X-games Video Entry

Jordy Smith wins the 2013 X-games in a new kind of style. This year the X-Games tried a different format for the surf contest...video entry. With all the surfers traveling around the world, chasing swells, shooting video parts and competing in contests, it is hard for them to all be in one place at the same time for the X-games, espicially because the X-Games runs during the ASP World Tour which envelops the life of most pro surfers. So the X-games opted to have the surfers put together a video section for their entry this year. This allowed surfers from all over the world to put in entries and not be obligated to be in a certain place.  The group of international surfers traveled all over the globe to shoot for the X-games video segment.  This video clip is Jordy Smith's winning segment. For this video part Jordy got a X-games gold medal and a $50,000 dollar check.

Here is Jordy's winning clip

The world of surfing is constantly changing and evolving. With modern technologies and the new media, the way contests are held and how the best surfers are judged is being virtualized.  The modern day professional surfer is constantly on the move, moving nation to nation, wave to wave, without lingering to long in one or another.  Today the mediascape in surfing plays a large role in their lives, and effects their travels. It has facilitated a more kind of nomadic lifestyle traveling at will, but with the mediascape and all the latest technologies they can still be connected to the surfing world, for example they can still how up, virtually, for an X-games contest in California while surfing in Africa (where Jordy filmed most of his video segment) through things       like these video parts.

In my opinion, there are so much that goes into a video segment besides purely riding a wave.  The videographer, the editor  the camera angles, and the music all play a role in how the film is interpreted and judeged. Much of the pureness of surfing and the nakedness of contest riding is lost in the video contest that can be edited and reedited hundreds of times.  They can then take hours upon hours of footage and choose the best minute of surfing they've had from the last 2 months, it almost seems like cheating to me, but it sure does make for an exciting minute of surfing!

-Trenton

Global Wave Conference

Globalization is a topic that deals with time-space distanciation. What was once distant has now seemed to make its way into our personal lives whether one may, or may not, be aware of it. Increasing interconnectedness between vast regions around the globe is becoming more common in our globalized day and age. Foreign economies and crops are now having a tremendous impact in places much further than their physical location.

So, what does this have to do with surfing? Does this have anything to do with surfing?

Well, the answer is yes… yes in many different ways, actually. But, specifically, in this case - with the popularity of surfing rapidly growing due to interconnectedness and what globalization has allowed (e.g. more travel), there has been an increase in awareness for the protection of surf breaks around the world. It has become such an important matter that NGOs, activists, and community members from all over the world have created the Global Wave Conference (GWC).

For 2013, the third GWC was held on the Baja peninsula in Rosarito, Mexico from May 6^th to May 8^th. Much of what was discussed in the conference deals with some of the negative outcomes of globalization – a new factory or plant on a shoreline to meet the consumer’s demand, and the way in which waste is handled or dispensed into the ocean, to name a few.

As shorelines have become territories for surfers, this intrusion on territory has called for surf groups and organizations to convene with hopes to halt such negative happenings, raise awareness, provide and exchange solutions, and to have strength in numbers. What was once far away, out sight and therefore out mind, has now arrived into our backyards, or, in this case, onto our shorelines.

So, remember the next time that you’re shredding it up at your home break, you are still being effected by globalization.

For more about Global Wave Conference - http://www.globalwaveconference.com 

- Bobby Poort  

"Logging" and the Globalization of Surfing

The classic longboard style, or what some refer to as “logging”, has an interesting history in of itself that exemplifies globalization in the surfing world. As mentioned in the previous post, surfing originated in the Hawaiian Islands over 1500 years ago. Originally, as an ancient culture, the Hawaiian people surfed on boards that are known as “olo” boards. These wooden boards seem to demonstrate a clear link to the classic longboards, or logs, seen ridden on many breaks today. 

These classic olo boards made their way to California and other regions around the world with the ambassador himself – Duke Kahunumoku. In California especially, the boards served as templates for the creation of single-fin logs during the 50’s and the 60’s. 

A common feature of a log is its bottom contour – which has close to no rocker (banana shape; therefore, a log does not have much of a banana shape to it as a typical thruster short-board might). Having such a flat shape allowed for the board to slow down while riding on the face of the wave. This was a similar feature of the ancient Hawaiian olo boards. In the 80’s and 90’s longboards began to divert from this classic shape to a more high-performance or high-rocker shape. But, in the late 90’s until present, classic shapes have made their comeback staying true to their single fin origins of the 50’s and 60’s.

