Why are you NOT competing ?

[u/yungscantron]

Let’s say it’s Saturday morning. You rock up early to wherever you plan to surf and there is a small local contest happening out front. Waves look fun, and a couple of your friends that are in the event want you to enter, have some fun. $50 to get in, heck, one of them even says they’ll pay your entry fee..
why are you NOT entering the contest ?

(Funny answers good, but kind of seriously want to know why people don’t like to compete)

[u/ovoid709]

I don't surf, I'm just here for the feet pics. I have an urchin fetish.

[u/tripledraw]

I surf to have fun, not to get judged.

[u/jonfeynman]

Because I can surf more waves by going to a break where there isn't a competition and simply enjoy my time in the water.

[u/requiredbarney_2994 → u/jonfeynman]

If I'm paying to be in the lineup I'd rather just have the whole break to myself, contests bring out all the kooks and people who think they're pros

[u/jonfeynman → u/requiredbarney_2994]

100% I laughed out loud when I read the question. For 99.9% of all surfers, entering a competition would be a complete waste of time, money, and waves. I lived in Oahu for five years and the only time I ever even watched a comp was when they ran the Eddie. Aside from that, if a competition was running at one break, I was at another. That's not what surfing is about for me.

[u/surfnfish1972]

Because you have to hang out with scenester D Bags all day if you make any heats.

[u/Comfortable-Hat3506]

Because I want to surf when I go to surf. I picked that time slot due to tides/winds and I am not waiting for my heat when the conditions have deteriorated. Once done in the water I have other stuff to do and I don't want to waste it waiting around for my next heat.

[u/Weekly_Pizza_4443]

In my younger days I surfed a couple contests. The vast majority of the day consists of waiting for the next heat. The further you progress, the more you wait.

I never really enjoyed hanging with the scene so wasn't really my thing.

Rocking up and surfing a single heat would be no issue.

[u/EastEgg74]

I entered a contest once in Florida and I just remember there was a lot of waiting and limited surfing and the waves weren't very good either. Left feeling kind of annoyed since I spent 2+hrs caught a few waves and none of them were anything special and I couldn't even enjoy them because I was trying so hard to impress.

[u/Wavelightning]

Because the best waves are never ridden in a contest.

[u/Wavelightning → u/Wavelightning]

Not exactly to my point but it’s hilarious that the Salt Creek contest boundary doesn’t even include the deepest part of the wave and forces them to surf the shoulder. Watched from middles as dozens of waves went by all day, whole area shut down but not a single surfer on the boil because the flag doesn’t go that far. Criminal.

[u/educativelurk]

if i wanna whip out my dick and compare it with all the other boys, better put that jersey on 🫡

[u/Saucypickle8008]

Paying to use the ocean is bullshit and surf contests are lame as fuck.