How not to blow out your secret spot -Jed Smith Article

yocal's picture
yocal started the topic in Friday, 1 May 2015 at 4:05pm

http://www.tracksmag.com/how-not-to-blow-out-your-secret-spot/

I'm finding Jed Smith to be quite a good journalist after seeing more of his stuff. This one hits the nail on the head especially point 3

groundswell's picture
groundswell's picture
groundswell Friday, 1 May 2015 at 10:07pm

Good article although as a noob to WA,I'd find it hard to confront photographers, unless it's obvious they're from Perth, even then they might've surfed a spot longer than me.
Is it OK for pro photography but not OK for amateurs?

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Friday, 1 May 2015 at 10:32pm

I thought this attitude didnt exist anymore ! Is it happening everywhere or just south oz thats year of the instagrammed secret spot ? Strangely the crowds havent flocked too badly to SA but theres loads of secret spots being instagrammed every swell . The big question is will it get crowded soon or not ?

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Friday, 1 May 2015 at 10:44pm

If you have a secret spot good luck keeping it that way,i dont know how many times lately iv been out at some obscure place and people turn up and get on there mobiles straight away and blow it,next day its a circus everyone wants to be the hero by talking themselves up......you should have been there ,going off,dont tell anyone....sure.Loose lips sink surfspots.

chin's picture
chin's picture
chin Friday, 1 May 2015 at 11:06pm

Glad you mentioned SA Camel, what you're talking about is something I've been dreading for decades.
Fuck the photos, just to read people talking about SA on any form of internettery makes me uncomfortable.
Just the chatter alone makes people curious, like there's some big secret just waiting to be unveiled. It just creates interest, everybody loves adventure and how better to go for a surf adventure, in your own country, without having to travel overseas. I'm talking about amazing looking pics on websites, with captions like "somewhere in Sth. Oz" or "desert barrels" How about just caption it "somewhere in OZ"
The place is basically a mystery to most surfers on the east coast, they've heard of a few name spots maybe, but that's about it. Good luck to the ones who have actually visited and returned to the east coast, or west, hope they enjoyed it. So, everybody, from this point forward there is NO SA, it doesn't have surf. Now let's never speak of it again. Yes I'm aware of the irony in the fact I'm talking about it right here, so. ....starting...NOW!!

southey's picture
southey's picture
southey Friday, 1 May 2015 at 11:23pm

Guys secret spots , usually aren't quite secrets . It's just that there maybe a few hundred guys that know about them and a regular pack of guys who rotate through the joint . What makes it so good is a lot of the the guys don't know each other well but just randomly bump into each other when it's on .
What's fucked is how people who don't realise how cool that is start inviting a crew that have no fucking clue . These joints should be treated like wedding invites , it should only ever be old mate and if need be plus one . But more respect should be shown and waves shared to the guy who travels solo in any small pack . Numbers can hang at the end of the line , and worst still anyone travelling with rock spider lensemen in the shadows should be openly given the cold shoulder !!!

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Saturday, 2 May 2015 at 7:45am

Uh, bit of irony that it's on the Tracks website.

A gumby owned foreign company that hears trickle down rumours of spots then plans the exposure of said spots including choosing which pro surfers in order to display it to its potential.

No stoke involved - sell magazines and Ad space first and last.

If a surfer involved on the trip happens to enjoy the waves it's of zero concern to Tracks as long as units are shifted.

Annual NW and SA issues anyone ?

I'm pretty sure the editors of Tracks have written off letters from concerned locals as being from xenophobic rednecks.

PS don't mind a bit of Jed Smith's stuff myself.