Stupid Byron hipsters are thinking they are too cool for school again. What a pack of idiots. Not sure I would be straightening out to miss this fellas board if I saw it in my way No leg ropes are fine by me if there is no one else around - when there is a big crowd I think its irresponsible to say the least.




New breed of surfers who refuse to wear leg ropes are not only putting lives at risk but are also dividing the surfing community
JANE HANSEN THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH MARCH 15, 2014 10:00PM

Surfers Duncan McNicol and Justin Crawford don't not wear leg ropes.

THEY are the new breed of surfers ? the ?hipsters? who refuse to wear leg ropes.

And their actions are not only putting lives at risk but are also dividing the surfing community.

Gary Morgan, who has been teaching surfing in Byron Bay for more than 20 years, said it was only a matter of time before being cool meant killing someone.

?It is torpedo world out there, there are no pros to this, it?s all a nightmare and only a matter of time before a disaster,? Mr Morgan said.

The Pass in Byron Bay is one of the most crowded surf breaks where locals, holiday makers, and beginners battle it out for a wave. Loose boards careering through the crowds are a daily event.

?It?s a total hipster thing, but I believe leg ropes should be worn for the safety of everyone,? Mr Morgan said.

?It is torpedo world out there, there are no pros to this, it?s all a nightmare and only a matter of time before a disaster."
Gary Morgan



Pascal Dattler suffered severe head trauma at The Pass when a stray board, whose owner was not wearing a leg rope, smashed into the back of his head fracturing his skull.

After three years of rehabilitation and eight titanium plates in his head, the now 14-year-old is dismayed at the trend.

?There?s heaps out there, it?s just a hipster thing, it?s their own decision but they can hurt so many people,? Pascal said.

Father Thomas Dattler, also a surfer, said he had tried to convert surfers back to wearing leg ropes.

?Whenever I see someone I have a chat, ?why don?t you need a leg rope?? and they say ?I don?t need one, I never lose my board? and I tell them my son got hurt from a stray board, and really for the sake of $40 or $50 and not looking cool, it?s a good idea,? he said.

Surfer Justin Crawford



?The long boarders do it to look cool, its? tradition, old school, but I don?t understand it because sooner or later everyone loses their board,? Mr Dattler said.

Local dentist Mauro Cozzolino recently treated an 18-year-old tourist whose teeth were pushed back after being hit by a board.

?We see it all the time, without a rope, a board can hit anyone. Everyone should be wearing leg ropes, it?s to protect other people as well as yourself,? Mr Cozzolino said.

But 23-year-old Bryon local and professional surfer Duncan McNicol defends his choice to go leg-rope free.

?Leg ropes are dumb, all surfboards were invented without leg ropes, and I?ve never worn one in my life. It?s a personal choice, you don?t need one if you can surf."
Duncan McNicol

?Leg ropes are dumb, all surfboards were invented without leg ropes, and I?ve never worn one in my life. It?s a personal choice, you don?t need one if you can surf, I can go out and be confident I?m not going to lose my board,? Mr McNicol said.

Justin Crawford, another Byron local who goes leg-rope free agreed. ?If you lose your bard, you have to swim and collect it and think about why you lost it,? the 36-year-old said.

Legendary surfer Bob McTavish said he wore a leg rope and it wasn?t fair on everyone else not to.

?I wear a leg rope, they were invented for a good reason and its common sense. It?s unwise in a crowded surf not to wear a leash, it?s unfair on the average person,? Mr McTavish said\

Their attitude sums it up....I would push their board towards the rocks....I even argue and pay out on Eden from dead kooks about it.
He also makes boards where there is nowhere to attach a leggie, will the lawsuit then end with him if some gets badly injured?

With ya mate .... got a particular two Metrosexual weekender blowins who refuse to wear 'em our way .... tombstoning boards are a real worry .... punch thread candidates

Not wearing leg ropes in an area where others can be endangered by the said action is in its self.......selfish! In a sport that is about "sharing the ocean"....sharing the spirit yada yada yada..not wearing a leggie contradicts the very essence of our sport. Should heaven forbid, someone manage to pin a lawsuit on the sport because of the minority action we will all suffer and hence I go back to this not wearing a legrope as being selfish.

