Content Creators and Surf Travel

@dandandan?

I’ve been watching those but haven’t read the comments. I’ll have to have a look.

Are these guys sociopaths?Possibly, more likely just onanists seeking attention.

The worst part of surfing. Neo colonialism. They'll dress it up to justify their profit but they're just extracting local resources without paying for them to exploit a foreign market for their own gain.

No doubt they'll say that tourism is a great opportunity for these low income parts of the world but as far as I know, very few surf operations in places like Indo etc are ever locally owned. Foreign surfers pay thousands to foreigners and the profit doesn't stay there beyond the locals wages. Locals don't truly benefit because their land gets walled up and they're excluded.

These guys are the first brick in that neo colonial wall.

It seems to take next level unawareness not to realise the impact between exposure and crowds. This bloke is a classic, constantly reiterating that increased crowds are because of every other factor, many of which are impacting crowds, but without realising his own impact by making pointless videos. I think it has to do with the loss of regulators at many breaks. The old fellas who would control the lineup and create hierarchy. https://m.

A few weeks ago unlikely conditions for mid winter allowed for a day at what once was a secret spot but either way a lesser known very good beach break. There were more people there than I've seen before but still fairly small crowd.
Couple of local young "semi pro" blokes set-up on the bestbank . Camera set up (we surfed there for years without even talking about it much less photos or filming) .
A couple of weeks later another day with almost same conditions occurs
150 people ..... well done jerome and Benny
Way to shit in your own bed, oneday soon when you dont become pro surfers and grow up you will be the old guys tryingto surf arpund work pissed off it's so crowded everywhere , Instagram hero's...

I don't mind people exploring and finding new places etc., that's human nature. But these people who think they are singlehandedly bringing wealth, prosperity, healthcare and improved infrastructure to these poor, pathetic villagers are deluding themselves. They contribute absolutely NOTHING to the betterment of these people. Even worse when they use it as some sort of defence or justification to support their thirst for clicks and likes.

Not surf related but there's a cockhead here who thinks he's the saviour of Japan by blowing up all the little ski hills and is solely responsible for saving the little villages from de-population. Fucking idiot is completely tone deaf. I swear, I hope I don't meet the twat. I don't know how I'd react tbh.

Ps- what Benskii said above.

I think we're past saturation honestly and as for surf travel benefitting the locales, I can't think of any places (maybe one?) and I've been in my share of surf ghettos. I think Nathan Florence is doing it right FWIW. All the rest suck but what's an up and comer to do? There's no real pathway to a profession other than selling out surfing to try and make a buck.

I've had semi pros filming around where I live and don't think much of it. Crowds are worse than ever, whatever the reasons. I'll only seek out point surf when I think it won't be crowded . It's not even that I can't get waves, it's just the vibe goes to shit. What can you do?

I read something that resonated with me about ex AFL footy players copping it when they go back to 'the mass of men' and made me think about many, MANY surfers of this demographic. Including myself on occasion although I don't take it out on others, just myself.

“Unfortunately that 35 to 45 age group is still ultra-competitive … [and] they haven’t quite accepted that they’re not as good as they were in their 20s,” he said.

“Until you accept that it’s not fun, because you’re just really angry because you want to do better but your body simply will not let you do that.”

Surfing should be fun. Always.

I've got nothing nice to say about Surf Youtubers (probably a really nice guy though!). To me they're not creating anything meaningful, it's just mindless content to be gobbled up and produce a few ad dollars, floating around in the planet destroying cloud. I'm not fully against creating something from your travels, but I really don't think anyone could convince me that Youtube surf content is anything but negative for surfing. More than that I just think it's embarrassing to be a grown adult and walk around talking to a camera and putting out content about places you can't even pronounce. I don't think it is democratizing film making, I think it's cheap and an enormous waste of resources. People may like it - I used to watch it too! - but I reckon that has more to do with people's addiction to technology and the internet than the content itself.

On a broader level though, I think surf video media overall is just trash. There is simply too much of it. On any given day at Ulus now, for example, you'll probably have 3-4 separate "raw surf" channels filming every wave that goes down. There'll be at least a dozen Go Pros hanging out of mouths or stuck to the nose. There'll be filmers on tripods on the reef, on the cliff, in the air, in the water. There is just too much! I don't want three drones following me down the line, but every wave has become a stage whether you like it (or consent to it) or not.

People like to simplify these arguments by throwing around terms like Luddite or accusations of gatekeeping or just being a grump (note: I am all of these things!), but I think there is something deeply wrong with surfing when there's such a need to turn it into content. Not even document it, but to content-ify (TM) it, commodify it, profit from it, put your name and face to it. Nowhere seems to experience this quite like Indonesia. I just looked at the Surfers of Bali page and the most viewed video is well over 4 million views now. It's difficult to put words to, but it all makes me uneasy.

I knew you'd have nothing to say about it. cheers ; )

It’s a long way from a punch in the head for even turning up with a camera…

Scroll across for what Dick Hoole had to say .

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