The list keeps growing.
There are a lot of other things going on in and around surfing this week, so I’ll get straight to it.
The new addition to the rulebook, Rule Number 22:
DO NOT EVER PADDLE IN FROM A SURF.
Meaning; ride a wave in.
You paddled out there to surf right? Which involves catching waves.. Catch a fucking wave in. Do not make that shameful, embarrassing, miserable paddle all the way in to the beach. If you have the means, ride a wave in.
Sometimes you may be surfing a break that requires a paddle in – say there’s a channel you have to paddle through to get to the reef. A big bay. Whatever. Sometimes there are exceptions. But for the most part, you can ride something to the shore. I don’t even care if it’s on your belly. Do whatever it takes not to paddle in.
A perfect, albeit somber, example of this would be Kai McKenzie, the young Australian shredder who was unfortunately attacked by a shark just recently, severing his right leg. On his gofundme page, the story is shared that he caught a wave in after this tragic event. I don’t know if it was thought out, the wave just happened to be there, if he was trying to catch the wave or not – but the fact stands that amidst chaos like this, if he was able to ride a wave in, so can you.
Kai’s well on his way to the goal on the page. If you have the means to do so, I’m sure every bit of help is much appreciated.
So keep that in mind next time you feel like you are waiting too long for your last wave. When you aren’t sure if you are running late. Just any time you think about turning around and paddling in. Do not do it. It’s in the rule book. Not allowed.
Cheers,
hwilsin
Drew Stanfield