I find the argument about "tradition" flawed. Surfing started with no leg ropes...ok and granted!... BUT and it is a big but... also limited crowds, boards were very different size / shape / construction, manoeuvres on the face limited, evolving but still limited!. I would go as far to say the choice of wave / break was also very different. yes i can understand that development of the "leggie" dates into the mid 70's and the sport was moving into the modern territory that we know today and thats the very point.....it was moving and hence the development of a "piece" of equipment for surfing. Imagine Seb Vettel rolling up to todays Grand Prix in Melbourne jumping in his F1 car and stating "I wear a leather helmet because its tradition" "If I crash and need a helmet I should not be out there" and "If I crash...as I walk to pick up the pieces of my car..I can think about why I crashed"

The sport has evolved, in environment, culture, equipment and social demographics. Tradition is great to have a sense of connection to our fore-fathers, love that, however you cannot expect society to "live" in the past. Would you allow for someone to drive a modern motor car with the performance it has and NOT wear a seat belt...no. Although you could argue the car is more responsive, better in safety, better brakes etc, it is also faster and hence reaction time is less and being faster the impact is greater..seat belts ARE cool. For my mind leg ropes are the same, boards have evolved, faster, more reactive etc..leg ropes are cool. (The comparison may be extreme, but not wearing leg ropes is too)

Yes very very passionate about this as I witnessed first hand what happens when a f.in w_ _ k_r looses his board and a 5 year old kid sitting in ankle deep water gets hit...kid was hurt and hurt bad..not cool

rant over....for now!

Kooks...

A very justified rant climber

So if you ever have the pleasure of meeting Duncan McNicol's board out in the water while surfing the pass be sure to relieve the board from the tyranny of its fin/fins before handing it back.
Make sure you let Duncan know that all surfboards were also invented with no fins!

Young Justin's board looks like it's seen it's fair share of dings so he probably wouldn't care less where it goes.

I guess they have the right to surf without their legropes (its not illegal yet) Ted but they also must be prepared to pay the consequences if their board hits someone, personally if their board hit me or one of my kids its going on the rocks. I laugh when I see them down there at the pass they look like a bunch of sickly POW,s. I didnt go anywhere near Byron this summer its a fkn circus really there are so many other better places along this particular part of the coast.

I wonder if they surf rocks spots like Lennox with out a leggie or just sand spots. I just think people need to be more considerate in busy locations. Personally I avoid crowded spots out as a general rule.

Climber..your rant is justified....Surf social T*rds are what these W#nkers are..cool is the rule..but if enough surfers give them **** in the water they might change their attitude.

If you want to live in the 70's...too bad..it's gooooone..or try out for a spot on Blue Pubes [:I

There welcome to come surf Vicco in winter as long as they leave their wetsuits at home with the legropes

Seriously, these guys have to be kidding I started surfing in the time of "no legropes" old mal boards then onto lighter board. In the mal "historical era" you were always bailing away from your board or eskimo rolling so you would't get hit by a stray board & this was at a time when a crowd of 10 on a bank at Manly on a Saturday morning was considered crowded.Or you spent at least half your session swimming & chasing your board. Cannot imagine the havoc, injuries etc & ruined sessions it would be like if every person who's trying to practice his/her airs or lay that Parko rail turn & looses it. Light loose board with 3 or 4 sharp fins washing thru the crowd,****. Just ask the lifesavers how many people the patch up each season from fin chops etc & this is with leggies.
I suppose the inevitable will happen & a child playing or heaven forbid learning to surf will get hit because his parents believe that all surfers wear legropes & they are not on the lookout for loose boards because they have seen surfing on tv & the "pros were leggies" so..! Can only hope these cool rip tear gouge dudes spend most of their time swimming for their boards & not surfing 'cause **** man I was just watching the Snapper comp & funnily enough some of those guys & gals wiped out on take off or didn't complete a manouver & LOST THEIR BOARD!!

i think peoples anger here is with hipsters rather than people who dont wear leg ropes. The media used Byron as a spot to write a story on (what a fitting example) with soo many people and soo many hipsters its bound to hit a sore spot with everyone, which it has.

i persoanlly ****ING HATE LEG ROPES because it enables a **** surfer to go out in places that they wouldnt dare go if they didnt have a legrope. the amount of spastic retards i see out the back of the pass on a 6ft day flopping around in the water, dropping into waves with no chance of making. IF for arguments sake they didnt have a legrope on and they lost their board, they may come back again or more than liklely walk away because it would be too hard. My personal opionon is that this sport needs to have no legrops because its too crowded, if we removed legropes i honestly reckon the number of poeple in the water would half.

