Let’s Get Semi-Serious
New year’s resolutions; do ya have ‘em? I’m not too huge on them for my personal life but maybe it’s time to have some for surfing. Other than bringing back my cool look from 12 years ago (refer to the right) I have a few surf specific resolutions.
If you’re semi-serious about it like myself, there’s an acronym from college I remember that can be used as a guideline. SMART. It stands for specific, attainable, relevant and timely. It’s a fun model to put your potential resolutions up against. For example, maybe a surf resolution of yours might be to catch more waves. That’s a pretty general and a more specific one would be to catch at least 10 waves an hour when surfing your longboard at the reef. That example may sound a bit geeky but if you want some measurable progression, it takes some thinking outside the box.
To get your brain moving on this topic, here are a few examples I have come up with for beginners, people who have had a few lessons or those starting to confidently catch unbroken waves.
Practice with purpose; with passion!
To get more comfortable surfing in crowds by summer
To get to my feet quicker on my shortboard
Stop using my knee in my popu/takeoff, on green waves on my shortboard
Stand up on 7/10 of the waves I paddle for in the white water
Here are a few of mine:
Finish 80% of waves I surf on my short board. Instead of flying over the back of the wave with a semi perfected half-pike dive or graceless belly flop, adding a little exclamation point to the ride with a turn or float an end section boosts the buzz just that much more.
Attempt a Cheater 5 take-off on my longboard at least twice a session. I love the way Corey Colapinto does it.
15 dawn patrols in 2022. While surfing in Halifax I have seen some amazing sunsets in 2021 but too few sunrises. In 2022 that’s going to change.
You’ll notice my 2022 new year’s resolutions don’t all follow the SMART guidelines 100%. It’s a suggestion that you can have fun with and make your own. Whether you're surfing in Halifax, the Great Lakes or in tropical tubes: try it out and see what you can come up with. Happy new year and see yew out there.
