In this week's readings we got a deeper look into
how the history of surfing was more than just riding waves. Social issues both
personal and public were intertwined with surfing. In the article "The
Transformation of Tom Stone" we can see through his story how not only was
surfing a way of life to him but also a change in lifestyle that promotes a
positive outcome. As he was growing up he was constantly in trouble with
authority and displaying a bad boy image, however once he discovered surfing
his life drastically changed and found something to dedicate his time and
effort to wholly. Also this article touched on the problem of segregation on
Hawaii, which was much more emphasized in the article "Waves of Resistance".
The article told us how the public problem of segregation had become so
prominent that it was slowly destroying the cultural and spiritual aspects of
surfing. The segregation of surf clubs along with the superiority complex of
the white surfers put racial tensions on edge. The change in acceptance of
female surfers was also challenged when surfing was deemed "unlady
like" and discouraged female practice of surfing. What this week's
readings clearly display is that the history of surfing and the history of our
country may seem like different subjects, but because of the influence of both
social issues and changing lifestyles they will always be interlinked.
Frank, I agree with your thoughts on the article about Tom Stone. I think its interesting comparing today's youth with an older person's youth such as Tom Stone. Even though today there are many more youth programs and activities to keep kids out of trouble, it seems as though there are more youth than ever getting into mischief. It was interesting to know that Stone started surfing on his own, without the aid of a program for delinquent youth.
ReplyDeleteFrank -
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your closing thoughts on how inextricably intertwined the history of surfing is in relation to the broader cultural contexts of Hawaiian and US/global histories. In terms of your assertion that segregation was having serious deleterious effects on the 'cultural and spiritual aspects of surfing', I would say that the introduction of foreign diseases, particularly VDs, by foreign interlopers had a much more serious adverse effect on surfing than did segregation or even the admonishment of the missionaries - but you are right to point out that influence as a negative contributing factor. Try to pick a point and dig in a bit deeper analytically on your next post - good work.