i hate some of the examples poeple use like "oh there was a baby swimming with 90 yr grand parents and the a board almost hit them" hello if you come to the pass on a big surf day to ****ing swim u need to take a long hard look at yourself. ITS THE PASS busiest and most dangerous surf break maybe in the world, you worry about a board with no legrope hitting you, what about kayaks, dive boats, swimiming clubs oldies doing their morning swims that never look, sups etc etc

i know atleast 50 surfers who never wear a legrope and i have never seen them lose a board once.

i had an argument with a shortboarder about this exact topic, he argued if i lost my board the horror it would cause, BUT, how often do poeple see shortboarders doing a cut back next to somones head? now they might also say "well i have never hit anyone" but once day it may be that lump or bump that will cause them to hit someone at full speed with a board, its the same arugment with poeple who dont wear legropes, they never lose it but one day under particular situations it may happen.

for me surfing is a dangerous sport even with everyone wearing legropes, i think everyone these days are too soft and threaten to sue poeple at the drop of a hate for anything and everythign. SURFING IS DANGEROUS if you cant handle the heat get out of the kitchen, its over crowded as it is and we cant make it easier for monkeys to surf.

i know this post will anger poeple but im sick of this world where eveyone wants to sue everyone and people bitch and moan

further to this i think there is ALOT more dangerous things happening in the surf than stray boards

how many of you paddle out and think "oh better be on alert for a stray board' or do you more think " better not get run over?"

i worry more about getting run over or getting out of the way rather than a stray board

Select to expand quote

BigSpazz said..

further to this i think there is ALOT more dangerous things happening in the surf than stray boards

how many of you paddle out and think "oh better be on alert for a stray board' or do you more think " better not get run over?"

i worry more about getting run over or getting out of the way rather than a stray board

Have you ever watched Air Crash Investigators... Seconds From Disaster...???
To bring down an airliner, you usually need a small series of events to happen!
People won't be looking out for the stray board, and then... out of nowhere... whack! A stray board!

Spazz, I hear what you're saying about many of these people "almost never" losing their board... But this would also indicate that these people aren't pushing their surfing too much, trying new things...

Select to expand quote

BigSpazz said..

further to this i think there is ALOT more dangerous things happening in the surf than stray boards

how many of you paddle out and think "oh better be on alert for a stray board' or do you more think " better not get run over?"

i worry more about getting run over or getting out of the way rather than a stray board

If you take those 12 foot boards of yours out at The Pass one of the most crowded surf spots on the east coast without a legrope then you are an idiot mate what about all the kids sitting in near clarkes with their dads and mums teaching them to surf if one of those air craft carriers you ride washes through them you could kill a kid.

Select to expand quote

boofy said..

BigSpazz said..

further to this i think there is ALOT more dangerous things happening in the surf than stray boards

how many of you paddle out and think "oh better be on alert for a stray board' or do you more think " better not get run over?"

i worry more about getting run over or getting out of the way rather than a stray board

If you take those 12 foot boards of yours out at The Pass one of the most crowded surf spots on the east coast without a legrope then you are an idiot mate what about all the kids sitting in near clarkes with their dads and mums teaching them to surf if one of those air craft carriers you ride washes through them you could kill a kid.

If your not losing your board your not having a go 50 surfers that surf without legropes never losing their boards unbeleivable so when its its six foot at the pass and your all out there with the other hoards of surfcraft you all manage to make every wave and if you do fk up manage to hold onto your mals in six foot surf

Select to expand quote

boofy said..

BigSpazz said..

further to this i think there is ALOT more dangerous things happening in the surf than stray boards

how many of you paddle out and think "oh better be on alert for a stray board' or do you more think " better not get run over?"

i worry more about getting run over or getting out of the way rather than a stray board

If you take those 12 foot boards of yours out at The Pass one of the most crowded surf spots on the east coast without a legrope then you are an idiot mate what about all the kids sitting in near clarkes with their dads and mums teaching them to surf if one of those air craft carriers you ride washes through them you could kill a kid.

i surf all my boards without a legrope, always have, for my specific example here with my boards, because im on a 12fter i surf really wide, if i happen to lose my board its out in the middle of the ocean and no waves around to take it anywhere near a person.

the other misconception here is when a board is lost and goes in to the shore by the time its half way there it has lost all speed and floats gently in with the current. Hardly dangerous at all because its just floating

Select to expand quote

boofy said..

boofy said..

