Issues of Localism

[Gazsurf]

Tyedog....please for the love of God shut up....OST is a real prick and will prolly use that tactic next week at Shorties, he loves to frog march arrestees up the path there, I thinkit gets him up for the old lady in the trailer park!

[redliner]

Fish?......

[kevinfromseattle]

two older ~35 yrs old guys at westport that drive big trucks with ladder racks will get on you, but only on off days when the swell is really pumping at TC (winter). Ive had one tell me in advance that "if you drop in on me, i'll break your fawkin face"
thats it

[thurgood jenkins]

Yeah last time I was at Westie there was this one guy playing police officer at the break trying to teach everyone ettiquette I tried to ignore him and shrug it off. At one point he was calling out this Hawaiian guy on a long board for taking off early on the sets telling him to learn his ettiquette they started screaming and the guy from Hawaii said "This sh*t happens everytime I come here." "If you pulled that attitude in Hawaii you'd be dead!"
At the time there was only 4 of us out there surfing the groins. I ignored them for the first 5 minutes then simply said. "Guys, theres only four of us out here for god sakes, chill out and enjoy the waves" they got quiet after that I guess they felt silly. It's funny htough because after the guy told me off earlier in the session he started up conversation with me several times. He was a nice enough guy after the initial bs but his attitude turned me off and I really didn't want anything to do with him, I don't want to make any enemies though so I was polite.
It amazes me that these guys cop an attitude like that in this day and age it's not the smartest thing to start mouthing off a total stranger, you never know, the guy could be waiting for your a$$ in the parking lot with a tire iron or a gun or something. I figure unless I have something positive to say to someone I usually won't say anything at all. No sense making enemies. Besides why fight over waves anyways, another one will roll through in about 11 seconds. The whole localism deal is pathetic not only does it not work it's completely opposite to the soulful nature of surfing. These people need a wake up call, maybe if they didn't surf the same wave everyday for the last couple of decades they'd have a more open mind.

[nm]

you never know, the guy could be waiting for your a$$ in the parking lot with a tire iron or a gun or something.

Any of you guys that have been around the page for a long time remember the guy in Westport that pulled a gun? .......couple years ago I think?

[thurgood jenkins]

I wouldn't be suprised that place is teeming with attitude and bad vibes, some of the most miserable surfers I have ever encountered which is a little odd as they get pretty good, consistent waves. The town kind of sucks but I have been in worse places with better attitudes and far more fickle surf, case in point Port Renfrew, that place is sooooooo fickle, has one of the highest suicide rates in Canada yet the locals there are stoked and friendly. One guy even hooked me and 2Tone up with some nugs as we were out and feinin, thanks man!

[pro moe]

longboard paddling around everybody

sounded like that hawaiian needed to be regulated and lest he forget he aint in hawaii

and skilz in my experience is the great silencer

[Bison]

In a recent Surfer article about localism Steve Barilotti writes:

"But the hard-line localism of yesteryear-where a small, close-knit crew of regulars uses such intimidation to keep outsiders at bay-is fast becoming extinct. The sheer number of surfers in the water these days makes policing the line-up a bootless exercise."

From what I have seen (limited I admit) in the PNW it seems like the "localism of yesteryear" Barilotti speaks of is alive and well at a few spots, most notably the point. Perhaps because the numbers of people in PNW waters is comparatively low this so call "policing" still exists.

I can't see that "sheer numbers" will however ease the tensions. Perhaps it has been chugging along at a steady rate for years and it is just me that is new on the scene but it seems like tension in PNW waters is reaching a boiling point where we could soon be seeing the sort of nastiness more well know surf locales have known.

Those of you who have been around for a while in the PNW....
Has localism existed at a steady level, increased, or decreased over the years???

[Bison]

ok one more question for everyone....

