Week 10 Blog Post 6--I think. Surfing Industry Hopes to Ride Artificial Wave to Profits

I suppose it is an intriguing idea. Even I am interested to try out a wave pool or perhaps even see what comes out of more wave pools being built. However, I cannot get over the sheer lack of integrity involved with creating artificial waves. An Olympic sport? Why? Who cares? The reasons surfers should be surfing is not for the fame or the glory of winning an Olympic medal. The ocean separates the men from the boys without fail. To become a true waterman should be the ultimate goal, and inherent in that is an appreciation for the environment and the small things in life, like the feeling of a warm shower followed by a cold beer after sitting in cold saltwater for three hours. There is an unpredictability and a certain amount of danger that comes with surfing in Mother Earth's great placenta. Chasing our curiosity and commodifying our every move simply for profit and fame is not going to get us very far down the road. Furthermore, it negates everything that surfing is about. Surfing is not about the predictability of a perfect-every-time wave pool. It's about just the opposite.

Weeks 8 and 9

Week 8: Drew Brophy's art

Brophy's piece called "Death Tube" (found under the category called "Surf Art" features a surfer in the barrel of the wave. However, there is an angry orange monster facing the wave in which the surfer is in. Perhaps this could represent the sun beating down on the surfers. In the water, there are odd looking monsters. They have faces and tails. 


Two possible ways of seeing this piece:
1. The monsters/demons in the piece can represent the problems and struggles in the surfer's life. The surfer is shown surfing in an environment in which there are monsters; this can represent that surfing helps one overcome or cope with his or her problems. 


2. This art can be a portrayal of bravery exhibited by surfers. The ocean is dangerous because it is unforgiving and uncontrollable. The monsters in the ocean represent the danger. The person surfing in monster infested waters represents him or her facing danger, which is a very brave action. 


Week 9: Tarp Surfing

This is the video I am discussing: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6-vb20srZI


Tarp surfing is an alternative to surfing. To me it is a very intriguing concept. One person rides a long board while other people unfurl  a tarp to resemble the motion of a wave. This is something that I would like to try. It looks fun and interesting. However, it appears to me that riding the fake wave would be easier than actually creating it. I further researched tarp surfing and found that its purpose was to simulate the motion of going in and  through a wave. Skating was invented by surfers. Tarp surfing connects skating back to its original roots.

Final Thoughts

Here is my painting :)

I really enjoyed everyone's projects today and learned so much from this class throughout the entire quarter.  Thanks Trey for all the effort you put into this class and for making it a great quarter!  I really appreciate the learning opportunity and the music and films I was exposed to throughout the class! 

Week 9 Blog : The Wave

So basically for my final project me and Pepper  did a paper mache  wave to represent the significance of surfing. Here is some of my essay on the project. Hope you enjoy! :)

When first entering the class, I didn’t know much about surfing. I can honestly say I knew nothing but the basics. After being in the class, I learned so much more than expected.  It started with the Polynesian roots, to the evolution of music and finally to surfing being one of the biggest industries in the world.  Surfing is a sport that captivated the world.  It left many in awe and yearning to be out in the waves.  For many, surfing is their paradise lost. They get to caught up in the fame and ego that they disregard the bigger picture.  Out of all the articles I have read this quarter, there is one that always stayed with me and helped inspire the final project. The article is called “Bustin’ Down the Door” by Wayne Rabbit Bartholomew.  His take on the ocean really made me think about what surfing is all about.

Surfing has become a massive culture as time went on.  It contains it’s own sound, movies, music, clothing, people, ect.  It has taken over the world and surfers can be found everywhere.  When looking at how much it has evolved, it makes me wonder how much people appreciate where it came from. A lot of surfers are caught up in the competition and the industry is hung up on the financial gain.  If one really thinks about it, what is surfing all about?  In my opinion, if you get back to the core of it, you will surely find it.  If a person takes away the music, the clothes, competition, ego, and anything else from the modern age, they will see what is left; the board and the ocean.  The ancestors of surfing were not thinking about how big surfing will come or how much money the corporations will make. They were out there just enjoying the waves the ocean provides.  Surfing, to me, is one of the sports were you can have a connection with nature unlike any other. Surfing gives you this connection to the ocean that you can hardly get from any other sports. It is the one time where the ocean and the surfer can become one while the surfer is riding the waves. After reading Rabbit’s article, it did help put that into perspective.  He discusses how people perceive surfing and a wave differently.  

