I think you read too much into those 2 sentences above where I described my opinion of an easy way to justify the large chops on tops.
I knew exactly what you were saying and meaning. I got very hyperbolic in my response, but then again, I posted GIFs from three comedies, so my mood was not one to be derisive.
As for the easy way to justify large chops... (After writing the paragraphs, below, I'm left thinking "LOL Hurricanes" for the same reason you used the words)
Hurricanes shape the environment where I live. They topple trees, erode barrier islands, and decorate the landscape with cars in the water and boats on land (which remain there for years). The most interesting bald cypress are not the massive Formal Upright pyramids which were planted on dry land 50 years ago. The most interesting trees are the survivors of centuries of hurricanes, boring insects, lightning strikes, and rot. Left alone in the muck to be happy, bald cypress trees will produce their classic flat-top style. Introduce Mother Nature's fury and they become icons for survival and perseverance. I've seen nothing in the list of Japanese styles that can represent what ancient bald cypress bring to bonsai.
I don't see the merit in using bald cypress to create anything but those styles that are unique to bald cypress. I recommend this for any and all trees that have their own iconic shapes. A great example is to search Google Images for "
birch forest" and then do another search for "
birch bonsai". The difference is obvious to anyone with eyes. The differences leaves me asking "WHAT THE HOLY FUCK?!" White bark birch forests are magnificent to behold. What I see in bonsai are trees done in classic deciduous styles. Even the forests on the "birch bonsai" are hard pressed to represent the tall slender beauty of these trees. "
THIS FOREST", however, is a birch forest done right. It blows my mind. It showcases the slender nature of the trees and the white bark shines through.
But back to reality. I don't know birch forests from personal experience. As much as I can extol the virtues of that masterpiece forest, I have no frame of reference except from Google Images. I don't live with white birch to say that any other tree or forest would be a fair representation of the species. Which is why I shudder when I see someone not living in the lands of hurricanes trying to use Google or YouTube as their only source for bald cypress styles and then push it to the next level by introducing hurricanes when they don't live their lives riding out hurricanes.
Oh... I just realized something. Let me go back and write "LOL Hurricanes".
I was in Walt Disney World (which I hate) this past February for Mardi Gras break. While being shuttled about, I watched the bald cypress we were passing. I suddenly blurt out "I just solved my problem" and the tree was gone and I said nothing more. The tree I saw gave me an answer to a problem I'm having with my BC "Saint Kateri"'s branch placement. Three days later, my wife asks me what I meant when I blurted out "I just solved my problem". She doesn't know much about dendrology, but she's highly intelligent and was able to walk me through my thoughts to an exciting revelation about the mathematics of flat tops with respect to auxin distribution. I owe my understanding to her as much as the trees themselves.
The point is this: I live among, and breathe the oxygen produced by bald cypress. It's literally in my blood. There are no styles for bald cypress other than Louisiana hurricane styles. If I have a question, I go outside and ask the trees. Okay, I go into the bayou with a kayak or canoe and then I ask the RIGHT trees. What I don't do is ask the bald cypress planted in my neighbor's yard, on campus, or along our landscaped boulevards. I use their answers to help me understand my own trees. When I look at a collected bald cypress, I ask it who it wants to be. I take that answer and then I hit it with a few hurricanes. LOL
This all goes back to my belief that the best bonsai come when people use local species and local species styles.
Shit. I'm rambling. Thanks for taking my mind off of the personal nightmare that's keeping me from making videos. I'm hoping to pull "Hollow 13" (needs a better name) and "Saint Kateri" off the shelf and put them in front of the camera some time soon. "Heartbreaker" is taking her time being a heartbreaker. I'll give her some liver pills for iron and see if that perks her up. "Torque" is being a beast and needs to come out of the wings and take center stage. "Fat Rat" and "Bill's Bayou" died recently from neglect (
per viam nightmare). The latter will be remade this winter. And nobody is sitting in water tubs like they're supposed to be. And I haven't started testing wood preservatives... and ... and... and...
It's been a shit Spring.