SurfWatch recently caught up with Dane Kutenai, long time Second Life (SL) soul surfer, to find out his thoughts on surfing and what he's up to now.
SurfWatch (SW): Looks like you've been in SL since 2010. What brought you into SL back then?
Dane Kutenai (DK): To be quite honest, surfing brought me into SL. I needed something to keep me off the streets when it was flat outside.
SW: How did you discover SL surfing?
DK: I heard form a mate that this trippy online world had waves...next day I created the ultimate noob!
SW: Have you ever surfed in RL?
DK: Almost every day since i was 6 years old. I'm pretty much a junkie. If there's swell, I'm out there. If it's flat, I'm snorkelling the reefs that I surf to get a better read on how the wave breaks so I can sit deeper than the next bloke and get the inside advantage on the sets.
SW: Talk about what you enjoy about SL surfing.
DK: SL has the most consistent, varied types of surfable waves anywhere. To be a complete SL surfer, you have to have a good working knowledge of the type of wave you're on, where its speed is and where best to put your avi. Having said that, its totally accessible to the non surfer - they can rock up at a beach, rez a shooter and hit it, and it really gives them a taste of the lines, the feeling of running down the line and a full perspective of what it looks like to ride a wave. That's a crucial component of keeping SL surfing a real and relevant sport, I reckon.
SW: How would you describe the changes since the early days?
DK: At the risk of sounding like a kook, I would say that there was waaaay more commeradarie back in the day. Everyone we surfed with, we competed against and there was a proper brother/sisterhood.
SW: Have you ever competed in SL surfing?
DK: Yeah, I did 4 or 5 seasons, I think. In the end, the time zone difference made it pretty much impossible to continue.
SW: What drew you to the competition circuit?
DK: When I arrived, the SL Surfing Association was run by 6 or 7 totally committed crew. The way you were made to feel part of the tribe was something I could easily relate back to surfing in real life (RL). Back then there was probably a core crew of 20 surfers and a few friends but every comp was a full party, even when you were trying to psyche for your heat, you couldn't help but be laughing - especially with people like Rayz (Rayzza Rubble) around.
SW: Do you have a favorite surf break that is no longer around?
DK: Bundoran for sure... that place was epic. Mick (Lunasea) and Revy Lunasea's (Revlon Benoir) sim was rad, too. Kapu Kai it was called, I think.
SW: What is your current favorite place to surf?
DK: Playa Perdida is where I mostly surf these days. I also love to drop into Chi for the odd fluffy.
SW: Do you have a favorite board?
DK: I like LSD's but I'm a bit old school so I still love dragging out the old SSI's for a bit of face carving.
SW: Do you have a preferred wave?
DK: There's some really nice waves around at the moment but the wave at Playa Perdida really suits the way I like to surf in RL. It forces you to draw very similar lines that you would on a real wave so it feels more authentic to me. I also still love fluffies, too.
SW: What else do you like to do in SL?
DK: I'm a bit of a speed demon so I love getting on my Harley and letting it rip, love seeing live music gigs, and I've been getting into sailing lately, too...awesome fun!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment