ALL SURFERS HAVE STYLE, their own distinct style when riding a wave that is. Because surfing is a reaction to a moving mound of water, each of us adapts our body shape and movement in a individual way.
Just like dancers on the dance floor, each reacting a little different to the beat of a song, a surfer can be clearly identifyied amongst a group in the water simply by style alone. Style, is defined by how you stand on the board, what position you hold hold your arms and whether you cruise or power into turns.
What influences a surfer’s style is open to debate. I like to think that surfing is a style of dance, performed by subtle body movements and changes in weight ditribution. While surfing in Bali I witnessed a local surfer carve a truely magestic and powerful cutback by simply raising the toes of his front foot, transferring weight to his heel and then driving the board around with his back foot. Style creating power, mindblowing stuff.
Today, our pictures taken around midday at Gallows in Coffs Harbour, clearly demonstrates differences in style amoung the surfers in the water. Right away I spotted a bloke I had not seen around for a while, his style was a dead give-a-way.
The wind was 10 to 15 knots from the north with a metre of swell, and plenty of peaky lefts and rights along the beach.
This week the swell has been a consistent one and a half to two metres, although at times a little messy.
It is expected to drop slightly, but will hang around for a few more days. It has been good to have to work for your waves after a stretch of small stuff.
Cheers, Noel.