BigSpazz said..

further to this i think there is ALOT more dangerous things happening in the surf than stray boards

how many of you paddle out and think "oh better be on alert for a stray board' or do you more think " better not get run over?"

i worry more about getting run over or getting out of the way rather than a stray board

If you take those 12 foot boards of yours out at The Pass one of the most crowded surf spots on the east coast without a legrope then you are an idiot mate what about all the kids sitting in near clarkes with their dads and mums teaching them to surf if one of those air craft carriers you ride washes through them you could kill a kid.

If your not losing your board your not having a go 50 surfers that surf without legropes never losing their boards unbeleivable so when its its six foot at the pass and your all out there with the other hoards of surfcraft you all manage to make every wave and if you do fk up manage to hold onto your mals in six foot surf

yup exactly :) i dont take off in critical sections, im on a 12ft board i dont need to

Probably good to consider the difference inbetween competent loggers/noseriders and shortboarders within the context of the debate.
In so far as shortboarders trying to surf as progressively as possible are far more likely to lose their boards than a logger/noserider triimming across a (generally) smaller and or lined up wave.
Throw the resin tint/hipster fish/mini-simmons/tracker/70's single fin crew in the middle of that spectrum?

Select to expand quote

Simondo said..

BigSpazz said..

further to this i think there is ALOT more dangerous things happening in the surf than stray boards

how many of you paddle out and think "oh better be on alert for a stray board' or do you more think " better not get run over?"

i worry more about getting run over or getting out of the way rather than a stray board

Have you ever watched Air Crash Investigators... Seconds From Disaster...???
To bring down an airliner, you usually need a small series of events to happen!
People won't be looking out for the stray board, and then... out of nowhere... whack! A stray board!

Spazz, I hear what you're saying about many of these people "almost never" losing their board... But this would also indicate that these people aren't pushing their surfing too much, trying new things...

i agree but how long can these arguments go on for? yes if a bump occurs and shortboarder messes a cutback up and cuts someones face in half making the person lose 2Ls of blood causing a passing longboarder to fall off a board and he isnt wearing a legrope that collides with a dive boat trying to go out to sea that makes the driver swerve into 100 swimming babies

when will people use their brain and go mmmm maybe this place is too hectice for my 2 yr old to learn to surf or swim maybe ill somewhere else?

Select to expand quote

Cuttlefish said..

Probably good to consider the difference inbetween competent loggers/noseriders and shortboarders within the context of the debate.
In so far as shortboarders trying to surf as progressively as possible are far more likely to lose their boards than a logger/noserider triimming across a (generally) smaller and or lined up wave.
Throw the resin tint/hipster fish/mini-simmons/tracker/70's single fin crew in the middle of that spectrum?

exactly

Select to expand quote

boofy said..

BigSpazz said..

further to this i think there is ALOT more dangerous things happening in the surf than stray boards

how many of you paddle out and think "oh better be on alert for a stray board' or do you more think " better not get run over?"

i worry more about getting run over or getting out of the way rather than a stray board

If you take those 12 foot boards of yours out at The Pass one of the most crowded surf spots on the east coast without a legrope then you are an idiot mate what about all the kids sitting in near clarkes with their dads and mums teaching them to surf if one of those air craft carriers you ride washes through them you could kill a kid.

the 50 surfers i refer to are some of the highest quaility surfers i have seen, alot of them are in the movies and clips that are posted so frequently on these forums, i would say they are pushing their surfing limits.

i think another major part of this situation is the crowd and other surfers, if i use one of these 50 good surfers, if they have lost their board i could almost bet its from someone else in the water either paddling in front of them or someone droppping in, rather than them just losing it

I used to ride my log without a leggie but only rode it in small waves and never in big crowds. I can see why it would cause a bit of anger especially with a loose board flying around. Some of these "hipsters" can surf but there are plenty out there who cant. I had an encounter with a clueless hipster a few weeks back. He paddled right under me to go right on a peak that I was going left on. Desperate little weed showing off his hassling skills. The wave was about waist high at best. He blew the takeoff and lost his board. Now that I'm always riding a 666 theres no way I'd do it without a leggie.

Just trying to get the picture here bigspazz after seeing a young girl at greenmount hit in the side of the head by a 11 foot robert august triple string mal that was washed in on a 6 inch high little foamy that nearly completly removed her ear I have witnessed first hand what a big board can do in tiny surf.

