Editor’s Note: Have a question for Dibi Fletcher? She’s definitely got answers. Or at least a perspective. Don’t hold back, shoot her a DM on Instagram and ask away. Here’s this week’s dispatch from the Matriarch of Radical…
Hey Dibi: My son just landed his first sponsorship and now he feels a lot of pressure to perform. How does he keep his enthusiasm for surfing without letting the stress kill it? - SurfMom2
When kids turn their "hobby" into a "job" it changes their relationship to surfing forever. Some kids are competitive from the start, they seem to take the responsibility of sponsorship in stride and feel it's a helpful step in a long-term goal. Other's not so much, they are perhaps better off pursuing other avenues for compensation and surfing for the pure love of it. I hope you can help him choose wisely.
Hey Dibi: After a brutal wipeout, I'm really psyched out to get back on a board, any suggestions? - BigGIup
There are quite a few fantastic training regimes created by big wave riders that incorporate breathing, underwater strength training with various other water safety techniques that should help rebuild your confidence to get back in the break.
Hey Dibi: Now that surfing is in the Olympics, do you think it's good for the sport? - GoldMda128
It's hard for me to think of surfing as a sport, I grew up in the era of surfing as a lifestyle. Surfing in the Olympics has a lot of challenges, as it is so determined by nature, unless it takes place in a wave pool and that seems to be a different discipline altogether. Perhaps there will be a gold medalist in the future who can't paddle out.
Related: Hey Dibi: How To Stay Clean When The Party Train's Rolling
Hey Dibi: Surf media used to be about storytelling and adventure, now it feels all about hype, clicks & influencers, do you think there's still room for real journalism? - Tlk1stryX
I think that great storytelling is such a gift, fifty words and a photo will never take the place of good narratives. I believe the challenge that most journalists face is how to get their stories out as the landscape has changed. There has never been a time when writers are so able to selfpublish and promote their own work, it's not the same as it was, but in some ways it feels like it's more up to the individual who's willing to put in the time and effort your voice will be heard.
Hey Dibi: With boards, wetsuits, and travel getting more expensive, is surfing becoming a rich person's sport? - Short$$
Grocery shopping has become a rich person's sport recently, so everything else has risen accordingly. It's less than some activities and more than others. But like with all cool activities, there's tradeoffs. Maybe you don't travel for a while and surf local, care for your equipment so it last longer. Ride a trade in rather than custom. Going to the beach is free, enjoy it!
Hey Dibi: I've been chasing waves for years, but lately I just don't feel the same stoke, how do I break the rut? - SurfChaIlenged
I remember coming back to California from Hawaii, and Herbie was in a complete surf funk, he started making high performance longboards to go fast and hang high, and claimed "The Thrill is Back".... Maybe it's new equipment, maybe it's a new challenge, like everything we do in life, things can get stale, mix it up, look at if from a new direction, the joy of discovery makes it fun again.