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Surf culture

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Surf culture is the culture surrounding the sport of surfing, originating during the 1950s and 1960s but which continues to this day. Surf culture is multifaceted. Today surf culture involves the constant search for waves, whether locally or internationally as well as the multiple ways in which surfing is part of one's life. This may include clothing brands and styles, music preferences, literature, films, language, etc. In addition, localism or territorialism is a huge part of surf culture. Localism is the practice by which surfers are involved in verbal or physical threats or abuse to deter people from surfing at certain surf spots. This is backed by the belief that fewer people equals more waves per surfer. Today surfers come from all walks of life from every coastline where waves break in the world, making them impossible to stereotype or generalize.

If there is one fair generalisation concerning the sport, it is the fanatical enthusiasm of its devotees. One famous Australian surfer, Nat Young, once tried to register the sport as a religion, but to no avail. Surfing Magazine, founded in the 1960s when surfing had gained popularity with teenagers, used to say that if they were hard at work and someone yelled "Surf's up!" the office would suddenly be empty. Other aspects of the culture include the woodie, bikinis and other beach wear, such as boardshorts or baggies. Surfers developed the skateboard to be able to "surf" on land; the number of boardsports has since grown. Also, surfing has its own slang, which coincides with Valspeak. Words like "tubular", "gnarly" are associated with both.

A non-competitive adventure activity involving riding the biggest waves possible (known as "rhino hunting") is also popular with some surfers. A practice popularized in the 1990s has seen big wave surfing revolutionized, as surfers use jetskis to tow them out to a position where they can catch previously unrideable waves (see tow-in surfing). These waves were previously unrideable due to the speed at which they travel. Some waves reach speeds of over 60 km/h; jetskis enable surfers to reach the speed of the wave thereby making them rideable. Jetskis not only allow surfers to ride these waves but allow them to survive wipeouts. In many instances surfers would not survive the battering of the "sets" (groups of waves together) without drowning. This spectacular activity is extremely popular with television crews, but because such waves rarely occur in heavily populated regions, and usually only a very long way out to sea on outer reefs, few spectators see such events directly.

Many surfers are seen as territorial, hence the expression "locals only"; or as the rock group The Surf Punks put it, "my beach, my wave, my girl, so f--- you!". The expression "Surf Nazi" appeared in the 1980s to describe territorial and authoritarian surfers. Other surfers, however, known as "soul surfers", hold less aggressive views towards others. These surfers see surfing as more than a sport; it is an opportunity to harness the waves in and to relax and forget about their daily routines. This type of surfing has seen a rise in popularity recently.

Global warming, environmental damage, and increasing riparian development may continue to increase pressure on the sport. Global warming may produce bigger waves...or a return, through altering ocean currents, to a new ice age. Oil spills and toxic algae growth can threaten surfing regions. And, many wealthy homeowners have tried to prevent free access to beaches in violation of English and American common law traditions, in which "the strand" is not private property.

Some of these stresses may be overcome by building of artificial reefs for surfing. Several have been built in recent years (one is at Cables in western Australia), and there is widespread enthusiasm in the global surfing community for additional projects. However, environmental opposition and rigorous coastal permitting regulations is dampening prospects for building such reefs in some countries, such as the United States.

Quotes

Film and television

The surf culture is reflected in film. Bruce Brown's classic movie Endless Summer glorified surfing in a round-the-world search for the perfect wave. John Milius' homage to the Malibu of his youth in Big Wednesday remains a poignant metaphor for the similarites between the changing surf and life. Beach movies such as the Gidget series and Beach Party movies like Beach Blanket Bingo are less reverential depictions of the culture.

Duke: Man, five days on that board and I'm nothing but skin and bones.

Ginger: What skin.

Mary Ann: And what bones.

Willard: "Are you crazy God damnit? Don't you think its a little risky for some R&R?"

Kilgore: "If I say its safe to surf this beach Captain, then its safe to surf this beach. I mean I'm not afraid to surf this place, I'll surf this whole fucking place!"

In the extended version of Apocalypse Now, there is a scene in which Willard's team steals Kilgore's surfboard as they begin their journey up the river.

Music

Surf culture is reflected in surf music, with sub-genres such as surf rock and surf pop. This includes works from such artists as Jan and Dean, The Beach Boys, The Surfaris ("Wipeout!"), Dick Dale, and The Ventures. The music inspired dance crazes such as The Stomp, The Frug, and The Watusi. A newer wave of surf music has started in the acoustic riffs of artists such as Jack Johnson and Donovan Frankenrieter, who are both former professional surfers. The rise of surfers creating their own music and new style of surf rock has started.

Fashion

Surfwear is a popular style of casual clothing, inspired by surf culture. Many surf related brand-names originated as cottage industry, supplying local surfers with boardshorts, wetsuits, surfboards or leg-ropes/leashes. Today, its popularity extends so far beyond the surfing community, that some of its most high profile brands are listed on the Stock Exchange. These surfwearcompanies gain exposure through sponsoring professional surfers and the contests in which they compete.

Events

Competitive surfing is a comparison sport. Riders, competing in pairs or small groups, are allocated a certain amount of time to ride waves and display their prowess and mastery of the craft. Competitors are then judged according to how competently the wave is ridden, including the level of difficulty, as well as frequency of maneuvers. There is a professional surfing world surfing championship series held annually at surf breaks around the world.

Although competitive surfing has become an extremely popular and lucrative activity, both for its participants and its sponsors, the sport does not have its origins as a competitive pursuit. It is common to hear debate rage between purists of the sport, who still maintain the ideal of "soul surfing", and surfers who engage in the competitive and, consequently, commercial side of the activity [Billion Dollar Breakers: The Professional Surfing World] Background Briefing, ABC Radio National, Sunday, 13 April, 1997. An organisation called the Spirit of Surfing has chosen not to accept surf label sponsorship, since an association of that sort could detract from the sentiment they wish to promote.

Surfers developed the skateboard to be able to "surf" on land. Later came windsurfing (also known as sailboarding), bodyboarding, wakeboarding, skimboarding, snowboarding, riverboarding, kiteboarding, sandboarding, and mountainboarding, all now competitive sports. Another fast growing boardsport is skurfing a mix of surfing and more conventional water sports in which the participant is towed behind the boat. Pineboarding and sandboarding are recreational boardsports. The word "surf" is polysemous; having multiple, related meanings. "Surfing" the World Wide Web is the act of following hyperlinks. The phrase "surfing the Internet" was first popularized in print by Jean Armour Polly, a librarian, in an article called "Surfing the INTERNET", published in the Wilson Library Bulletin in June, 1992. The term "Surfing" also applies to a gameplay in the Counter-Strike video game, whereby players slide down ramps at high speeds to perform radical maneuvers.

Print media

Sculpture

Graphic art

  • Surf camps
  • Yacht surfing adventures

  • Surf schools
  • Surfing instructor certificate
  • Diploma of Surfing Studies

Australian surfer, Nat Young, tried to register surfing as a religion, but to no avail.

References

See also

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External links

 

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