Rabbit states, “ Varying levels of consciousness are displayed whilst surfing; for example, some people don’t care to make any explanations in relation to what a wave represents, but rather just take it all for granted, while others see waves as the end result of all significant elements of energy… another person to a wave as being a direct link to his or her concept of God” (“Bustin’ Down the Door”).   Everyone sees surfing differently and has their concept of what a wave represents.  Whether a surfer sees a wave as their connection with the divine or just water passing them by, they can all agree that the feeling of being in the ocean is unlike any other.  I would think for all surfers, it is to some extent their euphoria.  When they’re out on a wave, I bet the last thing on their minds is the industry, music or clothing. They are just thinking about being out there, and doing what they love.  I would also agree with Rabbit and say most non-surfers will only see surfing as a physical expression rather than a mental one.  Non-surfers just won’t fully grasp the feeling of being out in the ocean until they try it.  Me being a spiritual person, I can understand (to an extent) the feeling they must feel out there. Connection with nature is unlike any other. It takes you back to your roots and reminds you of what many have been neglecting.  I would say that this appreciation for the ocean is the main root of the “Aesthetics of Surfing”.

For the project, my partner and I decided to do paper mache waves. We chose this to represent the main essence of surfing.  We wanted to show the importance of the ocean and the main focus that the surfers should not forget. Appreciate the ocean and the nature around you. Also to show that surfing is more than just what the industry perceives it as. It is a connection with nature many surfers choose to make and also just to enjoy the time you have with Mother Ocean.

The past generations cared more about being out amongst the waves more than anything else.  

I’m not saying that the music and the rest of the culture is irrelevant to what surfing is today because that is untrue. Everything that has lead up to now shaped what surfing has become. I enjoy the rest of the surf culture as well. I loved learning about all the music and background of surfing because it showed me that the surfing culture was more complex than I had ever imagined. I enjoyed taking this class and learning so much more about surfing!!  Thanks Trey for teaching us so much and opening my eyes to the bigger picture of surfing! Also on a side note, I loved everyone elses projects!! Good job guys! :)

Final Blog - The Symbol of Waves

                                             The Symbol of Waves

            As I began this course in Seminar in Arts, I would have never guessed I would be so in depth about what actually does happen in the surfing scene. In my whole life, I always thought that surfing was just a hobby and a sport that people had liked to do. I never would have thought that it had so much more going on behind the scenes and that it held such a strong significance to people. Who would have thought surfing and being on the beach would be a huge part of history. I have learned so much in these quick ten weeks of this quarter.
            For the final project, I did a collaboration with one of the classmates, Marisol. We had the idea of making a paper mache surf wave to emphasize the meaning that it holds out in the deep blue ocean of the unknown. We made more than one paper mache wave in different sizes to represent that each wave is always something different. We painted the waves with a dark blue color coat. Then we painted on top with a greenish sea color, light blue, and white to make the swirls on the waves. I felt like as we move on to generation to another, we sometimes tend to be not as appreciative as we should be about the nature surrounding us. We tend to forget about the beauty and peace the ocean holds. The waves held historical events and played a huge important part in shaping surfing as it is today.
            Culturally, the waves held the peace and calmness the Hawaiians had first. The Hawaiians showed people of the traditional life. Racism actually occurred among the oceans because the haoles tried to overpower the Hawaiians of their land, presence, and culture. The white population tried to ban Hawaiians out of their own property and traditions. Within those waters, a division started. Swaying back and forth, the struggle of obtaining property began. Eventually, surfing became a product for competitors across the earth. However, Hawaiians did not care much about the production because the waves were their peaceful area and a beautiful place for them to fully appreciate what nature has to offer.
            Overall, surfing was more than the transition of music, the rivals, and the production that surfing had created. It was the connection a person had with the ocean. It was just you and the ocean out in the open beauty that is naturally offered to our world. The spiritual connection that you can feel, no one else can feel. It is really amazing to see how much surfing the waves can have so much of an affect. One thing that came to my mind was about the discussion from week nine. The class discussed about the artificial waves. The artificial wave pool idea had really struck me because it was just so strange to think of having in the first place. Imagine just surfing the same repetitive wave constructed by the machines over and over again. I remember in the past articles that I read in class that the majority of the surfers loved surfing in the waves out in the ocean because they loved the rush of adrenaline and excitement of a wave. They never surfed the same wave. It was unexpected and they loved it for that reason. 

