Imposing order amidst chaos is a key part of Australian culture. Therefore, the concept of competitive surfing makes far more sense in the grand scheme of Australian culture than it does elsewhere.
To an outsider, the regulatory nature of modern Australia is striking.
Country roads have speed cameras. Go 50 km in a 40 zone, and you'll be photoed and fined. Holiday weekend? Well, then double demerits apply. A harsh environment demands colonial order.
A little over 100 years ago, there were no speed cameras in New South Wales, but it was illegal to bathe in the surf during daylight hours. Why? Surf bathing was seen as both dangerous and immoral. Eventually, an act of public defiance by William Gocher, in 1902 at Manly Beach, led to a relaxing of the laws. Gocher went swimming in a neck-to-knee number at high noon. Consider him the Rosa Parks of Australian surfing.
However, before Duke introduced stand-up surfing in 1915, the chaos of surf bathing demanded new order: Drownings led to the organization of volunteer groups who patrolled the beaches, imposing rules and saving lives.
Competition was part of the ethos. Again, to the ignorant outsider, competition seems to be an intrinsic part of Australian culture, just as regulation is. The original Surf Lifesaving clubs quickly began competing against each other in carnivals. When surfing came along, local boardrider club contests were a logical extension. Now, driving through rural shires, you notice other little cultural anomalies: for instance, a random cul-de-sac will bear a sign declaring it the "2006 Street of the Year." In California, small-town streets, and small-town surfers, are less demonstratively competitive.
It's little wonder that in the 1970s, when global surf culture began to fade into soulful, non-competitive yet xenophobic localism, Australians imposed order on the chaos, thwarting entropy with the rise of the world tour.
Who cares.
shit, even Virs could do better than this.
Post of the year!
How about a Virs interview???
Don’t give the U.S. any ideas. We already have red-light cameras. Props to Huntington Beach for deciding NOT to use red-light cameras at intersections.
Americans (& it looks like Aussies as well) need to protest the use of cameras, speed traps, roll-through-stop-sign tickets, etc. that are just b.s ways for cities to fleece taxpayers. All cops should patrol parts of cities where actual crimes take place not lie in wait for people driving to work going 54 in a 45 zone. Tickets should be reserved for those actually endangering someone or something besides themselves.
Good to see Timmy Curran on here.
Love the introspective quote that introduces the trailer to his sick new concept film, ‘Razor Scooter’.
“You know I’ve traveled the world, but I’ve never traveled the coast by Razor in the town I grew up in.”
Keep on keepin’ on, Timmy.
When I was a wee little lad, I had an uncle who showed me his cul-de-sac. It bore a sign which read: ‘Touch Me and bark like a Chihuahua.’ I was traumatized for life.
Fucking cul-de-sacs.
My prize possession is the red light camera ticket I got in PB (San Diego PB). One clear photo of the license plate, one of me with the world’s best “Ahhhhhhh, fuck” face.
It’s the best goddamn photo ticket in the world…I’ll go mano a mano with any damned Ozburger that thinks otherwise. Who wants some Slacks???
Lets see Lewis surf. PLEEEEEAAAAAAAASE Lewis after all these surf trips you’ve been on Chopes, Mundaka, Desert Point there has to be at least one video of you.
Get your once pal Ceej to edit it since I seriously doubt you could figure it out but I guarantee you write about how the user experience of using the bin file was totally killer.
But come on already. You claim to surf and have shown some pics which you say are you . . .
Enough already! it’s time to see if the wizzard of oz is real or some fucking nerd who thinks he’s witty.
@ Black’s Slacks
Huntington officials stated that encouraging tourism was one reason they chose not to use the cameras. Maybe PB thinks a red-light picture makes a good souvenir - like yours.
well done lewis. This is exactly why i said I fucking hate australia- i wasnt being sarcastic- the most over regulated western culture in existence. No problem? well there could be one in a few years micko if a bunch of derranged nazi communist terrorist youths come by- lets make a rule just in case- jay walking? dogs in pubs? incorrect footwear? banishement! fine! jail!
We have a laid back reputation for one reason, we have to chill the fuck out to handle all the in your face rules and regulations bearing down on us everyday.
I thought Aussies hated rules and regs? I guess LS has again shown me my error, and demonstrated my general American wrong-headedness.
Thanks Lew.
looks like the same area my buddy got hit with a speeding ticket near evan’s head. how was angourie?
One big day on a 17-second straight west at North Peak I was paddling out, fighting a bad case tachycardia (cause it was so big). Canyon set unloads, and I’m scratching over the shoulder, looking into the vortex of destruction. Way in the back, where time bends and reality fractures, I saw a shape.
At first I thought it was Dr. Hans Reinhardt and his army of robots. But no, as I teetered over the massive lip, the shape came flying by through a tunnel of pure light and force. It was a man, glowing with divinity and, yes, depravity. Never in this lifetime or any other will I forget the site.
Lewis Samuels, you need send no pictures. I am a believer.
Or it could have been the meds.
