What even is style? And can you intentionally develop it in your surfing?

I realise this may be another controversial topic because “style is subjective & you can’t teach style" as they say, but here’s some thoughts on how to develop your own style…

First of all, what is style?

According to a definition I randomly found on the internet, it’s “a confident, effortless manner or technique”.

Confident. Effortless. Technique.

Sounds about right to me.

But how do we develop a style for our surfing?

Well, I believe it’s part technique, part inspiration, & part personality & can be part of every step of your surf journey. Let’s explore…

🎨 Technique

In my opinion, this is the first step of surfing with style – learning how to do something & doing it with relative confidence, control, & ease.

Much like a painter learns to use their brush, paints, etc, you need to learn the correct techniques for surfing too.

As you get better at whatever it is you’re learning, you’ll start to do it with more confidence, control, & ease which will already look more stylish than fumbling about like we all do early on when learning something new.

Then, you can start bending the rules a little, put your own spin on things, or find new ways of doing things.

✨ Inspiration

Similar to other art forms (yes, to me surfing is a form of art), I believe you can draw inspiration from other surfers you admire & incorporate it into your surfing.

Just be sure to draw inspiration – not mimic – because that’s when things can start to look forced & unnatural.

💃 Personality

Embrace your individuality. Draw inspiration from others, but allow your own personality to shine through. Draw inspiration from others, but allow things to unfold naturally in your own way. Draw inspiration from others, but do your own thang.

Because that’s when things will look natural & effortless.

It reminds me of this Dr. Seuss quote I love:

💭 today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is You-er than You.

Embrace it 🙌

💬 Whose surfing do you draw inspiration from?

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🙋 Looking for more personalized advice? Try a video analysis or 1:1 mentor session with yours truly