Cote’s Cube: Alaia Sliding With Chris Del Moro
Justin Cote
- November 21 2008
- 2,190 views
- 28 comments
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In the spirit of “Don’t Knock It ‘Til You Try It” TransWorld SURF’s Chris and Justin Cote meet up with renowned Alaia slider and all-around shredder Chris Del Moro at Seaside Reef to see what all the Alaia-based fuss is about.
My thoughts? It’s kinda like a cross between bodysurfing and skimboarding. The future of our sport? No. Fun and good exercise? Yes. But hey, judge for yourself and leave a comment below!—Justin Cote
Penis Plank Test
A few weeks ago, I wrote a rant about another magazine calling Alaia boards the board of the future, and saying that the guy who shapes them is the shaper of the year—which I thought was pretty ridiculous, and I still think so. A few days after writing off these penis planks, I saw Rob Machado in the parking lot at Seaside, he had just come in from slide session on his Alaia board, so I laughed and told him I just wrote an article making fun of those boards. He asked me if I had tried one, I said no, he said I should try it before I make fun of it. I’m sure he was thinking I couldn’t ride one. So I thought about it, and in order to truly ridicule something, you have to be able to do it. So I went and borrowed an Alaia board, ripped it, and now I can make fun of it as much as I want. In the end, penis planks are pretty fun, and my friend and true ripper Chris Del Moro was laughing right along with me at the strangeness of the boards, but at the same time singing the praises of the speed and flow they provide. It’s fun to make fun of things like Alaia’s and SUP boards, but it’s also fun to ride them, am I a hypocrite? Yes. Do I like to make fun of things? Yes. Do I do dumb things in the name of fun? Yes
Rip on rippers.—Chris Cote
Edited by Carl Steindler, music from Morning Of The Earth of course…
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November 21st, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Is the planning speed on the take offs slower than a regular board? I know much of the clip was in slow mo, but was curious about how fast board starts going when paddling for the take off..
November 21st, 2008 at 3:15 pm
It’s pretty hard to catch waves, but when you get in the spot it kinda takes off. Before all you haters like Checky get started, remember, it’s just another reason to get wet and have fun. That said, bring it on you fukas!
November 21st, 2008 at 3:27 pm
couldn’t have picked a better song for that clip! Peter, Paul and Mary??
November 21st, 2008 at 4:05 pm
The Morning Of The Earth, G Wayne Thomas. You can get high just by listening to that song, and your eyes don’t even get red, you just feel irie. Yeah, man.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Using the “Morning of the Earth” song was pure genius guys. Good stuff….
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:07 pm
it was the morning of the dorks
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Even though its different and a bit primative to some blokes, you cant deny the soulfulness of watching people rip on these boards. Its pretty wild that this is what surfing was born from, and that polynesians mastered and displayed this craft to histories explorers hundreds of years ago. Im not knocking it, looks sick to me, a little less agressive? maybe. Did ancient polynesians use alia to rip spots like Waimea Bay? If so they ripped better than the pros today. Hugs and Kisses
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:36 am
see more info on their website http://www.tomwegenersurfboards.com. there’s some cool little videos to check out. it’s pretty hard to rip in knee high seaside but the Cotes looked pretty damn good for the first time ever. i know some people who couldn’t get to their feet until the second or third sesh. the Patagonia shop has some nice ones to check out. cool story you guys.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:39 am
this link takes you to the alaia stuff.
http://www.tomwegenersurfboards.com/html/alaia.html
November 23rd, 2008 at 5:38 pm
that is a funny comment
November 24th, 2008 at 12:53 am
since when did surfing get so nerdy. people are laughing at us. even surfers are laughing at themselves. no wonder surf industry is having trouble expanding and becoming a true money making sport. We are turning in to a bunch of nerds. That is the funniest thing I have ever heard. shaper of the year. 1st. The shapes being put out from the “shaper of the year” are copies from old polynesian dudes. you win an award for copying a thing that looks like a penis shaft? What kind of sport is this? Look at skating. Every kid wants to skate because skaters are bad ass and party, not nerds. “Surfers” are giving surf nerds props and awards for being nerds. No wonder the outside world of sports thinks that are beloved sport is a joke. I would of rather seen some stand-up paddle board shaper win. Just because we are “green” does not mean we need to look like super dorks. If we want to expand our sport, we need to look cool, tough, and bad ass to the rest of the sporting world. Kids are not going to want to surf if they see the surf world promoting ancient wood things and nerd, hippy stoner dudes.
