Okay, so I used a little poetic license to whine about the donkeys; the truth is that it would be very rare for someone to take up surfing after 50. I’m 50 and I’ve been surfing for a long time but I can’t imagine what it would be like to start right now. I’m already hitting the Motrin after a 3 hour session.
Besides, our worst offenders are really the skinny guys who are in their late-20s and early 30s. They seem to think a 9’2″ 2+1 popout longboard provides all the entitlement they need to scavenge every ripple there is. Those guys are the worst.
Some of the recently crowned surf divas come in a close second – they’re a nusiance because of the physical hazards they present to everyone around them. That sense of entitlement + their limited skillset puts them in situations they’re not well suited for.
Behind them are older guys (like my brother-in-law) who have given up all pretense of priority and loudly announce that since they’ve been surfing the place forever they’re going no matter who else is already up. I hear that’s real prevalent down at the Shores and at Tourmaline, which is why I never go to the Shores or Tourmaline. I like my brother-in-law, but that’s just wrong.
Me, I just stay off to the side and find the corner less travelled. Life is too short for the hassle factors involved in trying to pretend I’m on the Tour.
