Pro surfers – are they needed?

Pics: ESPN, Extreme Life

The professional side of surfing can be real Marmite for many riders. We totally get it. Screams of ‘sell out’ and suggestions the whole industry side of the sport goes against the grain and what the simple act of wave riding is all about have been commonplace for years.

Hit up social media streams and associated websites and you’ll struggle to move for pro related articles, stories and videos. Competition reports, travel features of far flung exotic waves that XXX rider recently scored are everywhere – it’s easy to miss the wood for the trees.

And yet, the professional side of the sport is a necessary evil, if you want to describe it that way. For sure most of what these guys and gals do is a million miles away from our everyday surfing. But there does need to be a benchmark level. An idea of what’s possible. Kids in particular need aspirational/inspirational roll models to give stoke in between bouts of shredding and provide direction for progression. We as elder statesmen and women can do our bit but there’s more than one way to skin a cat – so the saying goes.

And it’s not that different for adults. We bet that even those staunchly against pro surfing will hit up edits from their heroes to get those juices flowing from time to time – even if it’s abandoned shortly after.

Let’s not forget the equipment side of surfing as well. Without those wave riding athletes (another dividing term), who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, we wouldn’t be in the privileged spot we currently are.

Shapers, designers and foam mowing wizards work with pros to determine how equipment should be. And just because it works for the sport’s elite doesn’t mean it isn’t transferable to our needs. In fact, kit developments all filter down through the levels and directly affect the sleds we all use. And it’s not just surfboards either. All surfing kit is affected by testing and equipment development done in conjunction with pro rippers. We’re not ashamed to admit here at NCW we utilise our team rider network and tweak gear based on their opinions and feedback.

With surfing having now become part of the Olympic roster it’ll be interesting to see if wave riding acquires another injection of fans who go on to take up surfboard arms. We totally understand the line ups of the world are getting ever more crowded, and many will tell you additional numbers of ‘kooks’ in the line up aren’t needed. Yet it’d be worth considering that not everyone wants to steal your waves and cause friction in an established pack. Most surfers are incredibly courteous, abide by the rules and just want to have fun in the ocean.

So maybe the professional realms of surfing aren’t for you – in which case no worries. For everyone else this area of the sport will continue to wow audiences and provide stoke for many years to come.