It's been a brutal winter but there is light at the end of the snow tunnel. This morning we sprang ahead and in tribute to the warmer months I put together this little video of my friends and I mucking around in the less than perfect waves of NY/NJ last year. As you will see, this is not a shred flick. It's very home movie style with not so good waves and average surfing. But I like to believe there is something novel in watching this kind of surfing, something approachable, reasonable, and down right get-you-a-bit-stoked-able. The song is by the krautrock jam band CAN off of their album Ege Bamyasi.
Mid-winter vid stoker
As promised, I'm posting a little video I made from a nice day of surf back in November or December. I cannot remember which month it was. It was the first Nor'easter swell that rolled through and the first really cold day of surf we've had. I'm riding a 5'7" handshape by Joe Falcone. Joe's got a new website up so check him out at http://www.falconesurfboards.com. He's got a shaping lineage that you wouldn't believe and skills to show for it. I was there for the whole shaping process and even got to put my hand on it with the paint brush before it went out to Faktion Surfboards to get a sweet glass job. Mark at Faction has also been shaping Conatus Surf Clubbers some really beautiful eggs. I've been delivering them to Brooklyn on my drives down from Cape Cod and the people are stoked. Loving the local shaping out here in NY! Enjoy the vid. And stay warm out there!
Happy New Year!
I’ve been on a long blogging hiatus over here at Conatus Surf Club. Winter. Holidays. PhD catch up. Lack of gumption. Surfing. Excuse time over. Just wanted to pop in to let you know all is alive and well here. We had a stellar first season* operating in New York. Lots of happy clients. Lots of improvement. Got some new equipment. Especially excited about the Malwitz Surfboards 8’8” egg—perfect for smaller people and advanced beginners. Tried a bunch of different wetsuit brands. At this very moment Ripcurl and Nineplus are out in front and Billabong is at the bottom of the pile. In pure surfing terms, we had a pretty killer fall here on the East Coast. Gonzalo was by far the swell of the season, producing perfect barreling waves in New Jersey two days in a row. Certainly expert only stuff, as is the case in any hurricane swell situation, but there were plenty of small perfect fall days to be had too.
And now we’re in the real thick of winter. Winter storm Juno just passed through and by the looks of it some truly diehard winter surfers seriously scored some epic blizzard barrels. I scored too, but not here on the East Coast. A week before the storm, I flew to CA to my hometown and break to spend quality time with my family and friends. I surfed every day and worked on papers every night. My dad got some great shots of my friends and I, a few of which are posted below. In the next few weeks I plan to post some more pics, a little video I made, a book review, and updates about what to expect in the upcoming season.
Cruising through the pocket on an old school single fin.
Photo: Richard Mattison
Layback lookback.
Photo: Richard Mattison
*As many know, I’ve been teaching lessons for quite some time, but this was the first season I’ve done so under the official name Conatus Surf Club. It was also the first year of this website.
Dion’s Picks: Wetsuit Quivers for Women and Men
The answer to the question, “What wetsuit do I need to buy to surf in New York?” is always, “Any and all of them.” With water temps that vary from 35 degrees in the freezing heart of winter to 75 degrees in the searing center of summer (which is kind of right now), New York is the wetsuit industry’s wet dream. It’s not like Northern California where you basically always wear a 4/3mm fullsuit because the water temps there hover in the 50-58 degree range all year long. On any given day from June-October in New York you'll see a variety of combos out in the water. Some people will be in fullsuits, while others are in trunks, springsuits of varying sleeve and leg lengths, short johns, long johns, vests, and jackets.
If you have to pin it on a number of suits to own in New York, I’d say you’re pretty covered at four. Below I’ve come up with two ideal four-wetsuit quivers—the first for women; the second for men. I’ve listed them in order from warmest water to coldest.
***I have no brand loyalty or affiliation. These suggestions are solely based on personal taste. I buy all my suits online and go off of sizing charts. If I have a question about sizing I call the company or go to a surfshop to try them on.
Star student Miranda in her stylish new Cynthia Rowley.
Womens
1. Kassia Meador 2mm cross-back shortjohn. Kassia’s whole collection for Roxy is fashion-
forward, fun, and functional. It’s designed by one of the world’s best longboarders and women surfers, so what else would you expect? This suit is designed for the warmest times of the year.
