Have you ever felt a strong desire to go surfing and the only surf spot with decent waves has 150 fellow surfers trying to catch a single wave? Stumbling over each other. Well, it wasn't always like that. But the situation is getting worse every year. The best thing that could happen to the sport of surfing is... less people interested in surfing. Being a surfer for more than twenty seven years, I wanted to do something for the sport. What could I do to save the sport? That's how I came up with the label 'surfing sucks.nl.'
When you're taking off and preparing for the bottom turn your eyes will be scanning the surf line for obstacles.
You've avoided five beginners learning how to surf, one bodyboarder, one kayak wave rider and an abandoned supboard creating maham all over the place, but when we're about to hit the lip, a skilful grom drops in and blows your wave priority. Aaaaaah enough. What should be our attitude towards surf and crowd? Sometimes, it's difficult to decide. Shall we try to enjoy a few waves in ultra-crowded surf or should we call it quits? Although you are not really having fun, leaving feels like giving up your spot. And since you were surfing here before most of the others could whipe their own ass, you have to defend your territory right? |
How can we tackle this problem?
The Germans stopped 2000 Americans at Omaha beach with only five MG-42's. Maybe someday someone freaks out... But then again, you miss a lot of swell when in jail for twenty years. Enough joking around. Okay, then what?
Make the sport look less attractive?
Promoting the surfsport is like shooting in your own foot. The smartest thing to do is to keep quiet about surfing. And when we talk about surfing, we should more often include the downside of it. Show the world that what the surf fashion industry doesn't want to show. They fly their team riders to the edge of the world in search for the last uncrowded waves and present us a dream in order to get more people into surfing and buying their cotton. Average surfing Joe can't afford to fly around the earth for months every year in search of uncrowded waves. Average surfing Joe is stuck with crowds and he is getting less waves every year. Average surfing Joe gets ugly stares in the line up. Shouting and intimidation. The sport has a major problem we need to get out in the open. I really doubt if surfing is suitable as a sport for the masses. The cool surfer image is an illusion, kept alive by fashion labels. The truth is that we are with too many. In this overpopulated society we all try to escape and find freedom in outdoor sports. Can we escape the madness? Best advice: keep quiet about your outdoor activities.
Maybe the best solution is to keep quiet about your passion
What has happened the last 15 years?
To me and the surfers I talk to, surfing was more fun when only few knew when, where and how to surf. Only the committed made it. Natural selection. Now we have an 'information society'. There knowledge about the waves and surf spots are for grabs. Less and less secrets. When something is fun, it goes viral on the net. And there are a lot of copycats out there. Furthermore people are making money by sharing the information, showing consumers how, when and where to surf. This all makes me a bit sad. The hard road to becoming a surfer was a bonding thing and it kept the crowds down. Nowadays everybody can surf. It is nothing special anymore. But worst of all, with the same amount of waves and the exploding number of surfers, everybody's wavecount is collapsing. The sport is dying.
What has happened the last 15 years?
To me and the surfers I talk to, surfing was more fun when only few knew when, where and how to surf. Only the committed made it. Natural selection. Now we have an 'information society'. There knowledge about the waves and surf spots are for grabs. Less and less secrets. When something is fun, it goes viral on the net. And there are a lot of copycats out there. Furthermore people are making money by sharing the information, showing consumers how, when and where to surf. This all makes me a bit sad. The hard road to becoming a surfer was a bonding thing and it kept the crowds down. Nowadays everybody can surf. It is nothing special anymore. But worst of all, with the same amount of waves and the exploding number of surfers, everybody's wavecount is collapsing. The sport is dying.