| |
Richard
Schmidt's decades of experience are put to the test
during the 1990 Quiksilver/Eddie Aikau event at Waimea.
Editor's Note: Santa Cruz surfer
Richard Schmidt has been at the forefront of big-wave
riding for the better part of 20 years. A multi-year
invitee to the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau event
and the Men Who Ride Mountains contest at Maverick's,
Schmidt's greatest competitive achievements came in
1990, when he finished third (after scoring a perfect
10 on an impossible drop) in the Eddie Aikau event in
mind-bending 20- 25-foot conditions. Although his big-wave
game is still sharp, Schmidt has, over the past decade,
focused most of his energy on giving others the gift
of waveriding. His Richard Schmidt Surf School, founded
in 1984, has taught thousands of beginners the art of
waveriding. For more info on his school, log on to:
www.richardschmidt.com
or e-mail him at: info@richardschmidt.com |
|
|
INTRO
Surfing has given me many unforgettable years of
fun, health and recreation. After teaching beginning surfers for more
than 20 years, I've seen the long list of obstacles that they have
to overcome in order to learn. To put it bluntly, surfing literally
takes years to master. But with the help of this instruction, you
should be able to avoid many of the common mistakes that students
make.
CROSS TRAINING
It always helps to start when you're young, but
age isn't nearly as important as physical conditioning. The best cross-training
for surfing is swimming. As you'll quickly discover, at least 95 percent
of your surfing time will be spent paddling rather than riding waves.
To make this a bearable experience, you must have a strong upper body.
A pool will work, but the optimum option is open-ocean swimming. It
will help your conditioning and confidence in all types of ocean conditions.
Sooner or later, your leash is going to break, and when it does, you'll
be infinitely safer if you know what to do. I'd recommend a workout
regimen of three days a week with a mixture of long-distance and sprint
swims. Also, I recommend taking a course in CPR before you start spending
extended periods of time in the water. The ocean is unpredictable-always
be prepared for the worst.
|
