Dear Santa,
I’ve been good this year. I’ve surfed a lot. Almost as much as I could. I’ve been sharing some surfing rules with the people, the community. It’s my way of giving back. Heck, some of the guys and gals are loving how the Rulebook is coming along. I hope you’ll like it. I can’t even remember the last time I snaked someone!
I must admit, I have been sour at times. As you know, I do complain quite a bit about the WSL. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but something about that whole organization rubs me the wrong way. It’s a bad attitude, I know. I could use a bit of a perspective change.
Which is why I am writing you! It’s officially the Holiday season! Ho Ho Ho!
I’ve been thinking about something this year – Black Friday. How is it that companies can sell shit for 30, 40, 50% off or more, and still make a profit? How do they afford this? It must be the fact that we, as a society, are being completely ripped off for the other 11 months of the year. So, we celebrate the sales, load up on useless gifts to give out, pat ourselves on the back, and write you a letter – ney, a list of futile items we wish to receive. Only if we’ve been nice!
Since I’ve had such a positive, uplifting, productive, optimistic year, here is my wish list for you. If you happen to know any other surfers, they might appreciate a few of these gifts as well. My goal for the New Year is to have my gifts last longer than my New Year’s resolutions. I hope you can help with that.
Anyways, thank you for your consideration. Oh, by the way, I moved. I’m sure you knew that. We have more space now, so that new board will fit in here just fine.
NEW BOARD
What could top a new sled for Christmas? You have to go to your favorite local shop to get it. Personally, I’d like a custom Chuck Dent. Maybe like 5’10. Little less than 18 ½. Little less than 2 ½. A blade.
WETSUIT
The water is fucking cold. My buddy said it’s been warm down in Texas, but I think that may be the only spot in the States that you’re not suited up at this point in the year. Some new rubber is always much appreciated. I’m the guy who likes to be warm. Don’t skimp on the thickness. I don’t give a shit about how flexible the suit is, they’re all pretty good nowadays. So just keep me warm. And none of that smoothskin please. It gets all over the wax on my board.
FINS
In the past, I’d ride one set of fins for years on end. They work, right? Don’t fix what ain’t broken. I’ve since learned that testing out your equipment can only benefit you. You find that different templates and flexes make your board react differently, in different parts of the wave, on different maneuvers. You can tune your strings to your liking. It’s a much better route. A selection of fins is really nice to have.
LEASH
I’ve gotten and given leashes as Christmas gifts for years. I may not need one right now, but I can definitely swap out in a month or two.
SUNSCREEN
I’m not a huge proponent of sunscreen. I’m more of a conspiracy guy on that front. That’s neither here nor there – it’s a personal thing. Everyone uses sunscreen. I like to have some on me in case I’m feeling lucky.
CHANGING MAT
Whether you’re changing on the beach, in a field, in a paved parking lot, your own backyard, basically anywhere you get out of your wetsuit, there’s probably stuff on the ground you don’t want on your suit. The mats are very clutch. I currently stand in a bucket to change, and my feet hurt every single time. I need a mat.
REPAIR KIT
I remember the first time I got a ding repair kit for Christmas I was surprisingly stoked. It sat in my room, forgotten about, for years. This gift can be given sparingly. It’s not for the lazy surfer. Some people will really enjoy it. Myself included.
WAX
The classic. Can never go wrong. Unless you buy warm water. That’s a bonehead move.
FIN WALLET
Again, once the surfer in your life matures and starts their fin collection, they’ll want some storage. I used a ziplock for a year or so. They rip and just look bad. Grab a wallet.
PICKLE
For a while in my grom days, I thought it was cool to have as much wax layered and caked on my board as possible. I thought I was showing off how much I surfed. I then realized how much extra weight was added, and how cool it looked for the pro’s to be surfing boards that looked like they didn’t even have any wax on them. Now I change my wax once a week. The absolute best way to get your board as clean as possible – let it sit in the sun, wax comb (or blade, or whatever tool), and then pickle. I used to do paper towels – what a waste. These things are so clutch. Get one.
COFFEE
It’s a gift for everyone. Similar to wax, you really can’t mess up with this one. Just maybe don’t go for some exotic Laird Superfood Mushroom coffee. My wife got me that, and it kinda freaked me out. Took me about a month to get around to trying it. It’s a good gift.
SUNNIES
I wear sunglasses, but I’ve got a conspiracy about ‘em. It’s for another time. They’re a basic necessity for a surfer, and you can grab a decent pair for under $50. Everyone’s got some, but not everyone has backups.
See you soon,
hwilsin
Drew Stanfield