Surfing is inherently something uncontrollable. Unless you’re Poseidon himself, you can’t pick and choose when you’ll have decent waves, or favourable winds, or balmy water temperatures, or uncrowded surf, or car guards armed with semi-automatics patrolling the car park with a steely glare. Cue – superstitions.
Purely rational thought.
There’s clearly a bunch of you that have no superstitious nature whatsoever, and that’s fine. This is not the article for you. Rather go and read something purely rational; like a lego instruction booklet or an actual, old-school hard copy dictionary. However, if you’re anything like Trident you may just have even the faintest belief in certain rituals, or signs, or omens and portents both good and bad. When some weathered old salty ballie with skin like dried seaweed and eyes like bleeding calluses says something like: “check, clouds are moving west – waves are coming”, consider that a small smidgen of superstition. (Ed’s note: Hey, if you read surf charts and actually believe it when they indicate waves – consider yourself a new-age superstitious flake.)
Superstitions in a surf context boils down to doing certain things consistently in the vague and slightly desperate hope it allows for good surfing on a given day. Anything wrong with that? Nah. Unless it involves ritual sacrifice or blood pacts, go ahead and do the slightly OCD things you believe will ensure good waves. In certain traditional sports, athletes have lucky socks or er, lucky jock straps – assumedly chemically bonded with their skin. So why shouldn’t surfers feel the same about lucky charms? Of course, if said charm is parts of the preserved corpse of one of your ex’s, well… Trident disapproves to put it mildly.
surf wax america” by katiew is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
Everyone has rituals.
Trident reckons a surfer’s superstitious ritual could be something as inoccuous as trying to always park in the same spot at your local, or putting your wetsuit on right leg – or left leg – first. Perhaps it’s something less tangible, like waxing your board anti-clockwise or having a certain song play while you suit up. Maybe it could be something utterly harmless, like always using the same coffee thermos or water bottle. Perhaps it’s something slightly on the gross side, like only ever surfing in the same grotty, mouldy underpants you’ve worn under your wetsuits since you were 14, when you got that sick barrel and needed to ensure every surf thereafter would be as good. Still beats a jock strap encrusted with Neptune knows what in our humble opinion.
“Black cat” by @Doug88888 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Maybe your personal ritual is something truly out there like rocking up every surf with a trombone, standing on the deck and belting out Surfin’ Bird in the rock-solid belief it’s an effective wave calling sound.
Perhaps your own superstitious foibles don’t apply pre-surf, but rather in the water. Trident has an undisputed personal one: don’t let your first wave be any good, otherwise it’ll be the best wave you have all session. This is more sound advice than personal superstition, but hey, don’t believe us at your peril. Trident certainly has seen more bizarre beliefs, like chanting in the sun’s direction to call waves, or putting your leash around the wrong foot. Or around your neck or genitals.
Kelly Slater has his water splashing thing he does with his hands. Perhaps his action is pure hokum, but the man has won 11 World Titles so…
