Competition Surfing
Ahhh, yes, the much loved surf comp. Whether the prize is $50,000 at Pipe or a trophy at your local club presentation, we all love to get good results. Here's how to do your best in competitive situations.
The standard competition set up consists of a judging tent, officials/judges, a heat/scoreboard where the official will put up times, competitors and scores, surfers, supporters, a contest area, and three coloured flags.
There are three flags used during a competition and each flag change will be signalled to the surfers by a horn, whistle or hooter.
Green flag - This is to signal the start of your heat. You may now proceed to catch waves and be scored on them.
Yellow flag - This signals you have five minutes left in your heat. The competitors from the next heat will paddle out and sit to the side until the red flag.
Red flag - The heat is over. It's time to come into shore on your tummy. Any waves after this will not be scored.
A ride will be scored when the surfer gets to their feet and takes their hands off the rail.
To gain maximum points, a surfer must execute manoeuvres cleanly and with power in the pocket (closest to the breaking part) of the wave.
The waves will be scored from 1-10, taking into account the conditions and differentiating between each wave to determine a clear ranking of competitors.
Surfers may be penalized for dropping in or interfering with another surfers wave.
Each surfer may catch up to a certain amount of waves and will be scored for their best two rides.
The surfer with the highest combined score from these two waves is the winner.
Act appropriately. Be fair, courteous and show some self-control. This means no abuse, distracting or bullying. Let your surfing do the talking.
Respect the officials' decision. Even if they couldn't judge their way out of a paper bag (this does happen on the odd occasion!), there's nothing worse than gaining a reputation as a bad tempered competitor. If you require more explanation, ask politely and listen. You can often gain valuable insight into your surfing from their tips and comments.
Keep your equipment in good condition.
Make sure there are no sharp edges, dings are either repaired or taped over in a worst-case scenario. Make sure your board has enough wax and your leg rope is applied correctly.
Don't be afraid to pull out.
There's no shame in stepping down if it's ridiculously big; it certainly beats putting yourself into a dangerous situation.
If you have friends or family coming, make sure they are supportive of all competitors.
I have seen some shocking Mums and Dads trashing other competitors, as well as their own children. Not a good look and it makes everybody else angry.
Get up early. If you're not already excited, at least you've got time to prepare. Get as much as you can ready the night before, and get a good nights' sleep.
Eat a good breakfast. Porridge, fruit or cereal. If you can only stomach something light go for a muesli bar. Drink heaps of water.
Watch the surf. Identify rips, sweeps and sandbanks. Check out the wind and swell directions on the net, or ask the lifeguards.
Watch others. Observe where they are paddling out. Also look for where the best waves are within the contest area.
Go for a free surf beforehand. This lets you get a feel for the waves on the day. You won't have to spend valuable time paddling round to find the right spot.
Check when you're on. Have a look for when your heat is. If it's one of the first, get yourself ready! If not, use the time to watch the other surfers. See what manoeuvres and approaches to the surf are working. Where is the best spot to sit out there? If family and friends are there take the time to chill out with them.
Try not to freak out. Contrary to what Billy Madison says, "Peeing your pants is NOT cool!" Well, not before you get in the water, anyway. A competition may seem scary, but try to dumb it down: it's a 20 minute heat and you only have to get two waves. The other stuff is what you build it up to be in your head.
Amp up. I'm a huge music lover so I believe in playing some loud tunes you love to get you in the mood. I'm a rock chick so I like Foo Fighters, Muse, Switchfoot and Rage Against The Machine if it's big. If it's tiny, something a bit more mellow and fun. Whatever floats your boat, really!
Take a few deep breaths before you go in. Calm down and get yourself in the right head space. Go out with a good attitude and you will enjoy the experience far more.
Take your time paddling out. You don't want to waste all your energy straight away.
Be picky. When I first started I would go for wave after wave and the more tired I got, the worse my style. You're better off waiting for a couple of nice ones.
...but not TOO picky! By the same token, if you've only got one or two waves by the time the yellow flag comes up, go nuts! Try to ride the waves in as far as you can for maximum points.
Be nice to your other contestants. Don't put them down. Say 'hi' as you go in, or a quiet 'nice wave' when they come back out. Try not to chat away due to your nerves. Just relax. You're out there to catch a couple of waves.
Enjoy the afterglow. Sometimes nothing goes right in a comp. So just relax, laugh it off and have fun watching the others surf. There will always be more waves.
Article by Kristen Veltmeyer
(contact COTW for Kristen's contact details)
CHOOSING A BOARD
YOUR FIRST SURF
CHOOSING THE RIGHT BREAK FOR YOU
COMPETITION SURFING
ETIQUETTE
NUTRITION FOR SURFERS
The standard competition set up consists of a judging tent, officials/judges, a heat/scoreboard where the official will put up times, competitors and scores, surfers, supporters, a contest area, and three coloured flags.