The Spirit of Surfing: What I Learned In Porter 33A

Ride a Wave Organization - Johnny Promo


As the quarter comes to a close, it is a good time to reflect on what I've learned from each of my courses. With my major being film and digital media, I took special interest in the media aspect of this highly informative Porter Surf Aesthetics course. Though I was only able to make one of the Tuesday screenings in person, I made time to watch one film from each week on my own as listed on the syllabus. My conclusion after seeing each of these movies, discussing them in class, and reading the papers on media representation is that the shore represents the portal to another place. Coming into this class, my perception of the beach and surf scene was the just the physical understanding of the elements as they existed prima facie. As I learned about the historical roots of surfing through movies, articles, photos, and the well presented Salt of the Earth Conference, I became more aware of the spiritual connection surfers have with the waves.

In my mind, I draw a strong line between the documentary surf films with their serious athletes and the surf narratives with their typecast characters. Though both types of surf film have their differences, one thing remains the same; to enter the shore is to leave the world behind. This was exhibited best in a physical sense by the 1966 film The Endless Summer in the scene where the surfers travel on foot to reach an untouched shore. Their journey had taken them all around the world and to fully escape all civilization they walked across seven miles of sand dunes barefoot to reach the ocean. When they arrived at the shore, they played in the waves with the spirit of astronauts playing on the moon - elated to freely explore their own untouched world. The spiritual sense of leaving the world was best exhibited by the Rio theatre screening of Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau (2013) during the Salt of the Earth Conference. This film showed the joy Aikau gained through his spiritual connection with the waves, and how he used that energy to positively affect the people around him. Though I am not an experienced surfer of any sorts, I can relate to his feelings with the joy I experience skiing on a fresh powder day. I've been skiing nearly all my life and finding an untouched powder run through the trees is one of the most satisfying feelings in all the world. Surfers, I imagine, experience similar elation when they catch their best wave of the day.

One of the reasons I chose to work with the Ride a Wave Organization for my final project was due to my fascination with the concept of localism. Before taking this class, I had a vague idea that native Santa Cruz surfers might not like hundreds of people clogging up their breaks, but I was intrigued to learn that it was a legitimate problem across the globe. Ever since the first two surf clubs were formed on the shores of Hawaii, localism has caused constant rifts between travelers and natives. Working with the Ride a Wave Organization gave me the chance to support an organization that welcomes people from around the world to celebrate surfing, not the self. The video Meagan Freeman and I made shows the joy that surfing can bring to someone considered to be an outsider.

All in all, I've learned a lot in this class. Trey, keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing that beautiful redwood plank board hanging in the Porter dining hall very soon.

Week 8 and Week 9 Responses

Week 8:  I didn't go to class this week because I left early for Thanksgiving break, but I guess that the discussion focused on surf art.  It was interesting to compare the artistic interpretations of Drew Brophy and Aaron Chang.  After looking at Chang's photos online, I came to the conclusion that he was pretty interested in capturing the barrels of waves.  I've actually seen photos similar to his on Tumblr.  As for Drew Brophy, I actually came across his name when I was looking up art for the final project proposition, a few weeks before the readings/links were sent out for Week 8.  His art super intense and colorful, in a good way.  I really like how he paints on skateboards and surfboards, among other things.

Week 9:

As you all know, I did my final project on researching ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs and painting imitations of them.  The pictures I attached were also in my PowerPoint presentation...they're my favorite out of all of them.  It was really cool to see everyone's creativity and talent through their projects.  Overall I'm glad that I took this class because it gave me a lot of valuable insight into the culture of surfing, most of which I was not previously aware of.  I have a higher regard for surfers/surf culture in general because of all the things I learned this past quarter.

