Could this spell the end of professional surfing?

promethius

Professional surfers are to be drug tested in new rules coming into the ASP.
the list of offenders in that article is long...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jan/04/surfing-drug-test-credibility?newsfeed=true

Mickeroo

Well thats interesting. Not sure how it will go down with the community but then it has to happen if they want it to be taken seriously as a sport. TBH though i don't see why they're that fussed about pushing it as an olympic sport in the long run, its doing fine right now and wouldn't be practical to be having it held at things like the olympics.

I guess stories like Flea competing at Mavs for the first time off his trolly on acid will be confined to the history books!

promethius

Mickeroo wrote: »

Well thats interesting. Not sure how it will go down with the community but then it has to happen if they want it to be taken seriously as a sport. TBH though i don't see why they're that fussed about pushing it as an olympic sport in the long run, its doing fine right now and wouldn't be practical to be having it held at things like the olympics.

I guess stories like Flea competing at Mavs for the first time off his trolly on acid will be confined to the history books!

good one about flea! i've surfed after a few beers once or twice (wouldn't recommend it) and its quite an experience. the inhibitions are down so you go for stuff you mightn't normally go for and it all feels faster! prob surfing terribly but feels good. then into shore for a taco chip

surfing in olympics would be a logistical nightmare, the only way i think u could do it is with a wave pool and who would want to watch that.

rodento

Met plenty of big wave surfers who rolled up before they paddled out...

Mickeroo

rodento wrote: »

Met plenty of big wave surfers who rolled up before they paddled out...

The thing I couldn't get over in that article was when someone said the big wave guys used to smoke pot because it increases your lung capacity from having to take a drag on the joint all the time. Pretty sure smoking has been proven to decrease lung capacity since then though

rodento

How it was said to me is that when your relaxed it easier to catch the waves and safer on the wipeout

FlashD

Like I thought all along, ASP is just a joke, you would take it as a sure thing in this day and age that pro athletes are tested for performance enhancers and illegal sh*te no matter what the sport.

No wonder there all so good, the whole lot of them have been buying up suplus stock from the Tour de France ever year. :rolleyes:

Bunch of loser junkies.

xxyyzz

The ASP is fooked because they signed all their power over to the Quikkabong brands. They can't do anything without the brands say-so and because of this they have zero credibility. It wasn't in the clothing label's interests to bring in drug testing as the likes of AI and a large number of other money-making surfers wouldn't have gotten within an asses roar of the tour if they did. The Billabong AI 4ever clothing line is fairly sickening when it was obvious that they had been covering up all of his drink and drug issues for most of his career. It's all well and good saying that partying has been a part of the tour's history over the years but take a look at the flip-side of it - Andy Irons, Matt Archibold, Shane Herring, the whole mavericks crew all turned into trainwrecks because their sponsors put them on tour at 16 or 17 with truckloads of cash and no repsonsibility. Its well worth watching the Archy movie: Built for speed to see what was going on http://surferspath.mpora.com/video/the-archy-movie-built-for-speed-trailer.html

It's pretty obvious that the guys running the ASP are a shower of small-time amateurs - In what other sport would you have a mid season cut-off??