One of my friends finally sent me their Stab Premium log-in info. I’ve got to say, after spending the weekend getting drunk and browsing the premium content, I am pretty impressed. Really solid stuff over there. I am going to have to make the purchase myself to support, cause I dig it.
After watching this new Stab In The Dark, I browsed through a couple of their more recent articles. One that really stood out to me was an Op-Ed written by Jed Smith, titled “Is Surfing The World’s Most Kook-Friendly Sport?” To put it briefly, Jed describes multiple scenes in which some random “surfer” puts themselves amidst the ocean and waves in conditions that they shouldn’t have, resulting in mishap for another. He shares his own brief stories, as well as those of his coworkers, and does a great job of giving any reader a sense of urgency to get to the bottom of this issue. No real call-to-action, but I felt it there.
So, that’s why I am writing this to you now. I wanted to give you my two-cents. I feel it is beyond time to bring back ‘localism’. Not so much an ideal of – this is my spot, get the fuck outta here. More on the side of – there are some people out here endangering others, and they need to leave. If you are from anywhere near me (California), you more than likely experience crowds that are somedays out of hand, specifically in the summertime. My hometown is unfortunately more packed than most, all year round. And here is what drives me nuts. Everything within 15 miles north or south of me is a beach break. Literally. There’s obviously piers and jetties and river mouths, but it’s all sand bottom beach break. Of course there are some beaches that are going to be facing a little more West or South. Some spots will handle the high tide better due to a jetty. But, for the most part, it’s beach break. On most days with swell over 2 feet, I can literally surf some fun peaks at any point within a 4 mile stretch. Yet, I can pull up to a select few parking lots, and the small stretch of beach is flooded with “turtles”, as Andy King put it. A literal 10 minute walk up the beach can get you some empty waves. But everyone chooses to follow the surfer before them, resulting in mass crowds at the most popular peaks. The most crowded beaches are any spot that you have heard by name, and anywhere that has a surfline camera fixed on it.
I get it. A lot of this undoubtedly has to do with access. That, and the fact that the waves stay under shoulder high 85% of the year. But still. We have reached a breaking point. If someone is struggling to make it out into the lineup, fighting the whitewash, there is absolutely no reason for this person to be surfing around anyone other than his friends accompanying him for the session. This should be a clear cut rule. So, from here on out, if you see a merry band of 3-4 guys or gals struggling around on soft tops and old, beat-up logs on the inside, you have permission to politely ask them to walk down the beach.
Now, I can guarantee you will get some upset customers. People may ask why, tell you to fuck off, completely ignore you, get in your face and tell you they live ‘literally RIGHT THERE’, all kinds of shit. Prepare for it. Both mentally and physically. Mentally, you already have proof of them being unfit for the situation they are currently in. Explain to them that you are not only looking out for yourself, but looking out for them. Clarify that if they are to simply walk down the beach 5-10 minutes, the waves are a bit more mellow for them to handle, as well as a much smaller crowd, meaning more waves for the new crew. That is all you can do. If anything escalates beyond this, simply paddle away. Really not worth getting into too much drama, unless something detrimental has already happened to this session (board ding/brake, injury, etc.) due to this squad. Physically, you need to be a better surfer than every person in this crew. Period. If there is someone who surfs better than you taking out some of their kook friends, they are probably in the wrong, but you are in no spot to tell them so. Let them be. They can learn.
Now, there is a bit of a hazy area with the people who can surf, but badly. I’m talking about the surfer with an absolutely horrid style, falling on the bottom turn, fins skipping out on 8 of 10 cutbacks. Faded wetsuit with holes that hasn’t been worn since last summer. You know the lot? The reason I am hesitant to give the green light to removing these floaters is because half of them will fuck you up. In my experience, a lot of these people will claim that they used to surf all the time, this is their break they grew up at, who the fuck are you? They injured their back so they are just now getting back into surfing. Gotta be careful with some of these shredders. Another segment of this group may just be weekend warriors who are truly unable to make it out as much as they would like, and you can generally sense that in a surfer. They (should) will have some decent etiquette, and will probably be surfing longer than you. Lastly in this group, we’ll have the groms who are on this level. They are just eager and learning, but it is fucking scary having some 90lb spear flying down the line at you with speed wobbles. You’re really unsure if they’re able to put enough rail in the water to save your life and not slice you like a melon. If the grom is polite, not burning anyone, not loud as shit with his friends, and most importantly, not endangering anyone, let the kid surf. If, however, one or a few of the above rules are broken, follow these steps.
1) Find out who in the water is the kids guardian
2) Explain the situation you just saw go down
- If the kids are just being loud, this isn’t enough to suspend them.
- Example – Hey, your kid just burned the shit out of that guy over there. I wouldn’t mind, but the guy almost ran your kid over. It might be safer a bit down the beach.
3) If the kid is without a guardian in the water, give a slow paddle while mad dawging them as hard as you can. When you get within 5-10 feet, tell the kid, quietly, “I saw what you just did. Don’t let it happen again.” Paddle past the kid slowly, still staring.
4) Get the fuck out of there. The kid will be on the beach telling his parents ASAP. You better leave.
5) Clearly, don’t follow steps 3 & 4. You can kindly approach the grom and tell them “Hey, there are a few peaks right up the way. There are a lot of people out right here and to keep everyone safe, you might be better off over there. That guy got real close to you on the last one.”
Look, spreading out the crowd is really going to be a good thing for everyone. More waves, more parking. Different peaks and spots, enabling one to ride and experiment with different boards. Less aggression and hassling in the lineups. Less injuries. All signs pointing up.
I’m guessing at some point in the future, our coasts are going to turn into what the Australian Gold Coast is rumored to be like: where everyone rips, and everywhere is crowded. At this occasion we will all have to do our part in switching up our daily surf spot at least once or twice a week to be nice. Once a month, mandatory, or you get a ticket. Until then though, we can all do our part to spread the water out. I am counting on you.
-if you have a story you would like to share about an injury (to you or your board) sustained, or given, while surfing, email me here > [email protected]
-hwilsin