2. Cynthia Rowley 2mm L/S Springsuit. I didn’t know about these until a student of mine picked up a really cool one at Saturdays NYC. She thought these long sleeve, short leg spring suits were a fun and classy option for avoiding terrible tan lines and still staying warm and stylish in temperate water (July-Sept). They also have a really cool key pocket for storing car keys, zipcard, or beach pass.
3. Ripcurl Dawn Patrol 3/2 Fullsuit. Stoked that Ripcurl resurrected their original logo. A great suit for fall and late spring. The blue colorway is super rad.
4. Xcel Xfinity Hooded 5/4 Fullsuit. For the hardcore who plans to surf year round. Xcel leads the way in cold water surfgear and this plain jane full suit will take you warmly through December, January, February, March, and on into April--by which time you’ll be praying for the water to warm up again!
Mens
1. Nineplus 2/1mm retro jacket with backzip. The 2mil jacket is the ultimate summer ‘suit’. It keeps your upper body warm and protects you from sun while allowing free movement in trunks. I love the Yamamoto Rubber the Nineplus folks use on these.
2. Billabong Tyler Warren 2mm S/S Fullsuit. Ok, I’m a nut for retro styling. I think it’s the deep-seated anti-jock nerd in me that prefers suits with a simple design and minimal logos that don’t scream, “Hey I’m a gear-head!” I understand that it might proclaim, “Hey I’m a hipster!” instead, but there you have it—my cards are on the table—I have an unapologetic love for retro inspired suits like this one Billabong put together with Tyler Warren, surfer/shaper/artist/longboard-and-shortboard-ripper. Oh and if you’ve never worn a short-sleeve fullsuit you’re in for a treat. My friend Sam says it’s like surfing naked.
3. Ripcurl Flashbomb ZipFree 3/2 Fullsuit. Echoing what I said for the women’s Ripcurl suit—long live Ripcurl’s original logo! Totally digging the mesh of high performance modern technology with throwback styling. This suit will get you through October and November and will be ready to go again May-July. And heck, some people (the wimpy variety) wear 3/2 fullsuits June-October, i.e., the whole summer.
4. Xcel Drylock Hooded 5/4 Fullsuit. Here’s where I move to the middle ground. This is a nuts-and-bolts winter suit that will please jock and hipster alike. No fringes, no frills, all black, all warm, and a SIMA winner year after year. You won't stand out in this suit, except for the fact that you may be able to stay out in the water longer than everyone else.
Style Heroes--Derek Hynd
This week’s style heroes post is dedicated to the legendary Derek Hynd, a quixotic fellow with an against-the-grain approach who tells it like it is--a combination that equals possibly the smoothest and most aesthetically pleasing wave jazz you’ll ever see. What Derek does best is draw fast and simple lines. He's a genius at maximizing a wave’s speed pockets and avoiding unnecessary movements.
Photo by Murray Fraser of SproutDaily.com.
I first became aware of Derek while poring through the world tour reports he wrote for Surfer Magazine in the 1980s and 90s. His writing was utterly astute and uncompromising in its analysis of professional surfing, though I didn’t appreciate it till I learned to read the articles as well as drool over the photos. At that time Derek’s surfing was already legendary in the minds of those in the know, but to a banana-rocker-board-obsessed grommet like me, he was just some cynical and witty writer guy who had spent some time on the tour when I was in diapers.
Then Andrew Kidman’s seminal film Litmus came out in 1996 and wabam! Derek’s part at JBay blew my mind. He rides a variety of boards the way they were meant to be ridden: high lines, grab rail cutbacks, and hip jiggles on the keel fish; soul arches, under the lip slashes, and the amazing frontside lay-back on the gunnier boards; and tai chi cross stepping on an 11’ glider. My approach to surfing changed in direct response. I was already clued in to the subtle and graceful lines of Rob Machado and Tom Curren when Derek made concrete the fact that smooth surfing on a variety of equipment was the epitome of the kind of surfing I wanted to do and the kind of surfer I wanted to be.
