“There is no doubt it is amazing surfing with no leash — it feels natural and free — but at crowded breaks you need to think about everyone else.”
CRAIG Warren wants authorities to crack down on “hipster” surfers who refuse to wear leg ropes after a stray, wooden 1960s-style malibu board carved the back of his head at Snapper Rocks.
The 40-year-old Currumbin man was dragged to shore by his nine-year-old son Taj and an off-duty paramedic two weeks ago before being raced to hospital.
A team of surgeons managed to stitch the wound, but Mr Warren says the incident would have been avoided if the surfer was wearing a legrope.
“I was paddling out when I saw a young guy with a beard fall and fling his board at me,” he said.
“He wasn’t wearing a leg rope and the board just spiralled straight into my head. I tried to dodge it but it was too shallow and the board was too big. The worst part of the whole thing is that my son and daughter saw me bleeding on the sand.
“I’ll never forget the look on their faces.”
Mr Warren, who works in sales for surf brand Globe Industries, said old-school surfboards were difficult to manoeuvre.
“I am too scared for my son to surf Snapper Rocks after what happened,” he said.
“These young hipsters are coming to the Gold Coast and refusing to wear leg ropes on boards that are very difficult to surf. Even the most experienced surfer will wear a legrope but they are more focused on looking cool than being safe. I am surprised no one has been killed yet.”
Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club president Jay Philips said the Gold Coast had been invaded by “hipsters” who were putting beachgoers at risk.
“They come from Byron or Brisbane in huge packs and surf really dangerously,” he said.
“They don’t wear leg ropes so as soon as they fall their boards go flying.
“Lots of young children surf and they should not be forced to dodge large wooden boards that should be hanging up on a wall as art. The surfing community is fed up and something needs to be done.”
World champion big wave surfer Cheyne Horan, who grew up surfing the original wooden malibu boards, said it took a lifetime to master surfing without a leg rope.
“I don’t surf with a leg rope but I’ve been doing this for my entire life and I know how to control the board.
“Most guys need to use one because they don’t have complete control over their board. It can be very dangerous if you need a leggy but chose not to wear one.”
Coolangatta councillor Chris Robbins said surfers who chose not to wear a leash could be held legally liable if they injure someone in the water.
“If you are driving dangerously and hit a pedestrian you can get sued,” she said.
“The same goes for surfers who are acting irresponsibly and putting others at risk.
“Your board is a weapon and you may well be breaching local law if your board hits someone because you don’t have a legrope on.”
A Gold Coast City Council spokesman said the city was not considering a crackdown on dangerous surfers.
“This is not something being considered and the City has no comment to offer on the matter,” he said.
Gold Coast Surf Council chairman Dan ware said surfers needed to be careful at busy point breaks.
“It is fine to wear no leg rope if no one else is around but at crowded breaks you need to think about who you are sharing the water with,” he said.
“There is no doubt it is amazing surfing with no leash — it feels natural and free — but at crowded breaks You need to think about everyone else.”
– Author: JACK HOUGHTON
– Source: GOLD COAST BULLETIN