Weeks 8 & 9: Analysis of Surf Aesthetics

I found Sandow Birk's portfolio fascinating and atypical of surf art. In his work, surfing is tangled up or smothered entirely by other hectic elements of life, past and present. Unlike many artists, Birk doesn't glorify the sun's position in his work, a trope almost inseparable from any artistic representation of surfing. This trend can be seen in the endless photos starring a surfer silhouetted against a sunset or sunrise on the horizon, songs juxtaposing the hot sun with the cool surf, surf brand insignia, and endless other outlets. In this way, I read Birk's work as attempting to define surfing beyond its key natural elements (land, sea and sky) and more, in many cases, as a social struggle and movement. He almost denaturalizes or despiritualizes the sport. Many of his paintings don't even show a surfer in action, just the occasional presence of a surfboard. However, all of them feature the ocean on a large majority of the canvas, because as Angie's film today mentioned, the ocean is the only true necessity for surfing.

On to another unexpected aesthetic surf hybrid, I was surprised and fascinated by Trey's comparison of surfing to pornography. While I doubted the concept at first, I was almost immediately convinced before I finished reading the sentence. Surfing and sex have always been intertwined, as emphasized in a few of our course readings as well as almost every surf film. One could easily argue that both surfing and sex are pleasure sports. The breakdown of the physical act of being 'barreled' took that concept even further by linking the pure heart and nature of both activities, rather than their similar concepts (fantasy, beauty/perfection ideals, objectification/penetration). I would also argue that surfing and porn share similar fetishization habits, as both adhere to the concept that "bigger is better" when it comes to waves or body parts. The porn industry and the surfing industry also both rely on manufacturing a false paradise, promising to offer the keys to a) the perfect wave or b) the perfect orgasm (and how different are they really?) As Trey pointed out, both activities have been co-opted by young men specifically. As a film major, the issue of the "target audience" is especially fascinating to me, especially in ideas like this, where a seemingly disarmed topic like surfing can be discussed alongside the mildly controversial (in our sexually repressed society, at least) topic of pornography, and then loaded with greater implications for larger social issues, like sexism in the sports world.

I would describe my learning this quarter as 10 weeks of surprises. I never considered surfing's deeply rooted social battles, nor its meaning to lifelong surfers, nor the complexity of the evolution of surf music, nor the meaning of various board shapes, a detail I considered to be minute. Once I learned these things, they all made sense; none of it was illogical or nonsensical. It felt more like remembering than learning anew. I think a common mistake made when considering surf culture is to write it off as simple because it's recreational. If political identities are defined as likeminded people rallying around a cause, then surfing can easily be considered as deeply as other major issues. This class serves to remind me that all knowledge is important and influential in some way or another, which helps justify my massive and building debt :)

Surf Charities

So while watching the RAW video it reminded me of how my surf camp also does charity work to help kids and people who suffer with cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a disease that causes thick sticky mucus to build up in a persons lungs, but in the ocean people who suffer from cystic fibrosis are able to breath clearly. I wanted to look up more organizations that shows that surfers can help people get used to the ocean and I found a nice article from Surfer Magazine! They have a top 10 list from that list my favorite are: Operation Amped, Surf Aid, and Waves for Water. These organizations stuck out to me mainly because it involves surfers being activists to people in need. Operation Amped helps war vets learn how to surf and ultimately spread the love for the ocean. As a whole surfing and charity isn't something that is always seen side-by-side. Besides these charities there are many more that help people disabled in anyway learn to surf and spread the love for the ocean.

Weeks 8&9 thoughts

From Trey's's article I got a different sense of what it means to be a surfer, namely the quote “On whether or not you make it your whole life.” While i understand that an activity like surfing comes with its own lifestyle I never thought to my self about the concept of making something your entire life. I do eventually want to give professional gaming a shot in the near future but now I find myself wondering if it is something that I can make as my whole life? Also the quote "How far are you willing to go?... How good do you really want to be?” is a thought that rings in my mind. I makes me wonder if i have the dedication to take everything that far and it makes me realize that everyone that makes surfing a huge part of their life goes through this and it makes me give them so much more respect in my eyes. I also liked getting another look at Drew Brophy's gallery because to me his artwork screams surfception meaning he can display his love of surfing and surf culture in his artwork that can also be used to surf. If i owned one of his boards i dont think it could ever think about actually using it in the water because of how much i would value it. Its almost oxymoronic that his work could be considered too good to surf on. Finally i really enjoyed the video on German river surfing, it was interesting to see how surfing culture pops up in the most unexpected of places, where there's a will there's a way!

