Open the door, don't bust it down.

This is the second time I've seen "Busting Down the Door", and it's even better the second time around. Not only did the second time viewing put it into context for me, but I was able to better understand what exactly they were talking about. And what a trip! Reading the actual article Rabbit wrote in 1976, the same one that got him banned from the north shore and almost killed. Although I thought the article to be well written, i didn't seem to find anything in there that would make death threats and beatings of the sort a crime that fit his so-called punishment. But then I read "Haole Go Home" and was able to understand that the Austrialian/South African surfers represented much more than poor etiquette in and outside the water. They represented the years and years of oppression and changed the native Hawaiians faced through generations of turmoil and exhausted efforts to stay true to their ancestors and families. The Hawaiians gave and gave until people, such as the showy Australian and South Africans, began taking without asking or even being grateful for the opportunity to be there. It's something that rings true in my hometown, when our surfers are asked to share their waves, no one is happy.

Week 6

This week's movie was the documentary "Bustin' Down the Door".  It chronicled how a group of surfers from Australia and South Africa helped make surfing the huge industry/popular sport it is today by conquering huge waves and winning numerous titles along the way.  The beginning half of the documentary just detailed the experiences and travels of the surfers, while the second half focused on the tensions that arose between the surfers and the native Hawaiians.  It was really intense to learn about the progression of the problems between both groups, and how serious and dangerous the animosity got, which eventually culminated in death threats towards the non-native surfers.  I liked how the film showed both sides of the conflict, interviewing the non-Hawaiian surfers such as Wayne "Rabbit" Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson, and Mark Richards, while also getting the perspective of one of the most feared Hawaiians on the island (who gave me the impression that he enjoyed the tensions, with his nonchalant attitude and occasional smiles when he was talking about the events that transpired).  I also liked the ending scenes, where Rabbit, MR, and Tomson reunited to surf together as older men; they still could ride the waves as agilely as they did in their younger peak years.

Surf Etiquette 101

Looking into these reading and film, Bustin' Down the Door, we see this hostility within the surfing communities around the world. "Surf etiquette is key in surviving out in the waves of the locations you choose to surf at," said my surf instructor Dave Shulkin my first day of instruction. Coming in I had no idea that there was any etiquette or rules behind surfing, and boy was I wrong.

Tip #1: When getting ready to take a wave the person to your right has the right-of-way in taking that wave.

Tip #2: Once finished riding your wave make sure to swim to your right (away from incoming surfers) around to get back to the location where you want to catch a wave. 

(so basically after you finished riding Indiana Jones at Disneyland you got to go walk back to the front of the line to get that amazing rush you got when you were on it) 

Tip #3: Don't get in the way of surfers
Tip #4: Don't get in the way of surfers
Tip #5: Don't get in the way of surfers

From the film, to what we had read, and the one page reading of 'Haole Go Home,' we may conclude and comprehend that Hawaiians are really into their roots and have right to be offended. A single word can describe so much in the world of literature and going to Rabbits article published on SURFER magazine in 1977 he described the modernization of the sport of surf and how it was 'basic' and 'young'  and a 'popular pastime roughly twenty years ago,' while it had, and continues to be, an ancient custom amongst the Hawaiian culture.
The Hawaiians have a right to express their anger through violent action (not saying that violence is the way to solve your problems) since in the nineteenth-century they had been ripped from their soil and ridden of their customs after Cook arrived who saw these indigenous folk gliding above water when he first arrived to the islands. Instead of banishing cook, they killed him, so we could see how Hawaiians hold a lot of values to heart, which is the way it should be since our roots is what comprises us of our identities. So taking shit from Bartholomew and his ill-written paper and the blocking of the beach from the public in order to host competitions were the last blows to the Hawaiian native surfers that made them ignite and stand for their culture and sport of surf.
Looking back to the history behind 'surf rage' we can see how it had been ignited but now looking into 'modern-day surf rage' we see locals cut non-locals off. A very territorial dominance in the locate to where one is able to surf has pervaded to many other popular locations in the world. So careful out there on those beach waves. Especially if you decide to go to Brazil!

¡Viva la Surf Culture!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nVI618SYVI

LOCALS ONLY

And here's a music video by the Surf Punks showing what localism in Malibu was all about in the 80's

To the max gnar gnar

Here is a very informational video about the evolution of California slang and the process of language/culture manipulation and creation in general.

Week 5 Stayin' Alive

I was glad our last class gave rise to a discussion about the influence of psychedelics in our cultural consciousness. The initial style of the Rick Griffin reading is a vignette that paints a visceral picture of rebellious California revolution. I was reminded of On the Road when reading the sequence on the car crash. The continuous 'clicks' bring a hypnotic continuity to the piece. I could feel myself standing face to face with someone who I imagine to be very much like myself.

The article employs impressionistic and psychedelic lenses which are a meta-representation of how the author most likely envisions the superlative life of Rick. This "post-modern" manner of prose involves a more fluid form of language that is as rhythmic as it is descriptive. The seemingly disconnected, protruding imagery, snippets and metaphors create a mandalic trope of continuity leading back to one, basic idea. An idea probably best described by Griffin himself in the quote at the beginning of the article,

"Having transcended the seven evolutionary superuniverses of time and space which circle the never-beginning, never-ending creation of divine perfection, Murphy arrives at the heart of the eternal and central universe of universes on the stationary isle of paradise....it is here our story opens..."

It seems the trip always comes back to the tripper's mind and no where else. The acid test can never be truly passed because the illumination and new perspectives created by such a test still leave us with the air of separation, loneliness and subjectivity that begets spiritual seeking and rebellious action in the first place.

Week 5: The Legend of Eddie Aikau

I just realized, I forgot bloggen for the last week, so I might do that right now. I think the most impressive material from last week was actually the screening of The Legend of Eddie Aikau at the Rio Theatre. The film contained so much more about the relation of Hawaiian culture and surfing. And its suspenseful narrative showed a really interesting personal perspective behind the sport. Eddie Aikau was not only an extraordinary surfer, he was also seen as a real Hawaiian hero, as he saved numerous lives in the dangerous waters around the island. He really believed in the Hawaiian culture and its relationship to surfing, and he finally died in an attempt to demonstrate an important aspect of his ancestors sailing methods, crucially relevant for experiencing his own cultural background. The movie was really moving and painted a picture of Hawaiian experience long before capitalism reached the island and tourism exploited an ancient culture. I would really like to learn more on Eddie Aikau, who seemed to be really dedicated to his roots and explaining them to a modern society.