Thanks, The man
November 24th, 2008 at 4:03 am
surfing is not a sport you idiot! dont you see how chubby cote is? oviously not an athlete… he rips tho and thats the point, he is has fun doing what he likes. Amen
Only a poser starts surfing because it looks bad ass and party, what a wanker this guy,
Aloha
November 24th, 2008 at 9:01 am
You guys are all wankers. I have been riding alaia since I started surfing. I actually learned on one you haoles. The one I own has been passed down generations from my great great grandfather, Punaniteetee Teemotay. Join da club and and you will be able to do tree sixties easy, no fins. I had some fcs put on my alaia though, so I can turn.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:43 am
You guys are so yesterday, I saw Rob ripping Seaside on a McDonalds tray. I heard Ronald Mc Donald’s getting shaper of the year…
November 24th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Chris,
You are funny, but you are not that great at shit-talking. You can’t be a shit-talker and a hypocrite at the same time. You’ll lose your credibility. I’d rather see you stick to an opinion, but I know how hard that is to do in the surf industry. Too many people that are too sensitive and can’t take an opinion.
And by the way here’s a new broism for you…
Pubroty- your bro who’s going through puberty.
I notice your broisms have been suffering as of late.
November 24th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
That’s an amazing broism…I like it
November 24th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Wow… i started using an abacus because it had more soul than my computer. I want to start talking shit so bad,, but the more people ride these stupid things the more waves I’ll catch.
November 24th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
J-Cain,
You just confused the crap out of me (figuratively), and not because one can’t be a hypocrite and a shit-talker at the same time, but because ‘are you a hypocrite when you admit to being one?’ Also, I don’t know if rhetorical questions need question marks. Cote, you edit sentences so you can let us know. Mostly, we call people hypocrites when they don’t know they are being hypocritical. I just don’t know if we can call Cote a hypocrite anymore since he openly admits to it. Are openly hypocritical hypocrites the same as oblivious hypocrites? I feel like Cote was just setting himself up for some shit-talking invincibility shield, and I can see how wielding that shield in battle causes one to lose credibility. So I suppose between this rant and my editor Kurt Loader, we’ve answered some important questions here. Also, I am going to go SUP on an Alaia so I can feel “good?” about talking shit on both activities. However, I am going to suck at both, so do I really need to be good at something to talk shit on it? Now that seems to be defeating the purpose. I think if you do something and suck at it, thereby proving that the activity sucks, then you can talk shit on it. It’s like, ‘gee I am really bad at talking shit but I just did it, so it sucks.’ I will stop here because I think I am talking shit on myself, which is gross. It could get really messy if everyone keeps talking shit on each other.
November 24th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
They are like the Razor Scooters in the ocean, wouldn’t you rather just rollerblade or jump on a longboard.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Good idea. Getting out and trying one of these damn things. You guys did pretty well for your first go at it. I can’t imagine they’re even close to easy to ride. Go Cotes!
November 25th, 2008 at 9:09 am
haha, that video is classic. i didn’t think he’d be able to surf it until i saw it. oh wait, he was just going straight. oh wait that’s all you can do on those. awesome…
November 25th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Don’t challenge me to a burn-off, and don’t bring up credibilty. Just keep on assisting. As the man who invented to word Broism, i think ten years in, they’re doing just fine thank you.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Don’t broisms need to have the O sound in them, pub”er”ty doesn’t work. Back to the drawing board J-cain and checky
November 25th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Hows Cote, looks like PeeWee Herman. Its called Rogain guy. Hey- what the boys were calling you out for talking shit on these boards so you did this video? Nice!
November 26th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I look extra beefy in a fullsuit, my chin looks like a sausage roll
December 19th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Sick spinner on that last one Chris!
January 30th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Who says we want more “badass” people like you in our lineups? It’s not all about marketing and all that crap. It’s about doing what you wanna do not what you think others want you to do. Grow up. Respect your roots.
April 6th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Get a girl and stop jacking off to porn sites. Do you really surf??