The Ninth Wave – no girls allowed?
I sat down at a cafe the other day to find a copy of recently released, The Ninth Wave (edited by Sean Doherty and presented by Surfing World), sitting on the table. The book is a journey through 100 surfing images, using words from the photographer or the subject to tell the tale behind each photograph. It is very pretty, and a lovely idea.
How much do you bet that I don’t find a single woman in this book? I asked my friend as I picked it up. She shrugged.
I flicked through every page of this book and unless I missed something (and I may have), there is not a single image of, nor a single photograph or story by a woman. In 100 hundred images. In 2011. In a publication presented by the Australian surfing magazine that is most supportive of women. In Australia, home to the current and four-time women’s world shortboarding champ, Steph Gilmore, as well as one of the most significant female competitive surfers ever, Layne Beachley. In a country with an ever-growing female surfing population.
That is not to say that The Ninth Wave, isn’t lovely or wonderful, and it’s certainly not to say that this book is unique in the ways that it ignores women’s surfing, but it is to say that it is just not good enough. Sorry, but in 100 images I really do feel that there was room for a few women (yes, more than one!) as surfers, photographers and writers, because unless publications like this get on-board and start to recognise the historical and cultural gaps they leave by excluding women, ‘women’s surfing’ will remain ‘women’s surfing’: as something separate rather than being included and known simply as ‘surfing’.
You don’t go far enough Rebecca
How many gay surfers?
How many disabled surfers?
How many overtly Christian surfers?
How many overtly atheist surfers
How many Asian, Welsh, French, African surfers?
How many surfers over 55?
How many surfers under 10?
How many male bodysurfers
How many male SUPs, Bodyboarders, wave ski riders,
Ditto female
You say that it is not good enough because it has no female representation, I say that it is good enough because there is no pleasing everybody and I cannot imagine a publishing discipline that would send a book back to the author in order to include any of the above categories – Books are profit business, they are not a means of equal opportunity.
More men buy surfing literature than do women, and they like to see images of men surfing (prove me wrong) … so why would anyone deliberately dilute their product with lower appeal images?
I don’t go far enough? You make an excellent point Pete, thanks for picking me up on it – I certainly can be a bit myopic sometimes! In this case, I stole this post from my own and other blog, which is about women’s surfing in particular, so that was my focus here.However, I would not say the issue I raise is about ‘pleasing everybody’, but instead is about trying to be a bit more diverse in the ways these publications represent surfing. That is my actual beef.
Although, like Clif, I would question the idea of whether more men buy surfing literature than women – where are my girlfriends getting their info from?. But if it IS the case that men buy it more then, as Clif points out, I would be asking why that might be…? Surely, interms of profit, they are ignoring a whole market?
HANG ON A SECOND!
I just re-read Pete’s comment and realised that I have been waaaaay too diplomatic here, so I will give Pete the response he actually wants, which is to ask…
So how have I, and the other women who contribute as writers, editors and commenters, fit into Kurungabaa for you? Is it your opinion that we “dilute the product” for readers?
Rebecca
Kurungabaa is not a profit making enterprise, The 9th Wave is –
This is the shore where fringe writers and unpublished authors wash up – serious competitors in the surf writing game are rarely seen in these parts – When was the last time you saw a comment from Baker, Kidman, Carroll, Ellis, Green, Jarratt, Finlay – (hey look ! they are all men …)
I for one am not impressed with this publication, simply because one photographer, who shall remain nameless, continues to publish images of places that are basically “scared sites”. Some of which have had a covenant placed on them by the (non-surfing) land lord who graciously allows access to these special places as long as some simple courtesies are adhered too. One of these courtesies is no public images or videos are to be taken and displayed of the said place. But once again we see that self interest and exposure, dominate over honor and respect. Such a shame that some Photogs continue to ignore their immediate community for their own financial gain. There is no ignoring it, there are many places around the world that would be so much better if off a camera was never pointed in their direction. The of the power of an image, coupled with the responsibilities and sensibilities required of the “artists”, are issues that are often glossed over in the interest of internet hits or sales…. Hidden places bring joy to those that find them, and the search is part of that joy. That joy is corrupted when the spoils are revealed before the search. This is a plea to the artists that love to capture special waves – please consider there is beauty that should remain unpublished, particularly when they have been provided access to these place under the grace of others- are all photogs of the generation “look at me now” so short sighted? I hope not…
Woohoo, managed to get through a crack in the firewall.
