If surfing is obscure then I did it almost every morning for 10 years when I lived in San Diego before moving to Japan.
Started in my 30s and was terrible at the beginning. Couldn’t understand why everyone was so much better than me despite being reasonably coordinated. Then a friend pointed out that the longboard I was using was originally made for a small girl and that I should try a different board. I did and instantly became a decent surfer.
Each year I got a little better and a little braver, and eventually was going out during some of the biggest swells, although nothing like the big waves you see in Hawaii and elsewhere.
Surfing is basically the most purely joyful thing a human can do on this planet, and can be quite addicting. It can also be dangerous. Almost drowned when I went out one day without a leash and lost my board. And I have a friend who did drown after falling off a paddleboard and not being able to recover.
Kelly’s wave looks incredible–all the fun of surfing but without the crowds and sharks.
Fun fact: the ocean in SD is frigid year round, even in the summer.
Ffs a signed Pieman poster? I started playing again during quarantine and can’t find my mechanics. Those Andersons look like nice straight barrels but don’t think I could throw 24g right now. I’ve been using some old Harrows 18g and am considering going even lighter. I have a couple of these Winmau Blades because the staple boards crush my soul.
I tell you the most obscure thing I never did: Giving myself a wet shave. Why would you do such a thing when there’s barbers and electric razor blades available?
I took up darts at age 30 when I reasoned it was the only sport I could practice in my own home and still possibly become very good at. I didn’t become that good, but have hit a couple of 180s in pubs which was enough of a rush.
I grew up playing a similar game called paddle tennis, which as you would expect is essentially tennis played with paddles on a much smaller court. The ball is also deflated so it doesn’t have as much bounce and the service is underhand. It’s super fun, especially for people like me who didn’t have tennis experience so didn’t have any kind of service technique, but loved the back and forth volleys. Oddly its only played in a few cities around the country.
I can’t seem to get a full extension and wrist snap with anything over 20 but I’ve never tried super heavy like 30g. There isn’t a ton out there on dart technique and mechanics like there is for other sports. I noticed Wayne Mardle has some good coaching vids up but there doesn’t seem to be much of a science to it yet.
First read of title was “Obscene” thing I do regularly. oops.
Waaay back when I would shave in the shower. Much easier. I wasn’t paying for the hot water though.
Beard or 5 o’clock clipper shadow for decades now. No razor has touched this body in 20+ years.
Pickle ball looks fun, but as a tennis player the instinct to close and volley finish would be overwhelming.
I’ve already fessed up in my own thread, but I’m a league bowler. Keeps me in touch with the deplorable vibe, although not everyone in my leagues fits that description. We aborted our leagues last March about three quarters of the way through the 36-week season. The new season will start for me next week. I’m probably just going to bowl one league instead of two, and not really looking forward to that one. Bowling with a mask isn’t much fun. And yes, I’m asking myself if its really worth the risk. I know it isn’t, but I’m going to do it anyway.
Yeah this is the kind of basic stuff that is usually out there. I’m talking more about the actual lever mechanics and kinesiology. If you watch pro darters, they definitely have (at least) one thing in common: they fully extend on the release and pronate the wrist. MVG almost hyperextends his elbow it’s so extreme. Grips, stances, and lines of sight don’t seem nearly as important because they are almost different for every pro.
You should give pickleball a shot. The rules level the playing field, so old people can compete. I played against people 25 years younger than me and in good physical shape and usually won. One of my regular opponents was a mid-30’s extreme athlete and our games were super competitive. I had to stay off the kitchen line a few feet playing singles against her because she could rip her forehand past me if I was too close. A few points into the third game and I was usually wondering if I was going to be able to finish. Great escape from work and I miss being able to just get up and go play pickleball for an hour in the middle of my work day.
Also pool players? I’m very casual but love it. It’s like golf or darts in that it’s so easy to see or for someone to show you exactly what needs to happen for a shot or sequence of shots but Jesus Christ at actually executing as envisioned.
In the baseball throwing world this would be a supinated wrist, pronate = arm/hand rotates counter clockwise and palm faces away from the body
I’m not much of a darts player but when I do play I’ve also always wondered about the proper throwing mechanics, i feel like my darts wobble and I wonder if it’s because I’m mimicking the wrist action I use to throw a baseball when I should be doing the opposite