There are three flags used during a competition and each flag change will be signalled to the surfers by a horn, whistle or hooter.
Green flag - This is to signal the start of your heat. You may now proceed to catch waves and be scored on them.
Yellow flag - This signals you have five minutes left in your heat. The competitors from the next heat will paddle out and sit to the side until the red flag.
Red flag - The heat is over. It's time to come into shore on your tummy. Any waves after this will not be scored.
Heat rules...
A ride will be scored when the surfer gets to their feet and takes their hands off the rail. To gain maximum points, a surfer must execute manoeuvres cleanly and with power in the pocket (closest to the breaking part) of the wave. The waves will be scored from 1-10, taking into account the conditions and differentiating between each wave to determine a clear ranking of competitors. Surfers may be penalized for dropping in or interfering with another surfers wave. Each surfer may catch up to a certain amount of waves and will be scored for their best two rides. The surfer with the highest combined score from these two waves is the winner.
Things to remember at a competition...
Act appropriately. Be fair, courteous and show some self-control. This means no abuse, distracting or bullying. Let your surfing do the talking. Respect the officials' decision. Even if they couldn't judge their way out of a paper bag (this does happen on the odd occasion!), there's nothing worse than gaining a reputation as a bad tempered competitor. If you require more explanation, ask politely and listen. You can often gain valuable insight into your surfing from their tips and comments. Keep your equipment in good condition. Make sure there are no sharp edges, dings are either repaired or taped over in a worst-case scenario. Make sure your board has enough wax and your leg rope is applied correctly. Don't be afraid to pull out. There's no shame in stepping down if it's ridiculously big; it certainly beats putting yourself into a dangerous situation. If you have friends or family coming, make sure they are supportive of all competitors. I have seen some shocking Mums and Dads trashing other competitors, as well as their own children. Not a good look and it makes everybody else angry.
On the day...
Get up early. If you're not already excited, at least you've got time to prepare. Get as much as you can ready the night before, and get a good nights' sleep.
Eat a good breakfast. Porridge, fruit or cereal. If you can only stomach something light go for a muesli bar. Drink heaps of water.
Watch the surf. Identify rips, sweeps and sandbanks. Check out the wind and swell directions on the net, or ask the lifeguards.
Watch others. Observe where they are paddling out. Also look for where the best waves are within the contest area.
Go for a free surf beforehand. This lets you get a feel for the waves on the day. You won't have to spend valuable time paddling round to find the right spot.
Check when you're on. Have a look for when your heat is. If it's one of the first, get yourself ready! If not, use the time to watch the other surfers. See what manoeuvres and approaches to the surf are working. Where is the best spot to sit out there? If family and friends are there take the time to chill out with them.
Try not to freak out. Contrary to what Billy Madison says, "Peeing your pants is NOT cool!" Well, not before you get in the water, anyway. A competition may seem scary, but try to dumb it down: it's a 20 minute heat and you only have to get two waves. The other stuff is what you build it up to be in your head.
Amp up. I'm a huge music lover so I believe in playing some loud tunes you love to get you in the mood. I'm a rock chick so I like Foo Fighters, Muse, Switchfoot and Rage Against The Machine if it's big. If it's tiny, something a bit more mellow and fun. Whatever floats your boat, really!
You're up!
Take a few deep breaths before you go in. Calm down and get yourself in the right head space. Go out with a good attitude and you will enjoy the experience far more.
Take your time paddling out. You don't want to waste all your energy straight away.
Be picky. When I first started I would go for wave after wave and the more tired I got, the worse my style. You're better off waiting for a couple of nice ones.
...but not TOO picky! By the same token, if you've only got one or two waves by the time the yellow flag comes up, go nuts! Try to ride the waves in as far as you can for maximum points.
Be nice to your other contestants. Don't put them down. Say 'hi' as you go in, or a quiet 'nice wave' when they come back out. Try not to chat away due to your nerves. Just relax. You're out there to catch a couple of waves.
Enjoy the afterglow. Sometimes nothing goes right in a comp. So just relax, laugh it off and have fun watching the others surf. There will always be more waves.
Reflect
Whether it's celebrating a win, learning a new manoeuvre or what not to do, you always come out of a competition knowing something else. And that's what surfing is all about.Article by Kristen Veltmeyer
(contact COTW for Kristen's contact details)
CHOOSING A BOARD YOUR FIRST SURF CHOOSING THE RIGHT BREAK FOR YOU COMPETITION SURFING ETIQUETTE NUTRITION FOR SURFERS
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