I personally would have liked more diversity in the book, even though I would have been assumed to be part of their target audience (white, straight male). I love seeing women’s surfing, reading about disabled surfers and their new approaches to waves and surfing (I remember that film clip of that bloke riding waves in his canoe was epic and inspiring), etc., different cultures surfing, etc. I think the publishers don’t even consider that there is difference out there and assume what the surfing audience is and wants and would like. I remember when they were discussing marketing my book and the assumptions they made. Sheesh, talk about big assumptions, and they wanted to market the book accordingly. I pushed back and have been rewarded with some great and substantially sized feedback from a wide diversity of the surfing population, a much wider diversity than what the publishers assumed from the get go. There is no hard evidence that more men buy surfing literature than women, only circumstantial. I don’t think there is and if there is no critique of the market research used to gather that data. Correct me if I am wrong, please. It would be great to know some of the figures of the demographics and how the audience research is done by the surf media. I wonder what research has been done by publishers and whether they would share that. Maybe a wider audience would buy surfing literature if they felt their stories and representations would be and were being accommodated? It is hard to know until someone does go down the diversity road. If you know you would only get the same men and heroes again and again you probably wouldn’t buy the surfing literature in the first place? A self-fulfilling prophecy? I am the target audience and don’t enjoy the surf media anymore precisely because it is always the same representations. Who knows, this homogeneity could lead to the demise of some of the surf media as the surfing population continues to diversify. Pete is right, there is no pleasing everyone. But I’d argue that that does not mean it wouldn’t make sense to try to please more than one group, and that this would not also mean profitability. Nobody really knows, or maybe they do, and if so could let us know?
Sorry, /rant. I don’t get through the great China firewall often (wordpress is considered subversive) so I wanted to make the most of this fleeting moment.
I hope all are well.
Hi Jimmy,
I have to agree about the joy being in the search. There may be less surf time but when you do hit the water it feels so good to be sitting there knowing you are being rewarded for the hundred trips you got wrong or were skunked on. I found a great little nook in Aceh and would never even take a photo of it myself, because then I might leak it myself during some drunk bragging moment! There is also a beach here in China that is super good and surprisingly consistent that a surf photographer asked me to take him to when he visits. No way. In this very populated surfing world and in a country of a billion this place is a supreme irony of life considering the quality of it’s wave, it’s location, and it’s solo crowd: a kook like me!
Personally, I’d love to see a few more images in this book devoted to pale, ugly surfers with gangrenous teeth and rabbit sized ears. But I guess they’d already filled their “asshole” quota.
I resent that … ! and I’m not that pale at all.
Um, Rottmouth, you do realise that being a “pale, ugly surfer with gangrenous teeth and rabbit sized ears” and being an “asshole” aren’t mutually exclusive, right? One is behavioural and, with help, can be managed.
Nothing turns me on more than a lady who gets me joke!
Surfing literature ?
Where is the woman generated content though?
Apart from here of course.
Where is the coverage of the womens Pro Tour ? Where are the womens surf mags?
I don’t see any coverage of the vibrant womens surfing communities I see round these parts.
I agree with the premise though that women are being ignored by the surfing media.
My wife is a keen surfer and doesn’t read any mainstream stuff cause it’s mostly aimed at 15 yr old boys, is low rent and extremely chauvinistic (her words).
She has a blog you know.
It;s called http://surfingmama.wordpress.com
I have been meaning to get back to this commnet since it was made…
There is plenty of content generated by women. There are a load of magazines both in hardcopy and online, which discuss women’s surfing and other sports like snowboarding and skating as well. Admittedly, these tend to be focused at teenage girls and younger women, but as Steve Shearer’s wife points out to him, most of the mainstream stuff is aimed at 15 year old boys.
