The Golden Age of Surfing
We are living in the golden age of surfing. I wrote an article in September of 2017 making the same argument, and things have only gotten better since then.
The evidence I pointed to in 2017 included:
- The “ride everything” mantra in surfboard design
- The development of new surfboard constructions (I was teasing the forthcoming R-Series a bit, perhaps)
- The ease of global surf travel (couple updates on that)
- The rapid development of man-made surf parks opening up surfing to new regions
I signed off from that article with the following conclusion:
What does this all mean for you? It means the surfboards you are riding are getting better, waves are getting more accessible, and the products you are buying are made more responsibly. 2017 might not be the pre-Gidget days of empty waves at First Point Malibu, but it's certainly not a bad time to be a surfer.
Now, we look out ahead to 2021—The New Golden Age of Surfing.
Surfing—along with basically every outdoor activity—experienced a major boom in participation in 2020. In the absence of our usual forms of entertainment, people flocked to parks, trails, rivers, beaches, and... the surf lineup.
While the most popular spots, during the most popular time blocks, experienced insane crowds all Summer long, opportunities still exist for clever surfers to find open waves to themselves—trust me.
Over the last several months, we have published articles encouraging you to look beyond the most popular surf spots, to embrace cold water, and to beat the crowds by catching waves earlier. All aimed at ensuring you still get your wave count, while being a polite and thoughtful member of the lineup.
A few things have evolved since 2017. Many folks have a newfound flexibility in their work schedule—with many companies opting for the often-discussed Work From Home approach. The freedom to work from anywhere with a wifi signal opens up all sorts of mid-week surfing opportunities for a whole sector of the workforce.
Surfboard design continues to evolve and improve—resulting in more performance and more sustainable building practices. We have launched three R-Series models since 2017, and have steadily made improvements to that construction over the last 3+ years. (Spoiler alert: we're not done yet!)
Man-made waves haven’t even come into their stride yet. The lead time on these projects is such that the projects that are being worked on now, won’t fully be realized for several more years. But if you follow wavepoolmag.com like I do, you’d know there are more than a few new chlorinated surfing destinations on the horizon. Say what you will about man-made waves, they are here and they are multiplying. 
On the Almond-specific front, we have some great things in store for 2021. Some of which we can share (the social gathering known as the Early & Often Surf Club) and some of which is still in development. Our aim is to help improve your surfing experience every time you have the opportunity to slip away from the responsibilities of the day-to-day and enjoy sliding across the face of a wave.
We truly believe there’s never been a better time to be a surfer than today, so treat folks well in the lineup, ride something new this year, and enjoy those fleeting moments that keep bringing you back.
