Wings of Steel

Localism

Even though waves break everywhere along a coast, good surf spots are rare. A surf break that forms great surfable waves may easily become a coveted commodity, especially if the wave only breaks there rarely. If this break is near a large population center with many surfers, territorialism often arises. Regular surfers who live around a desirable surf break may often guard it jealously, hence the expression "locals only." The expression "locals only" is common among beach towns, especially those that are seasonally encroached upon by vacationers who live outside the area. Localism is expressed when surfers are involved in verbal or physical threats or abuse to deter people from surfing at certain surf spots. It is based in part on the belief that fewer people mean more waves per surfer.


Some locals have been known to form loose gangs that surf in a certain break or beach and fiercely protect their "territory" from outsiders.[1] These surfers are often referred to as "surf punks" or "surf nazis." The local surfer gangs in Malibu and on Hawaii, known as da hui, have been known to threaten tourists with physical violence for invading their territory. In Southern California, at the Venice and Santa Monica beaches, local surfers are especially hostile to the surfers from the San Fernando Valley whom they dub "vallies" or "valley kooks". The expression "Surf Nazi" arose in the 1960s to describe territorial and authoritarian surfers, often involved in surf gangs or surf clubs. The term "Nazi" was originally used simply to denote the strict territorialism, violence and hostility to outsiders, and absolute obsession with surfing that was characteristic in the so-called "surf nazis." However, some surfers reclaimed and accepted the term, and a few actually embraced Nazism and Nazi symbolism. Some surf clubs in the 1960s, particularly at Windansea in La Jolla, used the swastika symbol on their boards and identified with Nazism as a counter culture (though this may have just been an effort to keep out or scare non-locals.) The "locals only" attitude and protectionism of the Santa Monica surf spots in the early 1970s was depicted in the movie Lords of Dogtown, which was based on actual events.
Localism often exists due to socioeconomic factors as well. Until relatively recently, surfers were looked down upon as lazy people on the fringe of society (hence the term "beach bum.") Many who surfed were locals of beach towns who lived there year-round, and were from a lower economic class. For that reason as much as any other, these groups were resentful of outsiders, particularly those who were well-to-do and came to their beaches to surf recreationally rather than as a way of life. Australia has its own history where surfers were openly treated with hostility from local governments in the sport's early days, and the tension never really went away, despite the sport's enormous increase in popularity. Maroubra Beach in Australia became infamous for localism and other violence chronicled in the documentary film Bra Boys, although the surfers in the film maintain they are not a "gang."

Surf Gangs

Surf gangs often form to preserve cultural identity through the protection of beach towns and shorelines. If known territory is trespassed by members of another surf gang, violence usually occurs. Long Beach is home to one of the oldest and biggest surf gangs, called "Longos." Some surf gangs have been known to not only claim land territory, but also claim specific surfing waves as territory. Surf gangs have gained notoriety over the years, especially with the production of Bra Boys.

Deuce is NOT your enemy here and he has been reasonable enough. There's no point in quarreling with him.

Providence you can't fight it sometimes and terrible things happen and you sometimes end up right in the middle of it.

I hate all this sh'it .......

You have GOT to be kidding, right?

But I won't be "conciliatory" or codependent. If you think there's "reconciliation" to be had that doesn't involve me saying anything like, "Well, guys, yeah, I guess I can see why you reacted the way you did, and, it's, like, okay. We all got a little over the top back then," or some tripe like that, well, I'm all ears.

Warbler wrote: This whole WOS thing is like The Jerry Springer Show of climbing.

Makes me embarrassed to be a climber, or associated with Yosemite climbing.

The only criticism I might muster for the route is that it's not a completely independent line, but the start is outrageously independent, so that makes up for the finish, really. El Cap is infested with contrived lines, at least WOS gives its neighbors breathing room.

15 "enhanced" hook placements? BFD 30? BFD It's AID climbing. It's better to enhance a hole with a drill bit and put a rivet in it, as long as you fess up on the hole count before the Ethics Police? Whatever, guys.

How come there isn't this type of interest in free routes on EL Cap on ST, or elsewhere in The Valley? That's where the positive energy is going.

Maybe aid climbers just drink too much...

When a few of us ventured out onto the slabs of MCR, leaving the crack systems behind, there were a few grumblings from the previous generation about bolts, drilling and indistinct lines. Fuk those guys, I remember thinking - climb the route before you voice your opinion about it.

Didn't someone say "climbing is anarchy"?

It was and it should be.

Viva Harding, he climbed the thing first


End of rant.