There are a loads of wonderful blogs and websites though, which I feel really refelct and connect with the vibrant surfing communities Steve Shearer also describes. I find them lots of fun in terms of exploring surfing in an online context – photos, stories, films, critique… Many of them even produce and sell items like swimmers and boardbags, which are lovely.
The key to finding all these sites, is to stop expecting any of it to look like the sites you are used to.
As for reflecting the vibrant surfing communitites around the place (and esp from the North Coast of NSW, which both Steve and I are connected to – albeit, in wildly different ways), for most women, men are a massive and welcome part of their surfing lives. They are certainly are for me! I don’t just go surfing with ‘the girls’, so the issues and interests you read about on these sites and blogs, might not look the ways you expect them to.
As for content about the pro-tours, well, I can’t help you much there as I have little to no real interest in following them. I think the surfing is amazing and the chicks are awesome and are to be admired, but competitive surfing isn’t really my thing. However, Bec Woods’ blog is awesome, and is certainly one to check out! She is really switched on and has been picked up by Curl magazine as a regular contributor.
One hit mamma, Ring… though a hit. Takes longer than gothic rabbit to update, eh?
So Peter flew the coup and now argues as an Outsider?
If it wasn’t for Cliff and Pete, there wouldn’t be much of a comment section to read.
May the pelican can add a new “sister” chapter that focuses on another side of surfing. It sure is nice seeing women in some lineups, but everything shouldn’t be contrived to cater to that market. The writer has his demo, if you don’t like it, don’t read it.
Freedom of choice, too much for scared people.
” The writer has his demo, if you don’t like it, don’t read it”
Correct.
When i first read this article i thought yes a well put together observation on the anal retentive surfing media , but alas when i de constructed the text i came across the same old crap
pro surfers represent the culture of surfing ?
people actually considering that surf media is actually surf culture ?
negative genderisim more male or more female does not make a negative a positive ?
In the end i left this article feeling including the comments feeling it was more about surfing media whoreship than anything else
I know plenty of “surfers” that have contributed more to the act of surfing by just by being
Quite disappointing from a subject of such promise
Hi SJ. Thanks for your comment…
Hmmm, well I’m sorry to have disappointed you, SJ. I must say though, that if you are expecting a well rounded thesis from every post I write, then you are going to be disappointed quite often.
I saw a book, and, in this case, engaged with it on it’s own terms. I certainly don’t think for even the slightest moment that surf media defines surf culture. I don’t even read surf magazines etc very often, except to keep myself familiar with that particular field. If you have a look at any of my other written pieces, you will find that I am more interested in how people do and understand surfing in the water, carpark, parties and their community – I have little interest in professional or competitive surfing, as it has no relevance or connection to me.
Like I said, I am genuinely sorry to have disappointed you, but sometimes it makes sense to analyse things in their own context. Maybe check out Making Friend With the Neighbours and see if I disappoint you less there. I’d be intrigued to know…
i enjoy the commentary on surf media. i also enjoy it when the ‘baa ignores it, too.
My disappointment is purely My disappointment no need to take it on board keep thinking keep expressing your self freely it is still far better than anything the Bakers or Carrolls of this world will ever produce
Heard about your comments re Ninth Wave at dinner tonight. They parallel a chat two days ago about the history of women in Sydney surf culture. Women surfers of the 1960’s, some total unknowns at that, held equality in the lineup on many beaches during the logger era. This has been forgotten in the boom times of the relatively loud media surrounding Layne and Stephanie. The talent gap in the old days was not as wide as the spin doctors would have us believe. The few photogs back then such as John Pennings(northside) and Jack Eden(southside) either didn’t zero in with manual focus and expensive film stock on poor returns or simply weren’t on hand – much the same way as many great male surfers rotted on the vine simply by being overlooked due to tyrannies of distance and expedience. Opportunities did exist over the years to best depict women in surfing. Perhaps just one was taken. Hugh McLeod greatly respected Linda Davoli in the late 70’s through to her retirement in 1981 ranked #1(after her win at Bells). His shot at Burleigh during The Stubbies is perhaps the best photo ever taken of a female surfer in full flight on an Australian wave. Solid Burleigh Cove, high line power trim. This shot and her words could easily have made Ninth Wave – had the editor taken time and perspective to seek them. Davoli’s story as one of Hot Buttered’s prime riders is laudable. Linda put herself in centre frame for a special photog like Hugh to recognize the special moment. Of moments lost, most focus on Jodie Cooper at Big Margarets and Big Sunset from 1987-1990. Had water photogs taken the logical step of snapping her, side on, perilously late, in total control, surfing today would have the definitive imagery of a woman in complete mastery of the sea. That they didn’t is surfing’s loss. That’s not to say they didn’t want to. They just didn’t think tp pursue it. Had Jon Frank been around back then, he’s one photog who would have. Maybe there’s still time to put the two together.
