If you think pop-up is overrated, we can't be friends

In this week's Weekly Pop-Up, we dive into one of surfing's most controversial questions: is the pop-up really as important as everyone says—or is it wildly overrated? I'll share why I'm borderline obsessed with my own pop-up (and why it's been my biggest surfing nemesis), what seasoned surfers and coaches have to say, and why some swear it's all about positioning and reading waves. We'll talk old timers with slow knee-pops, why first-lesson "stand up guaranteed" promises are the worst, and what I wish I'd done instead when I started. Spoiler: it involves a lot more bodyboarding and a lot fewer wipeouts.