Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Pushing the Shopping Cart

As you can tell, I really like posting video clips. They're fun to make, pretty easy to do and if you post them to YouTube they're archived forever. Here's the down side- you're confronted with the reality of how you actually surf. And that can be really, really heavy.

Above: Mitchell De Jarnett swinging away in Seal Beach.
Photo: Elva De Jarnett

No matter how much you think you're connecting turns or lip smacking or soul arching or whatever- the camera never lies and the more you watch, the more little things start to really bother you. Maybe it's the way you get all knock kneed when you're really scratching for a wave (guilty) or maybe it's the visual proof that even though you think you've just smoothed it up to the nose- you're really a good two feet from the tip (ah, guilty again). It might just be the way the camera adds an extra fifteen pounds (does that wetsuit make me look fat?). The fascination is there, you want to see yourself surf- everybody does, but somehow it's always a little bit of a let down.

Which brings me to my greatest crime: Pushing the Shopping Cart. My buddy Mark dropped this one on me half way through my latest clip: "Hey Ashley, the way you hold your paddle- it looks like you're pushing a shopping cart." What a dagger, jabbed so nonchalantly into the guts of my paddlesurf ego. He was perfectly on target, I do look I'm heading for the door at WalMart. Damn. And the biggest problem with the posted video is there's no hiding it. It's out there. Forever. So go ahead, scroll back and scrutinize my style, see where I'm walking the nose, arms out like some surf zombie. Have a good laugh, I'll be doing the same.

6 comments:

Srfnff said...

Hey John,

Yer bein' too hard on yourself.It's always hard looking at yourself on film or hearing yourself on tape. A trick of the mind.

Your "shopping cart" stance is really very practical. Notice the location of your blade when you're "pushing the cart." High above the crest of the wave...out of the way so it won't catch and slow you down. Very practical and who knows, in future SUP contests that may even be a "move." The Ashely Shopping Cart...ah, 9.9 for that one!

Anonymous said...

this blasted storm is doing us no good when are you going to hit the bay for a little workout?

John Ashley said...

Alright- time to come clean, what's your famous (or infamous) "style hiccup"?

Anonymous said...

John,

you look pretty dam good so I was ease up on yourself, its not easy looking good in a seal outfit.

No issue with the shopping cart but you are going to have to right on one of your videos.

CHeers and we need to get together for a surf.

CHeers

michaelf

Anonymous said...

Damn...and all this time I thought the camera and wetsuit added 30 lbs

John Ashley said...

Arms straight out, it's FrankenSURF: "Must.... make.... it..... to ..... the...... shoulder".

Here's another one, paddle straight up in the air on a couple of cutbacks- "Dude, my daughter is in high school tall flags... you look just like them".

Total heckle fest. But pretty darn funny.

Okay which one of you guy's is brave enough to post a pic or clip... I can't wait!