Thanks so much for your commnets, Derek.
Because this is exactly the thing – the continuing lack of images of women seems to give people continuing permission to tell me that women didn’t/don’t surf.
I met a chick the other day who is about to turn 70. She’s been surfing since 1965, and she still tries to surf every day. She was amazing – wearing a biknini and off down to the van she owns and gets about in, because it fits her longboard and gives her more freedom. No, she is not high-performance, but please, someone exlpain to me how a story like that is not relevant to ‘surf culture’. By continuing to focus on ‘performance’ and ‘progression’, we all miss out on a whoel heap of other amazing stuff. That chick – and her mal, her bikini and her van – is my hero.
We can argue that media and publications aren’t important in terms of defining the culture – and they’re not – but they are important as we explore and examine histories and the like, which of course begins to tap into a while heap of other issues about history, materiality, visibility and validity. The focus on images in surfing culture has meant that if you can’t see it, then it didn’t happen or that it is not important. Lucky for us, the web has allowed a whole new world of stories and images to emerge, which I’ve learned so much from!
Love the post Bec and especially love the idea that there is a 70 year old chick in a bikini on a board in a van out there somewhere. Makes up for the frustrating chicks free zone that is the 100 great surfing images. Eye-rollingly predictable if it was Tracks, but SW?
This touches on a few of the hot button issues that the “Baa should tackle head on (IMO).
I’d also like to hear how mother and former world champ Chelsea Hedges is faring against the new Wave of women surfing sexualisation led by Alana Blanchard.
We had Cori visit the ‘baa and there was a highlighting of the China issue/boycott of tour. Cori explained her position, clearly.
As for chasing up stuff round the sport it won’t be me. The “sport” of surfing holds no allure for me. And I have nothing to do with “the industry” and am not interested, personally, to write about it or contests. I wrote a couple of provocations about the industry in the past and they of course accomplished zilch lol (it just feels like howling at the moon. That lot would never listen), but now, I think “just ignore it” and build alternatives where it does not exist and it is more ethical (a different political move then hitting your head against a brick wall lol). You must feel like that too sometimes, huh?
I just want to think and write about the sea and those who get in it or something from it for simple reasons like fun, goofing off, relaxation, a rush, etc without commercial interests attached (contests are inherently tied to the industry of course, so if I write about them I feel like I am simply validating a a system with all its flaws when I don’t want them to be part of my life. Hard to build the enthsuiasm for words then. Each to their own, as I know some love the contests etc).
So in regards to the Cori situation I’d be hypocritical to growl at the injustices yet at the same time think contests are exploitative from the outset and in their very operating logic anyway, and so why would ya want to be a part of them from the get go?
I am sure some would be interested though in more on how women are experiencing surfing, so it is a good idea. Maybe Bec is already looking at this, or one of the other kurungabaaites would be interested in chasing up? What exactly did you have in mind? A more general interest article or something specifically about women and competitive surfing? Thanks for your input.
Cheers.
Yes, as Clif is well aware, Bec Olive is certainly looking at how women experience surfing, but no, I am not looking at the comp stuff. Bec Woods wrote a GREAT piece for Curl a while ago though, about the way the industry requires the sponored girls to look and dress etc. If I have time, I’ll try and find it for you, but, yeah… I am more interested in people who surf for surfing’s sake.
