Years ago, board surfing was all about catching a wave and getting a great ride. It was quite the sight to see a surfer catch one and tube it or come streaking down the face of a big wave and stay on for the ride. This is what most people look for when they observe surfing. In recent years, competitive surfing events mainly center around how a surfer can cut up a wave with a short board, weaving back and forth along the crest. Quite boring and really not that fun. I can't even stand watching surfing events anymore because that's all the judges look for --- lots of cutting and weaving. Maybe it's because the waves along the coast are not quite as large as Hawaii and Australia, but, in any case, that kind of riding is not what I would look for or enjoy if I surfed with a board.

Same goes for bodysurfing. For years I have always found the most enjoyment in catching a big wave and gliding down the face of the wave or cutting down and across a wave and getting a great ride. When I first started competing, I learned that the judges looked mainly for how much "spinning" a bodysurfer could do in a wave. What a waste of energy and time! In all my years of bodysurfing in Manhattan Beach, Hawaii and various other spots, I have never seen any bodysurfer "spin" in the waves. Believe me, I've done some spinning and it is not only uncomfortable but it also takes away from the ride. The real art is in catching the wave and gliding either down or across and getting a great ride. This is the rush, this is the thrill.

I recall one of my most memorable days of bodysurfing back in the summer of 1996 at Oceanside Pier at the scene of the World Bodysurfing Championships. It was on Saturday just after most of the heats for the day of competition. The heats were on the north side of the pier and some were still going on but most were over. Many of the competitiors had gone over to the south side of the pier to just relax and bodysurf. The waves had started to increase in size, so a bunch of us were really excited and were taking advantage of the opportunity to catch some big ones. And so there we were -- kicking and catching, shooting out of some big powerful waves, streaking down some nice wave faces, and just having a blast. The waves were unbelievable and it was one of the most enjoyable bodysurfing days of my life. During this time, I did not observe anyone "spinning" in the waves -- that would have been a total waste. Instead, there were lots of beautiful cuts down and across, and I even got my first chance to really "shoot" out of some big powerful waves. Just fantastic! This was bodysurfing.

Many very good bodysurfers do not compete in these annual events for one reason or another. I observed that some competitors were not scoring well for reasons unknown to me, but I do believe that there are some politics involved. I won't expound on the biases that exist toward certain participants; rather, let's just say there are some favorites that the judges like.