As luck would have it, I got to meet Derek a few years ago. He showed up in New York to talk story with Jamie Brisick at Pilgrim Surf + Supply, especially about his current turn to finless surfing after losing an eye. We hit it off immediately and set up a surf mission for the next three days. We were joined by Manly photographer Murray Fraser and a few other surf buddies. During our drives Derek told us stories of growing up in Sydney and his time on the pro tour. We had in depth discussions about the state of professional surfing and agreed that the format could really use some work (to say the least!). The icing on the cake of this hero-meeting adventure was on the third day, when we scored the best waves I’ve ever surfed in New York. Derek was on most of the best set waves and also snuck into some of those inside gems I’m always raving about on Instagram (the really good waves that mostly go unridden because no one sees them).
Those keen on developing a smooth style can take cues from Derek’s approach. This doesn’t mean we all need to jump on the finless bandwagon (I haven’t done that yet), but we can incorporate some of the movements Master Hynd demonstrates in his practice. I love his ability to alternately stay low and extend his body, and how he holds his hands and moves his feet. The poetic stillness and radical expression in Derek’s surfing—as if he’s listening to the wave and speaking through it—makes him a true style hero.
More on Derek:
Encylopedia of Surfing Entry
Jamie Brisick on Derek Hynd
April 2014 Surfer Magazine Article
Pilgrim Surf + Supply Article
Inertia Interview
Derek in Surfers Journal
Litmus on Surf Network
Surf Fitness
After lessons and paddle camps a lot of people have been asking, “How do I train for surfing when I can’t get to the beach?” Personally, I’ve never been one to go to the gym to work out. Surfing has been my exercise for the majority of my life. But as I get older I’m learning that surfing alone is not enough to stave off injuries. In fact, I’m finding that surfing, if not augmented by other wellness and fitness practices, can be the cause of a variety of joint and tendon injuries, mostly to the knees, hips, and shoulders.
These days there isn’t a pro surfer without a personal trainer or who has not designed his or her own surf-focused personal fitness regime. Just follow the top 49 pro surfers on Instagram. Kelly Slater posts pics of his largely plant-based diet; Sally Fitzgibbons documents her runs; and it’s not uncommon to see pics of indoor training facilities by shredders like Courtney Conlogue and Nat Young. Everyone in the surf world has caught the fitness bug. Being fit, flexible, and mindful helps you avoid injuries and surf better, at any level.
There are many upshots to this new trend, but I think one of the best is that these pros and their trainers are coming up with a variety of surf specific practices that a lot of other people in the fitness and wellness industry are blind to. And they’re creating videos and apps so that the rest of us have access to this information.
Here are my top two favorite surf exercises*, with links to some surf-focused fitness sites:
Holding “plank.” This is the basic pose in Vinyasa Yoga between Downward Dog and Upward Dog (via the pushup) where you’re holding your body like a “plank”. It can be done on your hands or forearms. The goal is to get your body in as straight a line as possible without sagging or arching your lower back and butt. This activates your whole core and works on both your front and back abs. The back abs are crucial for all things surfing—paddling, popping up, duckdiving/turtling, sitting on the board, and riding the wave. Do plank multiple times a day and see how long you can hold it. Men’s Journal has an article on plank here. Another useful link from Greatist is available here.
- Surfer pop-ups or surfer burpees. Practicing the pop up (or glide-up as the case may be) at home can fast track your surfing success. Top surfing fitness pros agree that surfers of any ability level can always improve in this area. Simply lay down on the floor, put your hands in pushup/pop up position (thumbs pointed towards nipples, index finger pointed straight forward) and pull/push/twist yourself into your surfing stance (right foot forward for goofies and left foot forward for regulars). Start with 10 a day and move up to 20 or 30. Also good to do in front of a mirror to check hand and foot placement.
Links:
Wes Berg and Joel Parkinson’s Pro Surf Training
Johnny Gannon and Taj Burrow’s Surf Fitness TV
Paul Hiniker and Taylor Knox’s Surf Fit
Rochelle Ballard’s Surf Into Yoga
How to Stay Fit on Surfer Magazine
Kai “Borg” Garcia’s Volcom Training Program,
and Kai on getting and staying clean (pretty inspiring)
Chris Mills the Surf Strength Coach and an article in the Inertia on surf shoulders.
I also recommend the videos by Beach Body (P90X and T25, etc.). You have to be careful with these, though, because they're intensive and you can get injured without proper supervision.
*No matter what your regime, it's important to get in a least one session with a personal trainer or yoga instructor to make sure that you're doing the exercises properly. Find out your particular weak spots and go easy.