This is straight from the ASP rule book if they adopt it.
"Surfers must perform to the ASP judging key elements to maximize their scoring potential. Judges analyze the following major elements when scoring waves.
- Commitment and degree of difficulty - Innovative and progressive manoeuvres - Combination of major manoeuvres - Variety of manoeuvres - Speed, power and flow
NOTE: It’s important to note that the emphasis of certain elements is contingent upon the location and the conditions on the day, as well as changes of conditions during the day."

To me; the line degree of difficulty, the same as used in diving, should take into account the straps.

But in a contest at the end of the day, and this is all fact because I've quoted percentages
10% of people are ripped off
20% of people are ripping but just couldn't catch a good wave
17% of people will have a whinge
92% of people will get pissed
75% of people want a different prize to what they got off the prize table
50% of people go away happy and coincidently they are the same 50% that came happy
99% of people will feel like a root
1% of people will actually get a root (they are happy as well)

kiterdan said...

Separate divisons.

I agree. ^^^
It only seems sensible.
But they don't want separate divisions.
By they I mean the strapless guys, the comp organisers and the sponsors.
Why ?
Well that's the big mystery, hey ??
It's probably got something to do with money.
It's always about money.
And they always give the same old excuse of "time restraints".
Maybe if they held a strapless only comp, they mightn't get enough riders.
Maybe they want strapped guys in their comp to just make up the numbers ...
but not win, heaven forbid.
Maybe strapless guys like to ram their religious zeal down the ears of the strapped.
To call them 'training-wheel surfers'.
To slag them off.
Maybe wavekiting comps have become a team game, with two sides ...
Instead of individuals competing.
The strapped team vs the waxed team.
Maybe they like to make it difficult for the judges by placing them in a compromising position.
Maybe wavekiting comps (globally) have reached a deadlock ...
ground to a standstill ...
all over a neoprene strap.
lol.

My dad says straps rule.

sir ROWDY said...

Mask said...

My dad says straps rule.

I would be a bit worried if my dad said strapons rule.

No , thats my mom and my nan.

Considering that only about 20 people actually enter wave kiting comps the question is totally irrelevant.

sir ROWDY said...

KIT33R said...

Considering that ROWDY is gay the question is totally irrelevant.

oohhhh man, I hate it when I miss the deleted posts,

How about we ban all surfing comps,
that way all the show ponys will give up and do something else and it will be less crowded; with all these wanna be a pro people that probably should be going to uni and learning stuff that will one day benefit the whole world a whole lot more than a poxxy competition.

yep fk it. use can all touch.

wotzy77 said...

oohhhh man, I hate it when I miss the deleted posts,

What deleted posts? There weren't any.

It will be interesting to see with better board design at how strapless will improve allot in faster bigger conditions like Margs. Situations where straps atm keep you feet glued at high speed. Marty at Delta is the shaper with the break throughs atm. My bro has towed cyclops and the right unstrapped and paddles 35ft mavs with out straps...so its all possible. Again though its what you are into that dictates your fun at the time.
Check out this paddle in it kinda puts into perspective the piddly stuff online at the end of the day the best talking is done on the water..Enjoy
www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=383895906617

sir ROWDY said...

wotzy77 said...

oohhhh man, I hate it when I miss the deleted posts,

What deleted posts? There weren't any.

oh i gey it. yous were making lame quotes at each other. i thought I might of missed something witty.

I actually agree, I think we should all ride straps now. You have exposed me for riding in waves of no consequence and it has enlightened me. Lets get the straps back on so everyone can throw buckets together.

Just out of curiosity (just so I know for if I want to go ride a wave somewhere with straps) what would be regarded as a wave with consequence?

Sorry to have got you guys so angry. I will leave you with another shot of the wave with no consequence.

Sorry guys,

This is a lame thread! Whilst at Exy recently, myself and a mate both rode a rather decent wave all arvie, can't tell you where it was or it's name but it was breaking head high on the piddlers and over mast high on the bigger sets. It is a wave of serious consequences and commands a certain amount of respect when riding it.

We both rode it unstrapped to begin with and both shared a similar style, a style dictated by the size of the wave and the condition of the faces. Heavily crouched, very fast runs down the line trying to avoid getting clipped in the faster sections and lazy turns on the wave once into a slower section. We were not competing, or trying to out do each other, we were simply testing and measuring ourselves against the waves. Exploring our own style and pushing our limits to see what was possible. It was awesopme and we both came away grinning.

The second part of the session I adopted straps and quad fins. Once I did this my style radically changed whereas my mate Nath continued with the strapless. His style remained the same, again dictated by the conditions and speed of the wave where I was able to get more vertical and stay pretty much in the pocket linking high G bottom turns and mad slashes off the lip.

My point is, we still weren't competing, his style looked great and he was killing it, wave surfing well enough to take the cover of any mag in the world should we have had a camera, but this wasn't the objective. We were soul kiting, this seems to be a lost concept today as riders scramble for cover shots and meaningless trophys that feed ego.

Did I prefer straps over strapless? No! I loved both sessions, each for it's own merits. I loved the thrill of strapless and the ability to be more free and the challenges it brings with it, but I also loved the flow and linking of tight turns in critical sections, the projections in front of the wave from tight turns at the top of the face and the occassional aerial. The control at speed where I could ride as fast as necessary rather than as fast as I could handle.

Surf comps are ridiculous at the best of times as it is so subjective, adding straps and strapless further ridicules the notion that a winner can be found. Wave riding is art, and art is non judgeable in any real sense. The soul dictates the ride and the style, strapped or strapless is for forum junkies to debate. Real surfers ride and don't give a toss about this ....... In fact I want my 30 minutes back

DM

It's like Darren conducted an experiment ... using himself as the guinea-wavepig.
Back to Back sessions,
Ride one strapless,
Ride one strapped ...
And the winner was soul-kiting.
lol.

SOUL KITING.! One thing our mate Rowdy hasn't discoverd yet. one day for sure i hope. but sounds like one of those real competitive types that wants to prove them selves, and worries to much about what the other guy is doing. RIDE THE WAY YOU WANT. and lock the sesh into the memory bank. Such as D.M's day. Mate sounds like an epic day. Nice work. Thats what its all about . I bet the beers tasted good that night........................!!!!!

Zeph said...

Happy days for you Kid...just calm it down with the training wheels talk in the future and we'll be all good

Thats not good enough though, I wanna ride straps and get mad respect by throwin big buckets. I got one problem though, I don't know any waves that have consequence, you have told me this one doesn't so I'm guessing you know one that does. Can you fill us in please so we can all get mad props on forums.