Many of us have a stockpile boards lying around. Surf dens with fiberglass and fins wedged awkwardly into corners or abandoned quivers gathering cobwebs in a garage. The kinds of boards that are unlikely to inspire a bidding war on gum tree but are still functional riders. You know deep down you won’t use them again because they have been superseded by a new purchase, however the inner hoarder in you won’t let them go.
Well, perhaps it’s time to get all Marie Kondo with the quiver. For those of you not familiar with the Netflix series, Kondo is the trending expert on minimalism in the home. Her basic premise for any object is that if it does not immediately inspire joy then get rid of it.
That sun-damaged 6’0” with the dings you don’t want to fix or spend money on is exactly the kind of item minimalist Marie would have on the chuck-out list. However that doesn’t mean it won’t be a source of joy for someone else.
Paddle around your home-break or spend a day at the local boardriders comp and you will invariably come across a grommet who is battling on their board. Perhaps they have just grown six inches and sixteen kilos in the space of a year, as they tend to do, and the one board they have is making them look like a polar bear on a tight rope. Or maybe you saw them out on the biggest day of the year, horribly under-gunned on their regular thruster, and realise that your neglected rejects could see them paddling into bombs with confidence. You might even have an inkling about their family’s financial circumstances and (without damaging anyone’s pride) be aware what a difference a waxable donation would make. Leaving a creased, broken or unneeded board for the Indonesian groms is also another time-honoured gesture.
Now, I know some of you are saying, ‘Why should we make it easier for the little wave-pilfering urchins?’ However, good will can go a long way. As that grommet you gifted a board grows up, every time he or she sees you in the water they will be obliged to pay you back with a wave.
In any case, surfboards are made to be ridden and the next best thing to the stoke derived from your own ride is witnessing how much fun someone else is having – particularly if you helped them out with a board.
Last night I let go of an old favourite. The board hadn’t seen much salt water for a while so I took it for one more lap and then passed it on to a grom. He was lost for words when he got his hands on it and finally blurted out enthusiastically, “I’ll take it out tomorrow morning.” I’ve got my own new stick on the way, but I’m just as excited to see the grom reaching new ground on a board that might otherwise be cluttering up my lounge room.
