresses (occasionally)... but hey at the end of the day ... they and their opinions don't matter ... if I get a barrel I'm going to enjoy it far more than anyone watching.
Kneeboarding will keep popping up in the mainstream surfing media from time to time ... bask in the glory and move on ... kneeboarders are a rare breed ... marching to the beat of their own drum ... lets hope that never changes ... mainstream you can keep it.