I dont get what your saying your first post you stated you surf the pass at six foot out the back with all the other hoards but now your saying you sit wide in the safety zone on your 12 footer half way out to sea. Do you ever surf the pass at six foot a real six foot on a mal of any sort with no legrope personally i will never surf it at that size on a mal only on one of my kneeboards and its like a fkn pinball machine if you take off near the rocks.
I just think you are bitter and twisted at the crowds at what you think is a surfbreak you own

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boofy said..

Just trying to get the picture here bigspazz after seeing a young girl at greenmount hit in the side of the head by a 11 foot robert august triple string mal that was washed in on a 6 inch high little foamy that nearly completly removed her ear I have witnessed first hand what a big board can do in tiny surf.

I dont get what your saying your first post you stated you surf the pass at six foot out the back with all the other hoards but now your saying you sit wide in the safety zone on your 12 footer half way out to sea. Do you ever surf the pass at six foot a real six foot on a mal of any sort with no legrope personally i will never surf it at that size on a mal only on one of my kneeboards and its like a fkn pinball machine if you take off near the rocks.
I just think you are bitter and twisted at the crowds at what you think is a surfbreak you own

ha yer man spot on. yes i do, i surfed evans on the weekend 6-8 ft no legrope. Byron in general except for tallows and the wreck is always a longboard type wave, it very rarely is a big sucking barreling type wave. So yes i do surf my 12fter in any condition.

i do surf out the back with the hoards of people yes, do i sit right next to the rock no, because i dont have to, im just saying that when i take on waves its handy not having to worry about 30 people sitting infront of you with there boards but to be wide and not have that issue. Hence my point that i believe when alot of 'GOOD' surfers lose their boards its due to someone else in the road or dropping in rather than them just losing it

Select to expand quote

BigSpazz said..

boofy said..

Just trying to get the picture here bigspazz after seeing a young girl at greenmount hit in the side of the head by a 11 foot robert august triple string mal that was washed in on a 6 inch high little foamy that nearly completly removed her ear I have witnessed first hand what a big board can do in tiny surf.

I dont get what your saying your first post you stated you surf the pass at six foot out the back with all the other hoards but now your saying you sit wide in the safety zone on your 12 footer half way out to sea. Do you ever surf the pass at six foot a real six foot on a mal of any sort with no legrope personally i will never surf it at that size on a mal only on one of my kneeboards and its like a fkn pinball machine if you take off near the rocks.
I just think you are bitter and twisted at the crowds at what you think is a surfbreak you own

ha yer man spot on. yes i do, i surfed evans on the weekend 6-8 ft no legrope. Byron in general except for tallows and the wreck is always a longboard type wave, it very rarely is a big sucking barreling type wave. So yes i do surf my 12fter in any condition.

i do surf out the back with the hoards of people yes, do i sit right next to the rock no, because i dont have to, im just saying that when i take on waves its handy not having to worry about 30 people sitting infront of you with there boards but to be wide and not have that issue. Hence my point that i believe when alot of 'GOOD' surfers lose their boards its due to someone else in the road or dropping in rather than them just losing it

OK so why do you think people that want to take there kids to the pass should have to think twice and you shouldnt? there is a reason they go there you have to admit the pass is what i would call a very soft wave it is the ideal wave to teach you kids on. Unfortunately there is always a group of surfers at every break around this country that think they have some god given right to own the place.
I think your argument is more about the crowds invading a surf break you think you own anh have exclusive rights to. Aint it?

Select to expand quote

boofy said..

BigSpazz said..

boofy said..

Just trying to get the picture here bigspazz after seeing a young girl at greenmount hit in the side of the head by a 11 foot robert august triple string mal that was washed in on a 6 inch high little foamy that nearly completly removed her ear I have witnessed first hand what a big board can do in tiny surf.

I dont get what your saying your first post you stated you surf the pass at six foot out the back with all the other hoards but now your saying you sit wide in the safety zone on your 12 footer half way out to sea. Do you ever surf the pass at six foot a real six foot on a mal of any sort with no legrope personally i will never surf it at that size on a mal only on one of my kneeboards and its like a fkn pinball machine if you take off near the rocks.
I just think you are bitter and twisted at the crowds at what you think is a surfbreak you own

ha yer man spot on. yes i do, i surfed evans on the weekend 6-8 ft no legrope. Byron in general except for tallows and the wreck is always a longboard type wave, it very rarely is a big sucking barreling type wave. So yes i do surf my 12fter in any condition.