If you’re interested on stories about women’s comp surfing, I’ll see what I can encourage. Maybe we could ask Bec Woods to contribute? I’ll try and remember to ask her. Keep in mind though, there is a lot to lose for women on the inside who speak out about this stuff, so it might be a while (retirement, time and space etc) before you can get any real understanding of what is going on or how they feel treated etc…
Steve Shearer, don’t say we never listen to you…
I have organised to interview Bec Woods about women’s comp surfing and issues and experiences of the women’s tour. Please be patient with both of us as I am rather overwhelmed with work/life right now, and Bec is busy on tour! We will do our best to get something soon though.
In the mean time, you might like to check out Bec’s blog, which is really great
http://www.becwoods.com/
I just had a look over Carissa Moore’s blog too, and it is pretty interesting,
http://www.carissamoore.com/
Happy reading!
Thanks Rebecca Olive, I would never accuse you of not listening.
Every writer starts with a set of basic questions which they attempt to answer through the adventure of expressing and writing.
I intend to follow my own muses wrt to womens surfing both locally where the culture is very strong (as you know) and on the Tour.
Thanks for the links. I read them both. Carissa is of interest to me because she doesn’t quite fit the sexy stereotype being pushed as the main marketing tool in womens pro surfing right now (a major mistake for the athletes IMO).
You’ll find this post Carissa wrote about her body image interesting then…
http://www.carissamoore.com/2010/01/28/my-confession-2/
Confessions, indeed!
wow…..that was one of the best and most honest things I’ve read in the surf culture for a long time.
So refreshing to read honest thoughts from a human being and not some kind of thinly veiled marketing speak.
… on the other hand, I’d like to see smart people with sharp wit take on the competitive world of surfing rather than waste their time with the ‘childrens book’ versions of “spiritual surfing” that were bled out eons ago.
Clif, you and Steve have too much talent to take the easy way out.
It is about enthusiasm, I guess. I am all for children’s book surfing, though. It is why I started surfing and what I have always been chasing really, despite for many years being side-tracked by all the garbage put in front of me by the industry. As far as “spiritual surfing” goes, I don’t believe in spirituality at all. I do believe in simplicity and trying to strip away all the unneccessary add-ons to try to recapture some of that simple stoke again, and to recast out of the bare ingrediants of surfing so that it all doesn’t feel so absurd. I have read too much Kafka, Camus, De Beauvoir, and Beckett for my own good lol.. Perhaps it is harder to build an alternative rather than to criticize, so it is not the easy way out? Or maybe it is. Hmmm
I think my point was more geared towards… well… quite frankly, I am too inebriated to illucidate at this point… Oy vey. My goodness. Come back here keyboard, where be ye run aft to? But I will heartily lift my last bit of absinthe to this:
“I have read too much Kafka, Camus, De Beauvoir, and Beckett for my own good lol.”
Yew!
I must say i did enjoy the comment regards ‘spirituality” & drew a parallel to the old chestnut “culture’ that is quite often run out like a 16 pounder on a ship of the line rollout the guns standby to repel boarders i am being challeged to expalin what is surfing egads how to react …….etc so i thought i would do a little resarch on my self as i have used over the years both the affore mentioned terms when asked to describe why i set my course on a life revolving around the ocean and wave riding
Spirituality i quote Peter Russel
“The essence of spirituality is the search to know our true selves, to discover the real nature of consciousness. This quest has been the foundation of all the great spiritual teachings, and the goal of all the great mystics.
Throughout the history of humanity it has been said that the self we know — the individual ego — is a very limited form of identity. Ignorant of our true selves we derive a false sense of identity from what we have, or what we do — from our possessions, our role in the world, how others see us, etc. Because the world on which it is based is continually changing, this derived sense of identity is always under threat, and our attempts to maintain it are responsible for much of our “self-centered” behaviour.
Behind this identity is a deeper identity, what is often called the “true self”. This can be thought of as the essence of consciousness. Although our thoughts, feelings and personality may vary considerably, the essence of mind remains the same. We are each very diffferent people than we were twenty years ago, but still we feel the same sense of “I”. This sense of “I-ness” is the same for everyone, and in that respect is something universal that we all share.
