rodndtube.com's (OLD) MyPaipoBoards Forums. Reading but no posting on the OLD forums.

[Poobah]

When John Galera told us the length of his board, some alarm bells went off in my head. He's one inch too long for Red Wings competition. According to recent contest rules...

Paipo Board definition: any wave riding device with a core of natural materials that is less than 55 inches (140 cm) long and is used without a leash or skegs.

Doesn't seem fair to me.

[tumak]

Rules, rules, rules...who needs 'em?! My balsa paipo is 60" and that's fine. When I ride it, my head's just a few inches behind the nose, and my knees just hit the back edge of the tail. To my way of thinking, that's perfect. I stand at 6'2". My new balsa paipo is about to enter production...it too will be 5' in length. I think it was our ol' buddy Captain Cook who describes the early Hawaiians' boards as (and I paraphrase...) "roughly as tall and as wide as they are," and that they rode them prone or kneeling. That works for me!
That famous 1890s photo of the Hawaiian standing with paipo in the shallows of Waikiki...how long does that board look to y'all? He's probably sort of a little guy, but the board still looks to be about 5' long. What I like about the real world of paipos is how we all seem to act as the spirit moves us. We've got the Hurricane Fighter Plane, John Galera's beauties, Rod's boards, the Tangandrums, the Hawaiian Paipos, etc...all these wonderful variations on a theme...and we're free!!! Yea!!!
Do we really want the confinement and uniformity of contests? Aren't we non-conformists by nature? Aren't we retro surfing purists who just want personal intimacy with the sea?

[John Galera]

As Tumak points out, paipo riders are soul surfers by nature. We are individuals that ride waves for the pure enjoyment of riding.

But...if they would hold a contest in the best waves, which would be on the North Shore, in the winter, than I would happily make a board within their rules.

Even though I call myself a soul surfer, I think my competitve nature would dominate. But that's just me.

[Nels]

[doc]

In over 36 years surfing, on paipos, kneeboards and whatever, I've never been in a contest. Nor will I. And this sort of nickel and dime, Mickey Mouse* nitpicky nonsense is one reason why.

It's not surfing.

It's sucking up to judges and aping artificial standards of what surfing is. How long your board is supposed to be. How it's supposed to be made. What kind of photo-op moves you're supposed to make.

If ya wanna play that game, you're welcome to it. For me, no thanks. I seem to recall I got into it 'cos it was fun, not to attempt to impress somebody.

doc.............

( *soon to be Mickey Comcast )

[Solo]

It`s that same old thing about surfing... is it a sport, an art form or what? Swaylocks has had some good discussions on the subject. Also, currently in Surfermag`s forum:

http://forum.surfermag.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=059158

When I began surfing, part of my attraction to the sea was that I saw it as a welcome freedom, a refuge away from team activities, rules, boundary lines, time limits, screaming competitors, spectators and coaches, etc.

I`ve also never related to the ocean as something to compete against. It seems so arrogant to imagine wrestling with a force of nature! Instead, it`s been most satisfying and efficient to learn all I could through harmonizing, utilizing... experiencing its many moods. Intense challenge and fun! That`s been more than enough for me.

But one thing I`ve learned is that some people have the need to compete for just about everything. Many more are willing to sit as spectators. From such a perspective, competing for waves and displaying the 'best' moves, winning and loosing within artificial limitations... to them, surfing is not really much different than anything else in life.

But it is to me.

[Nels]

I have seen I guess 4 surf contests in my life. I come from what once was a real anti-contest part of California, part of the area which defined "black wetsuit-clear boards" back in the 70's.

#1. 1972 World Contest in San Diego - gone fishing.
#2. A contest at Queens in summer 1973- Can you say "Buttons on fire"?
#3. 1978 Stubbies at Burleigh, the secon year of man on man.
#4. A pro contest at County Line with all the pro stars...maybe 1979-1981. I mean all of the top pros. Except at a foggy County Line instead of Burleigh...

What you get at fairly top level contests is a chance to view current "state of art". It's art pollination via sports. I'm sure there could be some perverted Freudian anal-ysis of this for those so inclined or who have wine (sorry, I'm fresh out. Well, not fresh...ran out over the weekend). At least that's the best of it.

You may notice my contest viewing seems to have petered out with the formal advent of twins/thrusters and a real endless circuit of contests. In my humble opinion standup surfing went rather bland in this time, very repetitive, and the magazines all went monthly so there was rather a lot of oatmeal served. This wouldn't be so much the case with paipos. All comers in our small world could still have the, dare I write it?...gravitas of the old every-two-years World Surfing Championships. Might actually see something new and wild...in a circumstance such as that watching would definitely be half the fun.

However, the "Palooza" style would be my preference. Piggy-back Palooza onto paipo contests?

[John Galera]

I watched the Redwings contest here, I found the "contest" to be less of a competition and more of a gathering of riders with the same love. It seemed to be a chance to view and display the new tools made and used.
The meet was not one aganist mother nature, but a challenge to each rider to show what his talent, design and imagination could produce. There is always one that stands out due to his design and talent, they declare him the winner though I felt all won, and I wished I had entered.

The Hawaiian mentality is something that one would have to experience to truly understand the perspective where paipoboarding in the islands is at today.

I do not to associate this type of contest with the competitive surf contests(pro and amatuer) that abounds here from Nov.-Feb. It is in no way similar. Everyone of those guys who entered the meet still answers the call, that brings us back to the ocean to again become one with the mother nature. Just had a great 4 hour session for the last two days at Daystar in Mokuleia(6-8 foot Hawaiian), philosophy now cones easy! Aloha!

[tumak]

That sounds cool, John. Sounds like an "Expression Session"...a meeting of the minds...and opportunity to communicate and grow, based in a love of the most basic way of surfing with a board. But, the rules thing sounds pretty limiting. I'd love to paipo in Hawaii someday...it'll never happen, though.

[John Galera]

Well, if you or anyone other paipo rider ever do make it, look me up. I'd be happy to share my homebreaks with you! I have plenty of spare boards to ride too.