Re: [Paddlewise] Magazines

>>From my observations of surfing and surfers up here it does not appear to
suit the mass market unless ones idea of the mass market includes sitting
out in the ocean on a board in sub-zero weather searching for the ideal
wave. Of course, maybe things differ in the sunny warm south. As for a
comparison between surfing kayaks and surfing on a board it seems to me that
for sheer excitement the board surfers appear to get more bang for their
buck and time.


   I think here in sunny Southern California surfing does indeed appeal to
what one might define as a "mass market." People here tend to be overly
image conscious. I have known non-surfers to fit board racks on their cars,
and even carry surfboards on top just to look the part. Not to mention that
surf styles in clothing are a very big industry here. These days' corporate
types will even arrange business meeting to take place on the water between
waves. Most of the board surfers I know are also very much into the surfing
magazines. I too will occasionally read them and except for the great
surfing photos I fail to get the appeal. But then the board surfers would no
doubt say the very same thing about the kayaing mags.

   Which brings me to the sport of surfing itself - I consider myself to be
a very avid surfer. These days I surf paddle craft. Surfing is surfing,
despite the tools involved. The big difference between the different styles
of surfing is performance. A sea kayak will surf. A whitewater kayak is to a
sea kayak what a high performance surfing kayak is to a whitewater boat. A
surfboard is just the next step up. While some of the high performance surf
kayaks and waveskis can be pretty fast and nimble on a wave, they still
cannot, and probably never will be able to outperform a surfboard.



Scott

So.Cal.



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