Yeah, they kinda suck. And yeah, anyone who surfs has been one of them at one time or another. Those guys that are in this mode all the time though, they really suck.
I had words (most of them weren't angry) a couple of weekends ago with an old guy on a mal at Mangawhai who fitted cleanly into this category. In the end all he had was the conviction that he was right and that I was wrong. Much to his surprise (I suspect) my detailed explanation of his problematic thinking took rather a lot longer than it took him to express his anger. I felt better after sharing my thinking with him. Good surf too, despite the comp across at the beach.
One of the Piha locals, who always seems to be similarly charged with the conviction of his belief that every wave belongs to him and everyone else is in the wrong, was out at North yesterday. This got me thinking about the time a month or so ago I also had words with him. Much like the old mal-guy at Mangawhai, he was angry, swearing and after that didn't have much more to say. In a similar fashion, I calmly paddled after the grumpy Piha local detailing my thoughts on his problematic thinking, or as I've since come to think of it - more a lack of actual thinking.
After revisiting my rather fond memory of this event, I then got wondering how it might improve the lineup if I was able to explain these concepts too all uninterested parties. Probably it wouldn't make any difference and I would present as even more gratuitously preachy than I already am, but assuming I managed to avoid a fat lip and/or black eye, it might make me feel a bit better. Even if they swear again before paddling off, albeit in a different, perhaps even more imaginative way than before, at least I will have said my bit.
I figure people hardly ever explain to these kinds of guys what's wrong with their attitude. Next time I plan to do it completely calmly. In these past couple of verbal altercations I haven't been fired-up exactly but I'm pretty sure it'll be even less ineffective if I'm all chilled-out while in lecture mode. Assuming I physically survive these encounters I'll endeavour to post the results.
I had words (most of them weren't angry) a couple of weekends ago with an old guy on a mal at Mangawhai who fitted cleanly into this category. In the end all he had was the conviction that he was right and that I was wrong. Much to his surprise (I suspect) my detailed explanation of his problematic thinking took rather a lot longer than it took him to express his anger. I felt better after sharing my thinking with him. Good surf too, despite the comp across at the beach.
One of the Piha locals, who always seems to be similarly charged with the conviction of his belief that every wave belongs to him and everyone else is in the wrong, was out at North yesterday. This got me thinking about the time a month or so ago I also had words with him. Much like the old mal-guy at Mangawhai, he was angry, swearing and after that didn't have much more to say. In a similar fashion, I calmly paddled after the grumpy Piha local detailing my thoughts on his problematic thinking, or as I've since come to think of it - more a lack of actual thinking.
After revisiting my rather fond memory of this event, I then got wondering how it might improve the lineup if I was able to explain these concepts too all uninterested parties. Probably it wouldn't make any difference and I would present as even more gratuitously preachy than I already am, but assuming I managed to avoid a fat lip and/or black eye, it might make me feel a bit better. Even if they swear again before paddling off, albeit in a different, perhaps even more imaginative way than before, at least I will have said my bit.
I figure people hardly ever explain to these kinds of guys what's wrong with their attitude. Next time I plan to do it completely calmly. In these past couple of verbal altercations I haven't been fired-up exactly but I'm pretty sure it'll be even less ineffective if I'm all chilled-out while in lecture mode. Assuming I physically survive these encounters I'll endeavour to post the results.
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