When we discover this deeper sense of self we are freed from many of the fears that plague us unnecessarily. We discover a greater inner peace, an inner security that does not depend upon events or circumstances in the world around. As a result we become less self-centered, less needy of the other’s approval or recognition, less needy of collecting possessions and social status, and become happier, healthier and more loving people. In many spiritual teachings this is called “self-liberation”.
Most spiritual teachings also maintain that when one comes to know the true nature of consciousness, one also comes to know God.” but i am not going to get into that one
Culture i quote E B Tylor
The word culture soundsmany different meanings. For some it refers to an appreciation of good literature, music, art, and food. For a biologist, it is likely to be a colony of bacteria or other microorganisms growing in a nutrient medium in a laboratory Petri dish. However, for anthropologists and other behavioral scientists, culture is the full range of learned human behavior patterns. The term was first used in this way by the pioneer English Anthropologist Edward B. Tylor in his book, Primitive Culture, published in 1871. Tylor said that culture is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” Of course, it is not limited to men. Women possess and create it as well. Since Tylor’s time, the concept of culture has become the central focus of anthropology.
Culture is a powerful human tool for survival, but it is a fragile phenomenon. It is constantly changing and easily lost because it exists only in our minds. Our written languages, governments, buildings, and other man-made things are merely the products of culture. They are not culture in themselves. For this reason, archaeologists can not dig up culture directly in their excavations. The broken pots and other artifacts of ancient people that they uncover are only material remains that reflect cultural patterns–they are things that were made and used through cultural knowledge and skills.
When i reflect on my life and the single element among many that is wave riding & taking the above into account i find it extreemly difficult now to rationalize that i live within a culture of surfing or that it has a deffinative spiritual impact upon my being i think for me this has been a exciting little challenge and i have come up with the simple answer
I am a wave rider because it pleases me.
sjh says
“I am a wave rider because it pleases me.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. says
“For simplicity this side of complexity, I wouldn’t give a fig; for simplicity that side of complexity, I would give my life.”
sjh – 1
owh – 0
“(and esp from the North Coast of NSW, which both Steve and I are connected to – albeit, in wildly different ways),”
Probably not that different. I love nothing better than sliding a few on a Watey’s summer arve with the sun setting over Chincogan and a righteous feeling of stoke afterwards in the carpark.
99.99999% of my surfing experience has nothing to do with Pro surfing. It’s about swells, sand flow, seasons, migratory birds, fish movements, fin tuning, surfboard design, the interplay of light and water at dawn and dusk, old salts who’ve lived off the grid and understand the ocean, fairy wren’s in summer plumage, tidal ranges and moon phases, Indonesia, the South Pacific, the East Australian Current, the morning land breeze, the semi-sheltered corner in a strong southerly, the open cove that enhances a tiny swell, the proliferation of bull sharks at rivermouths after rain, taking my daughter surfing, finding windows in my day for a quick go-out, growing old, wanting to surf big waves, appreciating the old lady who runs the health food store, getting a good wax job on a new board, the smells of an offshore breeze etc etc etc .
As a writer the tour appeals because of it’s potential for the theatre of the absurd, the human drama whenever competition occurs and the unmistakeable nexus between the tight grip the surfing corporations have held on the surfing culture and the way that filters down into line-ups world-wide.
It seems naiive, timid , myopic and self-defeating for a journal about the sea (for surfers primarily, right?) to ignore this massive effect which the commodization and commercialism of surfing has on the culture. As if by closing your eyes and refusing to engage with it on any kind of critical level you could simply wish it out of existence.
You might feel immune from it Clif but next time your in Indo tell me it’s not having an effect on the culture in the water.
Sure we need our Emerson’s and Thoreaus and Plaths but we also need our Hitchens and Marrs and Hynds etc etc .
“I just want to think and write about the sea and those who get in it or something from it for simple reasons like fun, goofing off, relaxation, a rush, etc without commercial interests attached ”
Fairyland Clif. Pure and simple. Just like the fisherman from Alaska we’re all subject to forces greater than our own little desires. Even that deserted Chinese line-up is part of a bigger picture which is inexorably tied to the commercial reality of our modern culture.