As Paul Holmes, contributing editor of LongBoard magazine, wrote:

"Few surfers in comparatively crowded conditions have not seen or experienced the phenomenon of social hostility. Verbal abuse and threats, punches, rock-throwing and tyre-slashing are so commonplace they have become part of the fabric of daily surfing. The core issue is wave possession. In localism, it's about 'our waves'. In surf rage, it's about 'my wave'."

As defined here, what is more common in the PNW, Localism or Surf Rage

[Gazsurf]

Calling all self proclaimed enforcers for their overly inflated sense of judicial skills.......without the pre-requisite education......

[kevinfromseattle]

I usually don't talk with anyone, sometimes even my friends and just do alot of glaring if people are bieng stupid. I usually find that a good sour look will make most people realize what they have done, or the most drastic I'll get is i'll post up real close and start stealing thier waves.

[guppy]

The most hostility I've ever experienced has been in Palos Verdes at Lunada Bay. Police enforcement is difficult because of cliffs. It's in a ritzy neighborhood where a silver spoon bunch of b!tches threaten and destroy property and flesh. There has been a few cases where people who were hurt sued but even after that, little is done about their behavior.
One instance in which I was walking down the trail I was asked by two locals "what the fuc are you thinking" and "who the fuk are you". As I got to the bottom of the trail the locals that were at the point were screaming, from 200 yards, and throwing rocks to deter us. I wanted so badly to paddle out there I contemplated coming back with a gun. I thought up various scenarios in which I would force them to let me surf, if not only for an hour, which I never went forth with. I did however call the police one day I checked it and was threatened and do you know what they told me? "Well why would you go there?"

I guess these rich white republican surfers are comparative to George and Dick in that laws don't apply to their thuggish behavior.

I'm glad to be in the PNW.

I still sometimes daydream of gathering up a large crew of my most sinister friends and forcing my way onto their beach.

[Dano]

Ive been out at some of the more remote spots on Maui and been sent in buy some HEAVY mokes. When you are sitting out there, and 3 or 4 huge blahlahs on longboards paddle out and yell "ALL YOU FAKAS GO IN NOW", you ask yourself: have I gotten any fun ones? Yes? Then I may as well go in! Hahahaha

[Gazsurf]

My favourite localism story.......Rockpiles on a smallish day, kinda crowded with a few beeg mokes in the water doing a little body surfing amongst the surfers. Everything is cool they're not hassling anyone, until a blonde kid from [insert your state or country here] paddles for a small inside wave, completely mowing down one of the two locals[+250lbs. each]. He comes up behind the wave rightfully threatening to kick the kid's a$$ who in the only bright move he had made all morning split for Rocky Point, leaving the rest of us with two very pissed locals screaming about effing haoles.

Up pops a nice peak right in front of me but if I take it the very same local who just got run over will have to make a slight adjustment to get out of the way.....ahhhh I think not!! While I am cursing the prick who started this and put a chill in the air and then split, probably to cause more crap somewhere else, I hear the Hawaiian yell at me...."Go brah that is a good one!" I take a look at him and he is already swimming out of the way and waving me into the drop........with a smile on his face.

[Dano]

My favourite localism story.......Rockpiles on a smallish day, kinda crowded with a few beeg mokes in the water doing a little body surfing amongst the surfers. Everything is cool they're not hassling anyone, until a blonde kid from [insert your state or country here] paddles for a small inside wave, completely mowing down one of the two locals[+250lbs. each]. He comes up behind the wave rightfully threatening to kick the kid's a$$ who in the only bright move he had made all morning split for Rocky Point, leaving the rest of us with two very pissed locals screaming about effing haoles.

Up pops a nice peak right in front of me but if I take it the very same local who just got run over will have to make a slight adjustment to get out of the way.....ahhhh I think not!! While I am cursing the prick who started this and put a chill in the air and then split, probably to cause more crap somewhere else, I hear the Hawaiian yell at me...."Go brah that is a good one!" I take a look at him and he is already swimming out of the way and waving me into the drop........with a smile on his face.

ALOHA!!!! Good Story cuz.. Theres some great people in Hawaii.