Surfing: Now with Extra Media Exposure!
Maybe this surfing thing will catch on after all.
I came to this realization reading the latest magazine story about some surfer types. You know, the ones with the crazy nicknames like “Flea”, “Snips”, and “Skindog”. These guys surf big waves just for the sake of doing it. In addition to chasing bigger-than-the-biggest-thing-ever-and-then-some waves, they’re pretty hunky, too.
Did I mention this ran in Vanity Fair?
Not a bad article, actually, compared to others out there. Yes, it describes the West Side crew as a bunch of zany madcap pranksters; Gerlach and Parsons as penultimate opposites attracting; and Laird Hamilton as, well, Laird Hamilton. Looking beyond the standard biographies, the sense of a community shows through. Sure, this community joins in what most folks consider suicidal insanity, but the connection remains solid.
The piece also delves briefly into how this year may signal the breakthrough of surfing — some major movies around the corner, plus serious publicity surrounding the sponsored hunt for huge surf. The existence of the article serves as a self-fulfilling prophecy in this respect.
This bell tolls ominously for those who view it as open invitation for everyone and their cousin to grab a board and head for some coastline. More crowds equal more hassles equal more aggravation. “Whatever happened to the good old days,” they’ll ask, knowing that good old days always seem better than they actually were.
The more optimistic herald the opportunity: a shaper on every corner, no more setting the VCR to tape a late-night showing of a months-old contest, a chance to finally put a rest to the Jeff Spicoli image.
Could either event play out? Sure. Could both? Sure. The fact surfing has been through this before, and will go through it again remains the only certainty.