As easy as 1, 2, 3.
Another competition season gets underway as the pros converge upon southeast Queensland with both Quik and Roxy Pros on the Goldy, as well as the Noosa Festival of Surfing on the Sunny Coast. I thought it only fair to give them a few tips on how to fit in.
Don’t drop in.
You get paid to travel and surf some of the best waves in the world. Yeah, you totally rip, but you don’t deserve the wave more than me or the next guy who’s getting in a sneaky surf during his lunch break. And if you happen to be surfing Snapper or Noosa and you are a local, chances are you won’t know all the other locals there — you know, those plebs who buy the gear from the companies that sponsor you making your entire career possible? — so you still don’t have any god-given right to drop in.
Be friendly.
I don’t care if you’re having a bad day. Australians are generally a pretty friendly bunch and if you’re in the water it doesn’t hurt to smile and say “g’day.” In fact, I’d say wherever in the world you’re surfing, the nicer you are to the locals the better your day will be.
Gratitude is great.
You know that feeling you get when you’re surfing a secret spot and a bunch of pros rock up on jetskis? Sunday was a lay day for the Quik Pro so the pros were wave hunting and a handful of Hawaiians decided to check out one of the last secret spots on the coast. This could have gone either way, but the boys were all class (they were obviously following steps one and two). When SeaBass got one of the best waves of the day after being called onto it by a local, he paddled up and shook the guy’s hand in gratitude. Everyone was stoked and the world was a happy place.
And that’s it. It’s not rocket science, but damn if it doesn’t seem like some folks really struggle with these three simple steps.
Got any other tips you think would make life easier for the pros?
