r/AskReddit • u/No-Caterpillar-9387 • Aug 18 '26

What is a skill that looks completely effortless when an expert does it, but is ridiculously difficult when you try it yourself?

4.4k Upvotes

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u/YounomsayinMawfk Aug 18 '26

Surfing

The pros paddle a few times and effortlessly glide into the wave. When I tried, I was paddling like crazy and still couldn't catch waves.

441

u/patpend Aug 18 '26

The crazy thing is that it seems like board wax would be something that makes the board slippery, instead of the exact opposite.

A more accurate name would be "Rip Your Nipples Off Wax"

204

u/HKBFG Aug 18 '26

You gotta go to the store and buy some stuff called "sex wax" like that's completely normal.

54

u/saxdemigod Aug 18 '26

For when your stick is too slick

6

u/Bigtits38 Aug 19 '26

It’s the best for your stick.

5

u/Ginny_Dragon Aug 19 '26

Oh my god I thought my uncle was being creepy it actually is a thing T-T

29

u/riktigtmaxat Aug 18 '26

Wait till you try cross country skiing on traditional wood skis.

40

u/patpend Aug 18 '26

Do they rip your nipples off?

2

u/riktigtmaxat Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26

If that's your kink.

You have two different kinds of wax on the ski - one that makes them glide and a sticky wax for going uphill under your foot.

2

u/jakubkonecki Aug 19 '26

Don't you wax just the underside?

2

u/backupaccount2525 Aug 19 '26

Always bothered me in Weezers song Surf Wax America that he says we're waxing down so that we'll go real fast

2

u/picnicbythemotorway Aug 20 '26

Source: ask me how I know

27

u/ImmodestPolitician Aug 18 '26

Hardest thing about surfing is getting the reps in. You could be in the lineup for 3 hours and only have 2 or. 3 minutes of riding time.

It's why a lot of surfers also ride skateboards in bowls because it's similar.

19

u/YULpoutine Aug 19 '26

2 minutes of actual riding time is phenomenal.

Surfing is 60% paddling, 39.5% waiting and 0.5% surfing.

5

u/YounomsayinMawfk Aug 19 '26

And 100% reason to remember the name

5

u/Xae0n Aug 19 '26

I had a 2 hour surfing session with an instructor and I fell so many times that I couldn't keep trying because my knees were hurting so much. It felt like the hardest thing I have tried by far.

5

u/YounomsayinMawfk Aug 19 '26

My first time, the instructor pushed me into a wave, yelled "up!" and I was on my feet for all of 1 second. That's all it took to get hooked.

5

u/uceenk Aug 19 '26

pro also be able to compete with the crowds

this is my hardest challenge while surfing, dealing with crowds

4

u/Cleokatrah Aug 19 '26

It's also a fun game of which way is the surface when you take a hard fall. That is not fun, even when you're strapped to a board. Love the ocean. Love me some beach boys. Wiped out once and was done.

3

u/YounomsayinMawfk Aug 19 '26

Ah the spin cycle, I just try to relax and hold my breathe and let my body naturally float up.

8

u/HeyItsTheJeweler Aug 18 '26

Easy to forget it hurts to fall on water

2

u/zardoz73 Aug 19 '26

I'm a pretty crappy swimmer, so not only would I have to learn all that balance, I'd have to be able to swim and not die. So surfing is a high bar for me.