Anyhow, like I said before this is your sandpit so forgive the temerity of one who wishes to see a vibrant and inclusive alternative culture develop and not merely some fantasy world which offers an escape from reality.
If not here, then where?
Are you able to expand on your very deliberate use of the term “culture” associated with surfing as this is obviously not a throw away term but one you have thought about prior to inseting into your text .
What is written, what is filmed and exhibited, what I see people riding, the behaviours I see in the water, the conversations I overhear and have directly with people which reveal the way they are thinking and feeling about things, the way that advertising and advertorial affects what I observe around me, the relationship with the natural world as it is expressed by books, films and blogs etc etc etc …..
It means a lot and as you stated in your post… “The word culture soundsmany different meanings.’
Ahhh Steve, I am no longer really part of Kurungabaa. I helped get it up and running. I continue to support it though. See my departure here:
http://kurungabaa.net/2011/03/02/see-ya/.
Personally, I am so over “surf culture” and all that you would like me to engage with, and I am taking time out to be in my own fairyland and confront other issues (there is only so much I can get engaged with). That is a fair personal decision, don’t you think? I have to deal with and fight the commercialisation, capitalism, labour, cultural injustices, industrial complex, bullshit in every part of my life every day, we all do (it is also a heavy influence on my job, too. So I get tired). I am choosing to shut the bullshit out of my surfing life though, for the time being because I finally can to some extent and because wrestling with the surf industrial complex feels less pressing to me than other injustices/issues (personally). I KNOW I am being a little willfully ignorant to achieve this surfing “fairyland”.
I am not Kurungabaa and no longer an editor or writer for it (I have written about the commercialisation before here, as you know). Some assumptions are being made here, probably because I have been defending the place and comment here frequently still (maybe, my expression is poor, also, and gave the wrong impression). I am just a commenter and supporter now. I was merely commenting on myself, personally, in regards to this post and your comment, Steve. Maybe down the track I will find the enthusiasm again, I just gave over three years to the ‘baa on a volunteer basis and need a break.
Cheers.
No worries Clif.
We’ll save the moral philosophy debates for another time then.
Boy the sand flows have changed in the last seasonal shift.
Here you go, Steve:
http://www.theinertia.com/business-media/surf-news-thats-fit-to-print/
Clif,
Good on ya, but we’ve had that think for a few days now. It’s another link to The Nothing. Zach’s just biding time until he feels it’s safe to unload data on the Andy Irons saga… something far more relevant to the culture that we all (male and female) live and breathe in…
bec,
thank you for this interesting and meaningful post, and for your work both on and off blog. i’m stoked on the contributions you, ‘high-profile’ women like cori, bec woods, carissa (to name just a few), and all the other female surfers out there make to shaping discourses on surfing and politics, culture, etc. keeps things interesting, to say the least!
The irresistible tendency to explain everything on physical grounds corresponds to the horizontal development of consciousness in the last four centuries, and this horizontal perspective is a reaction against the exclusively vertical perspective of the Gothic age.
If we were conscious of the spirit of the age, we should know why we are so inclined to account for everything on physical grounds; we should know that it is because, up till now, too much was accounted for in terms of spirit. This realization would at once make us critical of our bias. We would say: most likely we are now making exactly the same mistake on the other side. We delude ourselves with the thought that we know much more about matter than about a “metaphysical” mind or spirit, and so we overestimate material causation and believe that it alone affords us a true explanation of life. But matter is just as inscrutable as mind.
Children’s story, my hat. I’m off for a Dr Pepper.
That’s for damned sure! Barbed wire is barbed wire! I know what I’m up against…. No rose without a thorn!… And the last thing I’ll stand for is ideas to get the better of me! I know that rubbish from ’18…, fraternity, equality, …, freedom…, beauty and dignity! You gotta use the right bait to hook ’em. And then, you’re right in the middle of a parley and they say: Hands up! You’re disarmed…, you republican voting swine! — No, let ’em keep their good distance with their whole ideological kettle of fish…. I shoot with live ammunition! When I hear the word culture…, I release the safety on my Browning!”