i do surf out the back with the hoards of people yes, do i sit right next to the rock no, because i dont have to, im just saying that when i take on waves its handy not having to worry about 30 people sitting infront of you with there boards but to be wide and not have that issue. Hence my point that i believe when alot of 'GOOD' surfers lose their boards its due to someone else in the road or dropping in rather than them just losing it

OK so why do you think people that want to take there kids to the pass should have to think twice and you shouldnt? there is a reason they go there you have to admit the pass is what i would call a very soft wave it is the ideal wave to teach you kids on. Unfortunately there is always a group of surfers at every break around this country that think they have some god given right to own the place.
I think your argument is more about the crowds invading a surf break you think you own anh have exclusive rights to. Aint it?

no at what point did i delcare it my break? i simply mean yes the pass is dangerous, yes its busy, yes you can be injued there. if you have a problem with any of the above please go somewhere else, there is no localism about it merely there is alot of other places to swim or learn to swim why not go there? why come to the busiest and most dangerous place in the water on earth to learn new things or float around and relax, or to put ur child in the knee deep water? when there is a vast range of things that can injure you or Kill you( as the buzz word is at the moment)

just go somewhere else, simple, if you want to call us animals and idiots then let us surf in spots with other like minided invididuals and let natural selection take care of itself, dont come in waving your law book at us saying we should or shouldnt do this when there isnt a law against it

OK, I like you, Big Spazz, cannot stand the world where everyone wishes to sue some one....it s##ts me to tears.
I honestly believe that if everyone took responsibility for THEIR actions then we would not have the litigation driven society that seems to be thrust upon us. If we as "informed" individuals took a hard look at our own actions then what is presently a "litigation" case may very well go away.
I use the term informed.
If we choose to surf an area that has people that should not be there as they are not yet skilled enough, then we need to act responsibly. People make choices based on what they have understanding of. Understanding is gained from experience and knowledge, hence to get to a true informed place, you must have both experience and knowledge. This how we discover our limits. Learning IS a series of repeated failures towards a level of proficiency. I should be noted that even by his own admission Justin Crawford admits to loosing his board.
"Justin Crawford, another Byron local who goes leg-rope free agreed. ?If you lose your bard, you have to swim and collect it and think about why you lost it,? the 36-year-old said."

It is this sentiment that is unforgivable. If we all surf without legropes, then by the very admission of one who does not where one, boards will be lost, just more of them, thus it can be postulated that the sport WILL become more dangerous.
Justin Crawford in his statement admits that losing a board IS PART of surfing and the learning progression. That said, he then is placed in the same category that you speak of in people should not be in the break surfing as you inferred.
(For my own mind... if I fall..I think about why as I get dragged by my board and learn from the experience too, apologies on this as this personal and I am trying to be as objective as possible).

You also make mention of a baby and 90yr old grandmother... and the pass. Sadly, not wearing legropes in not limited to the pass. The incident that DID happen and my account, was at Caloundra QLD in Happy Valley, year 2010, inside the bar. The person who lost the board was outside the bar and the board was washed onto a "swimming" beach. No one would expect a board to there. The issue is, a board sideways in a surf break if you are not looking for it, all white in the foam, is and can be very difficult to see at times, if your not looking, its near impossible.

If we are to take off the leggie, what of the industry. Surfing is promoted with legropes. ASP, as an example of the best of the best use leg ropes and yes even they fall off / wipe out.
The question I pose, would we have the industry as a whole (employment, GDP input, etc etc) if no legropes and as you say less people. What of Byron, would it be today what it is. What of McTavish, Munro and the local Shapers and Shops, would they have the business and notoriety they enjoy.
The surf camps, travel / tour operator, surf schools and surf awareness programs. Would Slater, Gilmore and others be able to work / advise on projects (such as Sea Shepherd) if the sport did not move forward

Surfing has evolved and so must we. Surfing with a legrope IS the responsible and ethical thing these days as the evolution of the sport has progressed.
We need to be responsible as the picture really is bigger than the "Pass" and far bigger than a few.

General note to everyone... don't let this thread get MESSY!






Spazz, you do make some interesting points.
Boofy, and others, your view points are also extremely valid...

In the interest of safety, I think Leggies are a good thing...

AND - now that leggies have been invented, we will always have them...
There's also a chance they will be "mandatory" in the future, rather than the opposite... banning leg-ropes!






---------------

Here's some word art...

Ankle_________Board

(the ankle is attached to a board, via a rope! )

Someone once told me if your not falling, your not pushing yourself
I push myself a lot it seems