The use of the “stroller” in surf teaching
A long time ago, when I was traveling in New Zealand, I gave a few lessons for a surf school in Gisborne. The lessons went like this: each beginner was given a loaf of wax to spread on his board. Afterwards, the lesson was punctuated by Franck’s almost ecstatic encouragement – “wonderfull, soo beautifull, hoaouuu” – and it didn’t seem to me that there was much variety of advice between these two key moments, but then, I didn’t speak English very well at the time.
One day, another teacher assisted us and I took charge of one of his former pupils, a young boy who could do fast take-offs and keep his balance with dignity… but who couldn’t catch a wave! Why not? Having been pushed on every wave since the beginning, session after session, he was unable by his own efforts to catch a single one, so I found myself faced with a thing barely less inert than driftwood, as if deprived of arms. I was incredulous, to say the least! And so I discovered for the first time the perverse effects of the “stroller”.
However, the stroller is an interesting teaching tool: it’s all about pushing the surfer into the wave, who doesn’t need to paddle or read the wave, just stand up. This method is of course very useful, particularly with children, but also with adult beginners, to put them in a situation of immediate success.
Nevertheless, in my opinion, strollers should be used sparingly. It shouldn’t be a substitute for learning how to row, how to time the wave and how to read the ocean. Otherwise, the beginner will always be a beginner and will have no autonomy. After all, it’s much more rewarding to catch a wave on your own than to be assisted all the time.
Let’s remember that “surfing” means “gliding over a wave” and that in the chronology of learning, catching a wave comes before acquiring the take-off. Fish, swimmers and even some birds catch waves, so a surfer who doesn’t paddle, no way!