Ah the sound of a Browning with the safety off reminds me of a poetry slam in Soho. Just a plain noise unless you prepared to pull the trigger. As Wyclef Jean says aim left shoot right. Steve this thread really has seen the evolution of your curve ball which is a nice change up from the fast or slow ball. Pro surfing really does have quite extensive coverage but what you are saying not enough searching critique. or Do you just want a more playful repartee concerning the absurdity and profound irony of attention seeking males.
“or Do you just want a more playful repartee concerning the absurdity and profound irony of attention seeking males.”
Yes, but I’ll watch from a safe distance if that’s OK.
Playful repartee gets out of hand easily…..just watch those walrus wildlife videos for proof of that.
Tangent Time… or maybe flogging a dead horse?
I previously commented on this post loosely regarding the accountability of media and their correspondents on the stories and images they chose to publish…. here is a follow up letter I wrote to Coastal Watch today… I post it hear in the chance that some one may read it, as I fear it will otherwise fall on deaf ears…. perhaps we should make a wager, run a book even , on whether the great Coastal watch will see it fit to reply, or even (eh gads!) react to my letter
jimmy….
To the Editor,
I draw your attention to the article posted today.
http://www.coastalwatch.com/news/article.aspx?articleId=8793&display=0&cateId=3&
This type of exposure is not intelligent, nor respectful and compromises the very essence of the Tasmanian surfing experience.
Stuart is either basically trespassing on this land and/or contravening the spoken covenant laid down by the owner of this property. Access to this beach is granted on the condition that respect is given to the owner and no photos or video are to be placed in the Public domain.
Sometimes it is important for those in positions of power, such as yourselves and Stuart, to show some restraint. The place featured is one of those special spots that has remained untouched because it has been respected by all who have visited, at least until Stuart and his profiteering. Ironically, Stuart fondly refers to some elements of the Tasmanian surfing traditions and experience in the article but still deems it suitable to try and circulate this print nationally. While there isn’t a name nor much information to determine the location of this special spot, it is his lack of respect that is stupefying! With so many other places to photograph in this Island state, it is beyond reproach that he just totally disregards the wishes of the land owner and the community that looks after this beach. There is no localism here – if people find the spot and are granted access by the owner, who always lists the “terms of use”, then all the best to them.
Please consider removing the post. And be a part of the greater good. Part of the Tasmanian experience is to stumble across “unknown” waves on private coasts, and through a polite question served with respect to the property owner, the chance to ride them. This photographers arrogance threatens this tradition. Please reconsider your decision to post this work and help support the dream of the great Aussie surf adventure.
Regards
Jimmy Dell
would you like your post on the front page, Jimmy?
Hi Clif,
I am happy that you have read this post. My cathartic release is complete, just with having you read my frustrations. Further fueling a discourse about this issue would undermine my very point about discretion.
Sadly, in the world of instant media and “look at me” kids, solace in respected and peaceful places will soon be merely a memory – collateral damaged to the publicity war of ego, vanity and the mighty dollar. It seems every secret has a price, but it rarely matches its value …. down here in Tas, we are seeing our long hidden gems sold to the internet fed masses for the price of a carton of beer..
ah a what a mood I am in for this dreary gray day here on this temperate island paradise….
Regards Jimmy
p.s. Great Site cliff,I think it is time for me to sift through it and find something that lifts my stoke…
Jimmy, thanks for your excellent letter. I will certainly take the time to reflect on what you said. Your point about respected peaceful places is particularly poignant. I am torn because I believe in exchange, travel and the decency of man. Media often exposes us to settings that develop these phenomenon. And, is not also through these very mechanisms that sites can be preserved ?
Perhaps the folly of our world is too much, though? Perhaps hiding them and limiting their popularity to word-of-mouth is actually more appropriate like you said? Personally, I have not arrived at a definitive conclusion on this subject matter. I do thank you for raising the topic , however.
We really hope you continue to enjoy the words, images and facts of the site. Should you ever have any creative works you would like to share, please feel free to forward it to the collective. I know our readers would enjoy reading about the landscapes that have inspired your pen at some point. We could certainly be discrete about what precise waves, settings energized your writing.
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