Twenty Million of the Rest of Us

by Brandon Forest
(Davis, CA)

An Average Crowd

Thanks for your site. So many surfing web sites focus on the top 100,000 hotshots in the world, yet there are 20 million of the rest of us.

I have never competed, can't afford to go to Indo or Cabo, and don't have a quiver. I'm an average joe, with an average job, and I'm just a average surfer. I am part of the mediocre majority and we deserve to feel the stoke as much as anyone does. Mediocrity rules, so let's embrace it.

What that means is that we need to be sure that everyone gets their share of the stoke, and that no one is excluded. Having a sharing attitude in the line-up makes it easier to get stoked because you can get it just seeing someone else shred a wave. It also means that we should stand up to localism everywhere. Be polite, but take your share. Below are a few of the commonly accepted rules of surfing etiquette:

1) The person up and riding first that is closest to the breaking part of the wave has the right of way.

2) Don't drop in on someone who is already riding a wave. That doesn't mean you can't share the wave with them. Just don't cut them off to get into the wave or while maneuvering on it.

3) When paddling back out over or through a wave that someone else is riding, move to go behind them. That being said, the person on the wave has more maneuverability that someone paddling out, so try to give them a break whenever possible. Practice good judgment.

4) Keep a positive attitude. Apologize if you make a mistake. Talk to people, but cut the bull and be sincere. If you are involved in a collision or near collision, stop what you're doing to make sure that everyone is okay. Genuine concern for other surfers is part of the stoke.