Logging is a great example of the isomorphism of the ancient Hawaiian olos, and its culture and place. Olos went out to several diverse regions of the globe to influence shapers in the process of customization by creating these classic nose riding vehicles. Presently, it has become quite common to see loggers in areas on the south shore of Oahu riding these logs. For some, this may be clearly evidenced as the re-territorialization through customization of the original wooden olos. 

For most, it is something that has occurred unknowingly. Whatever the case may be, they sure are fun to ride. 

- Bobby Poort 

A Short History of Surfing

Surfing originated in the Hawaiian Islands over 1500 years ago, and Hawaiians have been defined and identified by how and where they surf ever since then.  Surfing was more than just a competitive sport or even pastime to these early hawaiians it was a culture, religion and national sport.  Everyone in the hawaiian community was involved in surfing the queen, down to the religious leaders, they all had there time in the waves.

In 1778, when captain Cook and his men landed at the Hawaiian islands the hawaiians had to fight for their surf zone (po'ina nalu).  But eventually the surfers were opressed by the colonizers and surfing was banned.  Many Hawaiians gave it up but there were a few that couldn't resist the pull of the ocean and the rush of wave riding.  Because of this oppression the surfing scene slowed in Hawaii, but was not extinct as many believed.  In the mid 1900's Hawaiians like Duke Kahanumoku and his brothers were the ones that took surfing to the California, the East coast and other countries like Australia.

During this time surfing was evolving and expanding rapidly, towards the mid 1900's, surfing was becoming not only a Hawaiian sport but a global activity.  Surfing had been diffused from its mother island and spread all around the world.  Once outside of Hawaii surfing began to evolve in different ways and we began to see more progressive maneuvers  board shapes and styles which began to change and form to best fit each individual area.  The sport of surfing began to shape the ethnoscapes in oceanside towns around the globe.  But there was still something that these people around the world still had to conquer.  Hawaii.

Mark Richards 1978

In the late 1970's many surfers began to make there way to the Hawaiian Islands, more specifically the North Shore of Oahu, as that is the birthplace of surfing, and the proving grounds for anyone that wants to "make it" in surfing.   Hawaii began to become overly populated with ambitious young surfers from Australia, South Africa and California trying to make a name for themselves.  The only problem with these transnational surfers making a statement in Hawaii was that it had already been claimed.  The local Hawaiian surfers had a lot of pride in their surfing and in the island.  Obviously when a group of foreigners show up to try to dominate there will be some resistance, and there was resistance.  The Hawaiians fought for their rights in the water.  In the end they regained their dominance in the water and have been the face of progressive surfing since.

From the history of surfing of Hawaii, there is pattern of repatriation of the sport of surfing.  Surfing was born here in Hawaii, and from outside forces was banned in the islands.  Then other countries began to learn to surf as they were taught from Hawaiians.  Then, the sport came full circle back to its birthplace and is stronger than ever here in Hawaii and continues to be the center and is continually influencing the periphery countries and surf breaks.

Welcome to The Global Surf

Surfing is becoming more and more popular with each passing year. The world of surfing is expanding rapidly, enveloping every part of the world were there is a wave to be ridden. The surfing world is not simply found on the North Shore of Hawaii anymore. People everywhere in every nation are surfing and finding themselves entranced by the global pursuit for the perfect wave.

The Global Surf is a blog that I have created to highlight the sport of surfing, its global influence in the world today, and some of the political and cultural issues that are found in this seemingly care free, lighthearted lifestyle.

Here is a professional brazilian surfer, Adriano de Souza, who is competing on the world tour, in this photo he is surfing in Australia at Bells beach. Adriano is sponsored by red bull and many other companies, which have their headquarters in U.S. and other countries. Adriano is currently ranked number four in the world standings after his win here at Bells Beach last month.

Above is featured Dane Reynolds, busting a lazy air in the warm waters of Southern Mexico. Dane is a world renowned free surfer. He spends much of the year away from his home in Southern California. Dane is known for his laid back style mixed with progressive air maneuvers.  

Surfing has put its global footprint in the world today, and its influence is felt in nations all around the world. Today surfing is a global sport, with global athletes, and a global culture. Here in the Global Surf we will tract a few of the key issues in the world of surfing today. This is Global Surf.