Purists may argue there is no science to walking over rocks. None whatsoever. Especially in a society such as ours, many impoverished folk are barefoot not as a fashion trend nor a protest against fascist shoe brands. They are barefoot simply because they have no choice. Barefoot is second nature; on tarmac, dusty dirt roads, overgrown patches of abandoned land, live coals, freeways (yes, we also have no idea why) and occasionally we guess, Persian carpets
Then there are the privileged folk, for whom walking around barefoot is a matter of personal choice. Not because they don’t actually have a choice. Check out any South African mall during summer. You’ll often find large, sweaty boerseune with a shopping trolley full of meat, booze and boxes of veldskoene (ironically not yet on their feet) casually ambling around with feet laid as bare as a state capture accused’s lifestyle audit.
So yes, people in this country, from all walks of life (see what we did there?! Walks? Comedy gold!) are no stranger to bare feet. Walking around barefoot quite obviously – makes the soles of one’s feet harder than the coolest soul beat. We don’t really know what that means, but feet and beat rhyme and may henceforth be used in a pop song. Anyhow, yup; barefoot means tough feet.
Apparently, being barefoot is good for you.
From a reconnect with nature point of view we think. Also because the less you wear shoes, the less likely your feet (and subsequent footwear) will smell like a male students’ digs after Mexican night. Okay, the downside is bare feet will tend towards the filthy, but they’ll be tough and filthy.
So what has all this nonsense to do with surfing?
Well, if it wasn’t already obvious, at some point we all need to walk across rocks to get to waves. Not every surf break has a sand bottom soft as cotton candy. The days of King Shaka forcing his warriors to prance around barefoot on thorn-strewn grass to harden the soles of their tootises are long over.
And it’s not just walking across rocks to get to the surf. You have to do the reverse post-session. More often than not, mid-session also. You’ve just surfed a wave, only to find yourself high and dry on a random ankle high reef, standing vulnerably like an unco-ordinated scarecrow while a set bears down on you like a bulldozer composed entirely of seawater.
Booties?
Well, surf boots certainly help, but really only take you so far. Many an ankle has been twisted or even broken while racing carelessly over reef, only to trip or be snagged in a hidden hole. All because you were traipsing so recklessly, falsely believing your booties rendering you immune to the needle-like rocks. Sure, surf booties negate the horrendous bite of a reef, but will do nothing to prevent injury from treacherous holes and pinnacles.
However if you, like most of Team Trident, prefer surfing barefoot and connecting properly with your board, the rock walk is an inherent hazard of the surfing game. To tell the truth, most of the time we prefer razor-like rocks and like, mussels and barnacles to say, sea urchins and other venomous sea creatures. So consider yourself lucky if you only need to contend with spines of stones and not spines of stonefish.
Walking over rocks correctly is how to do most things in life. Tread carefully. Find your footing with each step. It’s no use leaping gracefully across the rocks, only to find yourself suddenly surrounded by valleys and peaks of rocks sharper than Trident’s wit.
The worst is mid tide. Low tide, rocks are uncovered and easy to see and navigate. High tide, you can risk an early paddle. Mid tide? The rocks are just covered by water, slippery as a politician’s tongue, while the tide drains or pushes with enough force to make you look like a twitching tikhead crossing the road during rush hour traffic. All this while desperately clutching your precious surfboard.
Booties or barefoot, here’s an old article to consider. You’re welcome.
