Style
Mat Max posted a very
thought provoking piece on SurfMatters the other day
His question was, "what is aesthetically correct on the mat?"
I commented a couple of times on the
piece but it such an interesting topic
I wanted do a post on the topic as well.
To open it up a bit "What is style?"
The answer seems to be very hard to pin down.
What may be stylish on a mat might look foolish on a body board, a stand up paddler or the latest pro quad.
I don't have answers.
I thought I would pose some questions
in hopes that you would play the home game
and provide your thoughts in the comments section.
Is style a look?
Is style a feeling?
Does stylish surfing begin then end at the waterline?
Does stylish surfing extend up on to the beach?
Does it encompass the commercial goods that one can purchase?
Does style include an attitude as well as a physical posture?
thought provoking piece on SurfMatters the other day
His question was, "what is aesthetically correct on the mat?"
I commented a couple of times on the
piece but it such an interesting topic
I wanted do a post on the topic as well.
To open it up a bit "What is style?"
The answer seems to be very hard to pin down.
What may be stylish on a mat might look foolish on a body board, a stand up paddler or the latest pro quad.
I don't have answers.
I thought I would pose some questions
in hopes that you would play the home game
and provide your thoughts in the comments section.
Is style a look?
Is style a feeling?
Does stylish surfing begin then end at the waterline?
Does stylish surfing extend up on to the beach?
Does it encompass the commercial goods that one can purchase?
Does style include an attitude as well as a physical posture?
I'm not going to throw in any pictures on this post
because it makes a little too easy to say this is IT!
Think about it an let me know.
Comments
You could be the first!!
How stylish!
Then nothing is bad?
Nonsense! I couldn't disagree more.
This how mat surfing has revealed
itself to me:
"There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself."
--Johann Sebestian Bach
For me, style on any surf craft, comes from knowing where to be and how to be one with the wave. You can hang heels all you want; it means nothing (to me) if it looks like you're simply reaching into your bag of tricks in an attempt to get everyone's attention.
I find it stylish when a person connects with the wave and doesn't care whether there's an audience or not.
Riding waves on a mat is a different story. I stop thinking about how I look. Mat surfing can't possible be about an observed "style", since the whole experience is so subtle and interior to the rider. One's style is actually his expertise. Dale nailed it. Eventually, after a lot of practice, the instrument plays itself, and that is something observable, even to the kids on their thrusters.
Tom T
"Mat surfing can't possible be about an observed "style", since the whole experience is so subtle and interior to the rider. "