Wipeout

Here's my final project, presented with my write-up.

            My earliest experience with surf music was with the seminal song “Wipeout” by the Surfaris. It is a classic surf instrumental, on par with works such as “Misirlou,” “Walk Don’t Run,” and “Bustin’ Surfboards” in terms of mainstream recognition and familiarity. When I think of surf guitar, I think of Wipeout, so I knew it would have to be included in any media project about this topic.

            This quarter I came to understand surfing’s roots and origins, beyond the Beach Boys’ Technicolor vignettes of surf, sun, sand and girls.  A once omni- accessible and noble sport that became unfortunately tangled in colonialism, racism and sexism before being simplified and mass-produced for wealthy white Americans, surfing escapes a singular classification. This is exemplified in the vast selection of films shown this quarter – from the film I used as source material, Muscle Beach Party (1964), a totally consumerist, almost wholesome depiction of an originally lascivious and at times violent sport, to documentaries like The Endless Summer (1964/66), depicting serious racial and national tensions between 60s surfers, to more modern contest-obsessed Hollywood surf flicks like Blue Crush (2001) – it is clear that surfing is a multifaceted topic not easily pigeonholed to a single group, meaning or relevance.

            Still, I wanted my project to act as a reflection on and satire of how surfing is largely viewed outside of our idealist Santa Cruz bubble. This film is a quick and dirty mashup of the mainstream vintage surf aesthetic for the kids in Kansas who glued surfboards to their Woodys, despite being entirely landlocked. Candy Johnson’s hectic, twist-based dancing style, featured in all seven Beach­-themed films spanning the mid-60s is a far cry from the punk-rooted Surfer Stomp, practiced in dimly lit, sweatily packed clubs, as described in Kent Crowley’s Surf Beat.

Emphasized by her trademark pastel fringe get-ups, Candy’s dancing was designed as a source of mild humor in the original films, a symbol for the overwhelming power of the female allure, as sung about by the Beach Boys and numerous other 60s groups. Throughout the film, she causes the men around her to “wipe out” despite being on land, and she seems to be in the background of every group shot, always dancing. In this light, Candy herself can be crafted into a metaphor for the ocean, in constant motion and always affecting a surfer’s every move and thought. Wipeouts in the sport itself serve to humble the inevitably inflating egos, to reestablish surfing as a tribute to the power of nature exemplified by the ocean, once viewed by the ancient Hawaiians as the work of numerous gods.

Much as Candy’s persistent movement reflects the ocean, surf music was designed to echo the auditory symphony offered by even a few moments of surfing – the percussive crash of the waves, the rolling riffs and even the “wet” sound offered by later amp technology, all of which are reflected in “Wipeout” by the Surfaris (one of many bands to cover the song). When it comes down to it, the aesthetics of surfing, no matter how far surf culture has been flung from its origins, are reflected in even the most contrived and overplayed products that have stolen the spotlight. While considering the origins of the sport is important, surf culture has fallen prey to the habit of claiming ownership or originality for oneself or one’s peers, when, as a sport reliant on powers so much greater than manmade technology can ever hope to fully conquer, surfing can’t solely belong to any single person. Neither Candy’s frantic, cheesy dancing nor the sheer number of times “Wipeout” has been used in surf references cannot erase surfing’s inclusive intent and nature.

Final Project: The Growlers - Someday

For our final project Jonathan and I recorded a cover of The Growlers' song Someday which appears on their most recent album Hung At Heart. Although we had to used a complete digital equipment, we tried to recreate the oldschool lo-fi sound of the original recording. Enjoy :)

