This post is going to be an absolute mess, and I already know it. There’s nothing particular being said at all. This is your warning, if you don’t feel like wasting a couple minutes of your life, go ahead and click on out of here..
I don’t really have much to say. What’s on my mind currently is how selfish of an act surfing really is. Who benefits from surfing other than the surfer themselves? Maybe one can find entertainment in watching others surf, as I so often do, but what does this provide for anyone? Does an act need to be productive in order for it to be useful? Surfing doesn’t provide anything other than a workout and a dopamine hit.
This blog I run, this write up you’re currently reading, is this not unlike surfing? Will anyone benefit from this, other than the writer and reader? Is anything even offered to the reader other than entertainment – if that? Rather likely not. One could label this a futile passion project, and I would not object. I’ve been asking myself a lot recently, why am I doing this? Why am I taking the time to write words about an activity that doesn’t mean anything anyway? This all seems so useless. A waste. Well, maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m right. This whole thing probably is of no use. But, I’m still gonna go surfing. See you out there.
I’ve written behind this pseudonym for the 3+ years I’ve run this thing. The reasoning behind that is a little murky, but in general, I was afraid to get in any kind of trouble for all the shit that I’ve talked. I didn’t want anything from this website to come back and bite me in the ass if I ever decided to try my luck in the industry. I might have dropped my name once or twice before. A little while back, however, Kanga Cairns suggested to me that I stand by my work and start to author my write ups so that I can be held accountable for my writing – for better or for worse. It’s about time for that to happen.
Using my real name won’t make a difference. I know that as well as you. I just feel that it’s time for a change; a revision. A sign of the times.
Surfing, as a ‘scene’, or industry, or sport, or world, whatever you want to consider it as – is going through some serious changes right now. To me, it feels like we are shifting back towards the ‘core’ of surfing. At least I personally am. I’m in the water at least 4-5 days a week. I haven’t bought any surf related clothing or gear online in at least the last year and a half. I visit a surf shop at least once a week. I’m going through some old surf magazines. Just really marinating and appreciating surfing right now. Slowing down my daily consumption of surf content on Social Media has played an integral role in this. Back to the fucking core, brah.
So, you know what I think is pretty core? Knowing how to forecast. Surflines recent acquisition of MSW, and the decision to start leaning into their cameras more than their forecast has really piqued my interest in this. Typically, I will look at the forecast once or twice through the week – browse the numbers of surf height and wind predictions and that’s basically it. I’ll decide where I’m going to surf based on if the website shows manageable surf or not, and that about ends my wave research. I’ve got no clue how to look at a chart, how to read a buoy, or how to even talk about forecasting in the correct manner. Which is why I’m undertaking a project in learning how to read a surf forecast correctly. Or, even better, how to forecast waves for myself, and not have to rely on anything other than the buoys and charts (and possibly more?).
A local (to me) legend has started up a page recently where he shares his forecast, which is what I have been tuning into for the recent swells. Shaper, shredder and unbeknownst forecaster Chas Wickwire’s page is called @ thechascast on Instagram, definitely worth a follow if you’re in the Southern California area. I’ve reached out to interview Chas in hopes of getting some details regarding this new page and his background in forecasting. I’ll keep you all posted on my learning and also the possible interview.
Until then, thank you for the time.
Drew Stanfield
-hwilsin