Since a few weeks back, when Michael Peterson passed away, I've wanted to write a piece about the influence of professional surfing. What stimulated that thought was MP's personal dichotomy -- being so well suited to compete in surf contests in the water, while being wholly incapable of representing the burgeoning corporate surf culture on land. It's a pretty good metaphor for surfing's personality in general, and it was the single most painful thing I've ever witnessed in surfing.
I use the term "witnessed" in the broadest sense. I was in Queensland during the initial period of MP's emergence, and was working at Surfer Magazine a few years later when pro surfing and the "new generation of superstars" (MP, Shawn Tomson, MR, etc) came onto the international scene. So, when it came to MP, I was on the outside looking in...but from a pretty good vantage point.
Pro surfers like Shawn Tomson and Peter Townend were well suited, personality-wise, to present themselves to the surfing world beyond their talent in the water. Like 'em or not, they were straight forward professionals. Michael Peterson, arguably the best talent of that generation, was not. (I shudder to think what his many foibles would have come to, if the social media had been in place back then.)
In retrospect, those years of the mid-to-late 70's seem innocent...but the writing was on the wall for anyone who was paying attention. Surfing was going to change, and change in a manner that would burn any and all bridges back to its roots. Those changes worked in the favor of anyone inclined to embrace and benefit from the concept of a corporate surf culture, and against anyone who wished the DNA of surfing (as it was practiced in the water on a day-to-day basis back then) would remain unaltered.
In any case, The Inertia ran a thoughtful piece by Tetsuhiko Endo on the varying aspects of the contemporary professional surf culture. Worth a look.
Check it out here...
5 comments:
Levon was the real deal, Robbie wasn't.
Surfing is like kissing or eating,if you try to make money on it you will just get fat and get cold sores. One of my proudest jokes was on Shawn. It was a small day at Rincon. He had just been out positioned on a set wave and was livid. I asked him if he was OK, and said I would take care of it. I went over to the young Turk and asked if he knew what he just done [all within earshot of Shawn who was cooly listening] "Im a training professional" the guy was serious. "Do you know who you just snaked? That was a former world champ. He doesn't get many waves. You should Respect your elders while they are still with us. Karma dude."
The dude realized his error and paddled over to Shawn and spoke "I did not know who you were, At your age I will let you get your few waves left." I couldn't tell how to take the whole thing in.
Was the dude gaming Shawn? Was Shawn honored,or insulted? After a long silence, I realized how far they have drifted from the point of surfing which is fun
Guerdon
The whole idea of surfing,free,pro,whatever,makes me chortle.
When leisure activities can't take the piss out of themselves,that's hilarious!
"Surfing was going to change, and change in a manner that would burn any and all bridges back to its roots."
Thank you for sharing this excellent observation Paul. So true, so sad that the road to hell is paved with t-shirt sales.
I like to think (hope) we are a touch different.
Great post.
G
Great post Paul. Thankfully some of us still remember our roots, appreciate our elders and the pure joy of the ocean waves. Surfing is a privilege and every wave is a gift. Aloha, Cher
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