https://soundcloud.com/dennis_crisis/someday

Final Thoughts: Week 8 and 9

The theme of yearning for surf, and everything that surrounds it, is evident in both Warshaw's article and in art and music.  The reason art and music became associated with surfing is because surfers needed an outlet to express their creativity which is usually filled out in the ocean.  Similar to the invention of the surfboard, the constant need to surf in apparent in all surfers. The skateboard was a way to surf on land while art and music is a way to express how they feel about the water.  The energy built up from not surfing is then expressed though other artistic outlets, such as art and music. In week 8 we read an article from Warshaw.  In Warshaw's article he remembers a day where he surfed with a man named Vince. This experience opened his eyes to a whole new level of the desire for surf. He explains how Vince is obsessed with surfing and does so every single day.  He says you need a "pleasure principle" in order to keep going and maintain that passion.  He then compares surfing to that of sex or art.  Surfers take great pleasure in surfing and are constantly looking for more. This desire is what thrives surf culture and all the artistic aspects of it.  I talk a lot about this in my final write up but Warshaw does touch on some good points regarding the desire for surf.

In week 9 we looked at a lot of surf music and the invention of tarp surfing. With the help of skateboards and an extra person surfers can learn how to surf on land, in a parking lot.  Tarp surfing could be part of the future of surfing.  Water parks were also just built to allow people to surf in a pool as opposed to the ocean. This desire for surf has escalated and now people are figuring out a way to profit off of it.  The ocean is free therefore no one can financially benefit from the act of surfing. But the action of moving surfing on land is a profitable plan.

Another aspect of surf culture we looked at this week is music. I have been fortunate enough to meet some of these musicians and people like Jack Johnson told me they love surfing as well as making music. They do not stick to their surf music genre for profit but do so because they are fans of surf music as well.  This week's music embodied surf culture by providing us with many different musicians and different sounds.  This love of music and surf has transferred over to every entertainment platform and allowed surfers to experience surf outside of the ocean.  The future of surfing lies in the surfers ability to replicate their experiences from the waves onto a larger crowd. They do so mainly in the form of art and music.

Week 9 and Final Presentations

Last week we read articles about artificial surfing by means of the wave pools and what their popularity may or may not do to the traditional form of surfing. I think that it might be a cool idea because we would be including whole countries and states as opposed to just the ones that have a coastline. However, I do agree that artificial wave pools sorta creates artificial surfing. The surfers who are acclimated to artificial waves wont be able to fend for themselves in a real ocean. The paddle out alone would most likely exhaust them, not to mention the currents, localism and sea animals underneath the water's surface. I also think that if the surf industry decides to go ahead with the wave pools, they need to take more responsibility of cleaning up the oceans. Something along the lines of three hundred million dollars has been donated in efforts to clean up water pollution and trash on the beaches, but thats not enough, especially when you get to thinking about the billions of dollars they generate a year. A little more effort to clean up the traditional way of surfing and I think the wave pools would be a good idea (just to be inclusive).

For my final project I decided to make miniature boards out of balsa wood. The boards belong to the line of evolution of the surfboard. There are only seven of them, but I think they portray seven distinct boards that impacted surfing and the way people surfed. I started with the ancient Hawaiian boards, the Alaia and the Olo. Then created Tom Blake's Hollow board, followed by the Hot Curl board, next the sparrow tail board and fiberglasss shortboard, and last, but not least, the epoxy longboard. I went to the craft store in Santa Barbara and grabbed my supplies, brought them back here and carved them last night. It takes a great deal of focus and precision, even on balsa wood. Once the boards were cut out I shaped them (to the best of my ability) with an exacto knife, and continued to smooth out the surfaces with a nile file. All the dust in the air of my room made me realize that the people who shape their boards really NEED to wear a mask (even I wanted one :) ). I had a lot of fun researching and learning about the different aspects of the boards, what made them different and special and how it impacted surfing as a whole, and I definitely have a newfound appreciation for board designs and the men and women who shape them (it takes a lot more patience than I would have thought).

Week 8&9 and reflection

The idea of wave pools sounds nice, but not as a way to practice or learn real surfing. Surfing encompasses much more than just riding the perfect wave, it requires the ability to FIND the perfect wave. There is a spiritual connection with the ocean that will not be attained by a wave pool. Using wave pools for competition just sounds silly to me, because a big part of surfing is adapting to the unpredictability of Mother Nature. I think, however, that wave pools might be fun at water parks for the average person looking to have a good time. But, using these to learn surfing cheats the person from having that experience of being one with ocean.

