Slabs are Sexy, but most surfers prefer curves

Last updated: 21 October, 2014

Only 1% of surfers are equipped to make the drop on a wave like this

Slabs are so hot right now in Australian surfing. Surfing Life editor Wade Davis explains, “Slabs are extremely important to Australian surfing as a result of our unique geography. We’re blessed with profuse, barely submerged rock ledges that rise from the depths with a precipitous abrubtness. They’re not coral, which would usually lend to a more manageable tube, but from hard, barnacle – encrusted rock. Relatively short period swells trip over themselves as they march towards terra firma, resulting in death barrels that are as high as they are thick.”

I absolutely agree with Wade, but it is important to get things into perspective and context. Slabs are photogenic, slab footage sells magazines, energy drinks and get high viewing rates online.

99% of surfers respect surfers who charge slabs for sure, but 99% of surfers don’t want to die or get injured to have their photo taken and keep sponsors happy. Now I’m not saying that the 1% of surfers who have the courage and ability to charge slabs only do it for photos and fame – no way! Many do it purely for love and adrenaline kicks, but what I can definitively say is that the vast majority of surfers dream of curvaceous coral reefs.

They are the ones we draw as grommets on school pencil cases – setups like HT’s, Macaronis, Telescopes in the Mentawai or Kandooma, Cokes or Chickens in the Maldives.

Anyways, enjoy the comparative clips and I’ll let you be the judge as to where you surf.