Watch: Jonathon Gubbins // Insomnia

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
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Warning: I've openly gushed about Jonathon Gubbins tube style before and I can feel another round of rhapsody coming on. Stop reading if you're so offended.

For a sport that's so dynamic, it makes sense that we have to see surfers in motion to appreciate their skill. The wave moves, surfers react to it, so spatial awareness and body contortions have to be viewed against each other to comprehend what's happening.

Yet there are a few surfers who simply have the perfect stance, who could have a statue of themselves erected in Martin Place and passers by would say, "fine specimen", "so much grace" and direct other felicitations toward the stone cold monument.

Occy is one of them. Seven billion people on Earth, who knew there was a totally unique way to stand on two feet?

Kelly is there too, owing mostly to hands and arms. Curren without a doubt - knees slightly bent, arms held low. And then there's the vogueing nature of the old style tube riders: Lopez, Banksy, McCabe.

Multi-finned boards have made uniform the style of the modern tube hound, except for a few hold outs, and Peruvian Jono Gubbins is one of them. Watch the toes of his back foot dance like a ballerina en pointe, see where his feet are placed and wonder why he even bothers with deck grip, watch him use the front half of the board to accelerate and decelerate. The last one is apparent in this vid: not only does he use the flatter rocker under his front foot to accelerate, but he also uses the nose curve to decelerate. No tail stalls or double hand drags here.

It's a classic tube stance.

Cast in bronze, stood alongside great warriors, Gubbins' style and stance would be apparent to even the stiffest of suits. "Fine specimen," they'd say, "so much grace."

Comments

dean maddison's picture
dean maddison's picture
dean maddison Friday, 6 Aug 2021 at 8:57am

The guys deck grip must be in perfect nic.

ringmaster's picture
ringmaster's picture
ringmaster Friday, 6 Aug 2021 at 9:37am

What a brilliant tube rider that bloke is! Be good to see him in tubey rights.........never seen him in backhand barrels. Maybe he just goes switchfoot?

Nice (Cure inspired?) Sth American sound track too.

icandig's picture
icandig's picture
icandig Friday, 6 Aug 2021 at 2:01pm

My bulbous, gouty arthritic big toe throbbed in agony throughout that whole episode. Helps him in the barrel -but he might pay for it in his declining years (at least he'll have some great images to replay in his mind). Music? A little too downcast for my delicate ears.

More tubes please's picture
More tubes please's picture
More tubes please Friday, 6 Aug 2021 at 2:55pm

As much as I love deserts, and it is my favourite wave on the planet, most clips of it become a little tedious after a minute or so.

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Friday, 6 Aug 2021 at 3:13pm

Didn't see a single turn all clip!

Rubicon's picture
Rubicon's picture
Rubicon Monday, 9 Aug 2021 at 3:49pm

Guy on the wave behind at 2:43 does a turn...

wally's picture
wally's picture
wally Friday, 6 Aug 2021 at 5:18pm

He stands so far forward on the board that it gives it a skimboard vibe.

oxrox's picture
oxrox's picture
oxrox Friday, 6 Aug 2021 at 8:29pm

boring

Johan Wohlleben's picture
Johan Wohlleben's picture
Johan Wohlleben Friday, 6 Aug 2021 at 11:50pm

Draw a line, front foot pedal to the metal and commit

Addo's picture
Addo's picture
Addo Saturday, 7 Aug 2021 at 10:58am

Using the full length of a short board for speed

NDC's picture
NDC's picture
NDC Sunday, 8 Aug 2021 at 10:29pm

I have a lifted heel on my back foot when frontside tube riding - it’s not because I plan to do it or coz I think it’s effective - it’s coz I’m a stiff Alf fart who’s calves are so tight it’s the only posture that I seem capable of - not quite matching it with JG fir accumulated tube time sadly

Yendor's picture
Yendor's picture
Yendor Monday, 9 Aug 2021 at 10:22am

When I see a clip like this I'm hoping they are going to show at least a little bit what his board looks like. He's got such a unique style I'm curious to see what looks like the one board. Sure Mason Ho goes to the extreme somehow bringing it into advertorial or even porny, but I can just turn it off after I've had a quick look. I wish more clips would show a bit more of the equipment.

Bungan33's picture
Bungan33's picture
Bungan33 Monday, 9 Aug 2021 at 10:53am

I dont even have wax on my board where he puts his back foot. Crazy style. Makes me curious as to the exact speed properties of modern boards. Besides the occasional standing tall upright speed run down the line with my back foot forward a little I reckon I spend 90% of my life with the back foot planted right on the tail.....looks strange but obviously works - insane ability to stay deep.