Looking at the different portfolios from  Drew Brophy, and looking through the surfboard art from Aaron Chang, I am continually amazed as to how talented these artists are. It's amazing how connected they feel to their art and are able to put their soul onto a surfboard. This class has helped me realize that there is so much more to surfing than the sport, there is a complete culture behind this sport, and a culture that is very spiritual, from the surfers' spiritual connection to the ocean, to the artists spiritual connection to their art, and from the fans spiritual connection to their favorite surfers.

Weeks 8 & 9: Warshaw & Campbell

First off, the Cyrus Sutton film, Compassing, was very captivating in the way it portrayed the life of a dedicated, young surfer. It is amazing how he was willing to create his own home by utilizing his minimum resources, such as his van and other scratch objects. It was also interesting how he would photograph his journeys. Other than the film, Matt Warshaw's article on the upbringing of surf magazines titled, Articles of
Faith, was very informative in describing the specific components that gave the surf magazines the most popularity and attention. This included photography. As mentioned by our class discussions, without the involvement of photography, surfing would probably not be as publicized and popular as it is today. In surfing magazines, "the pretty pictures" as Warshaw describes, were what captured most of the customers' attention. The photographs were incredibly interesting and artistic because, at the time (1950s), it took an experienced photographer in order to capture at least one good wave or surf. Taking photographs of this sport was much more difficult, and it continues to be. Surfers loved the surf photographs so much that they would steal advertising posts from telephone poles and other places around the area. Still, it was not ALL about the photographs. The 26-year-old magazine designer that Warshaw also mentions did not take the best photos but it was so communicative, friendly, and creative, that the public did not pay much attention to the lack of photographic quality at all. Surf magazines consisted of not only surfing, but psychedelia and poetry.

Another subject that Warshaw passively mentions is about the way some surfers interpret surfing as a "Godly" thing. Warshaw did not like how some people referred to surfing magazines as "life changing" or their personal "bibles". So as we discussed this in class as well, we questioned the possibility of surfing having to do with a "spiritual" side rather than an actual "religious" side. But whether it is interpreted as a spiritual or religious act, it is definitely a way of living for almost all surfers.

In the Campbell article titled, Pretty Much, it describes the amount of work it takes to get a magazine "out there", as I can simply say. Campbell needs it to be commercially stable, high quality photography, film making, and art direction. This ties back with the importance of photography. If it weren't for photographic images on magazines, the magazines would be incredibly boring. People who read them won't be as motivated to see people surf or even surf themselves.

Wave pools-The future?

The whole wave pools used as an alternative is really just dumb. I was watching a documentary about the Disneyworld Resort and learning how to surf is one of their many attractions available. However they teach you how to surf in a wave pool, one of the manager guys happily said: “The great thing about the wave pool is that every time you get the perfect wave.” Pretty sure anyone who relies on Disney to learn how to surf is setting themselves up to get rocked when they’re out in the ocean. The perfect wave rarely happens unless you’re in a Hollywood movie Part of the surf experience is going out and finding where the right spot to surf is. When you’re going out to surf you have to work with what’s given to you and not with what some generator is making the waves. For people not located on the coast there are clearly other ways to fill your need to surf. Tarp surfing seems pretty rad to do and it calls for the community vibe you would get when going surfing with a few friends. My coworker went back to Paris and he is able to continue surfing on the lake and another coworker surfs Lake Michigan Another alternative method is river surfing, that looks pretty crazy.

While watching the video about wave pools being used to get surfing recognized as a sport and possibly made an Olympic sport, I think that’s just a little unnecessary. Surfing is clearly a worldwide sport and it doesn’t need to be recognized by the Olympics in order to be considered legitimate.

Who benefits from the contests?

While Watching The Present it was said, “surf competitions only represent 99.5% of the surf population.” This being said, whom does the surf competition really benefit? Obviously its fun to go out and watch the best surfers in the world compete but the whole competition aspect goes against surf culture in my opinion. Everyone has a different relationship with surfing and for most it’s a spiritual connection to nature, that’s the focus and the main draw to surf. Competition comes relatively naturally when surfing with friends as far as a showing each other who is best. The competitions support the surfers on a small scale but they’re mostly funding the surf brands. Personally I would rather see the top surfers just catching a sesh and enjoying themselves then watch them at a contest.