The State of Surfing, And I Don't Mean California

As I spent some time on a lazy Saturday watching the Hurley Pro on the internet I was shaken from my complacency by some catch words heard in the commentary. I thought I was listening to a Rhythmic Gymnastics competition where everyone was trying to do a set of required tricks. What struck me was that every surfer was trying to do the exact same moves. If you had a better scored wave you just did bigger tricks.

But what really woke me up was the comment, that prior to the spread of surf videos, South Africans had their own (as if this was bad) style, and now thankfully from watching videos, they surf like everyone else in the world. Oh and the Brazilian's too.. What happened to surfing for fun's sake and individuality?

What's next the Olympics and the Compulsory Program on day 1 followed by the Short Program and then Pairs? Can't wait to see the costumes.