Surfpolitik

This is an article about blame and responsibility. I was provoked into writing it after getting hit by a loose surfboard at Manly Beach on a midsummer Sunday. As all right-thinking surfers know, the chances of getting hit are greatly increased when surfing at such an hour. Therefore, if first principles are to be observed I'm at fault simply for being out there.

It was the defining moment of the Quiksilver Pro final: Joel Parkinson, standing tall in a clean Kirra barrel, sticking his middle finger up at Kelly Slater who was just about to drop in on him.

Of course the photo has a back story...

Recently Surfing Australia held its annual awards night. As it was their 50th anniversary Surfing Australia marked the milestone with a special presentation, 'Australia's Ten Most Influential Surfers.' Bob McTavish was deemed Australia's tenth most influential surfer, and, as they were announced in reverse order, he was the first to accept his award. Bob began his speech by opening up on an old topic: Is surfing a sport or an art? As the speech progressed it felt like we were heading toward an awkward faux pas, a black mark on a black tie night.

I've been thinking about the worth of celebrity riders. It's something I've been mulling over since news that John John Florence signed to Hurley for a rumoured $40 million over ten years. At the time Brendan Thomas, editor of Surfing Magazine made a poignant Tweet, and I paraphrase: "Companies that get caught in bidding wars are like two surfers paddling each other too deep on the peak – no-one wins."

We are all part of the crowd, but in some weird schizoid manifestation of our primitive instincts, we all loathe it at the same time. So in the spirit of reframing and trying to see something positive in even the worst of circumstances, consider the few, pathetic, advantages that come from that seasonal swarm of humanity that sweeps down upon your local surf spot at this time of year.