I can imagine the cool back-and-forth that would occur if only guys who ripped were allowed to comment on surfing…. “bro, you’re ripping these days. no way, bro, you’re killing it. bro, have you seen my new video? bro, it was rad, next time you need to get me a segment. totally, bro, you’re ripping right now. Taylor will be totally amped to have you in his next video, especially if you’re on trips with Dane. Dane’s ripping lately and his anchor tat is insane.”
I vote with Makooka Gai and promise to hunt Lewis down like SS did his grandparents if he doesn’t put up a video of himself killing it ASAP. Who’s with me?
@ Artie
Dude, you were doin fine until the comment about the SS.
Completely unacceptable.
I vote for banning Artie.
i live in germany, we have speed cameras here but only in areas where the speed needs to be regulated for safety reasons. When a sign is posted that is how fast you can go and be safe, most parts of the autobahn have no speed limit. Narrow country roads are 100 kph (62 mph). Parts of the autobahn that have lots of traffic can be changed due to the conditions and by my house is usually 130 kph (80 mph). I got a ticket for going 15 k over the limit from a camera and it was 10 euros ($14). I went 10 over in California and it was $316 (fuck Buelton). Marlon Lipke is the next Slater.
I agree with Artie about the whole SS thing.
Heil Lewis
The Oz country town speed cameras are unreal: They have all these signs telling you they’re coming up - so you slow down for ‘em - then soon as you’re past ‘em you can nudge it back up to what you reckon’s the go, reasonably safe in the knowledge that there shouldn’t be any zealous cops around for the next 50 ks…
So… the Oz regulators have little imagination or cunning, so in a big country you’re kinda free to do pretty much what you reckon’s acceptable outside of those narrow zones.
Easy to apply the analogy to the oz surfing culture I guess.
PS: Word is that the speed camera on the northside out of Woodburn is a pretendy fake one…
cheers
@ post
Fail.
Its conclusion: that competition arose from Australia’s cultural impulse to impose regulation, is directly contradicted by the idea that the unregulated contours of the sport resulted in lethargy.
Are you suggesting that localization brought about a “harsh environment” which in turn triggered Australia’s colonial, regulatory inclinations? If so, I call bullshit, but at least that idea would be worthy of further discussion.
@Artie
That was fucking lame. Kill-self.
@Dave T,
I don’t think any further discussion with you about anything would result in something worthy of killed time.
hang in there, Lewis. Swellnet says a little pulse is coming your way shortly.
@Dave T - big words strung together are fine, but next time, have ‘em make sense. As you might know, I went to college.
Isn’t Dave T that dickhead that spouted off and received a subsequent pile-on cock whipping about a month ago?
Yea? Didn’t Australians hand over personal gun ownership without even a whimper?
Their bollocks are next.
But at least they have their piss!
VB forever!
@trauzersnake
@DaveT
I believe what he is trying to say, trauzer, was that the Lewis’ post is weak. I think DaveT just tried to use fancy words and concepts that don’t add up to much of anything. Some people just like to sound complex. What I have learned is that those people end up alone and deranged with no one but their manifesto’s to keep them company(and porno).
Lewis,
DaveT has a point. Wouldn’t it be better to not post than to birth a turd like this one. Australians blow, no doubt, but there is little left to say.
@Makooka
Yeah, your logic really holds water. Lewis has is a rather large, acute brain in working order. I can say that for three other surfers I know. The sport is full of dimwits, so if you don’t GET Postsurf, than your one of them. Thx.
Lewis is right, as much as I love Australia, it’s one of the gnarliest Police States in the world. It’s worse than Singabore for petes sakes. Seems like the Aussies have accepted over regulation without even questioning it. Heavy!
We have our fair share of rules and regs here in the U.S. too. For example, I’m really hesitant to urinate outdoors anywhere…next thing you know you have to register with the state and you can’t live within a 5 mile radius of an elementary school. You can also be sued for compensatory damages for farting in an elevator….pffft!!
Check out Flea. Kids, stay off drugs(except weed)!
In the USA, if you piss on an Aussie in public you get a $4500 deduction off your federal income tax.
At least that’s how it should be.
What about all the non pro aussies in Indo? Just like the Brazzos. Pro aussies respectful though, weird? Explain that!
oh yes we lurve rules and regulations here. We started the ‘new’ world here by first imposing strict rules on the previous inhabitants of 100s of thousands of years and then proceeded to turn the whole continent into one giant prison for Her Majesty’s not so royal subjects. We have not progressed much beyond this in the past 200 years finding it very difficult to shake our penal colony habits. So low is our collective national self esteem that the first thing we ask foreign dignitaries and stars on arrival to the airport is “so how do you like Australia so far ?” please love us please please please
Can Lewis surf?-
Interview tells way more than we want to know about Lewis- but the picts say he surfs better than 100% of the LS haters here, the OB shots alone are proof of major cajonnes. You’re welcome to come on up and try to even survive the paddle-out.
Oz does have good beer (Coopers Ale, not VB piss), 27k miles of coast with good waves almost everywhere, and the women sunbathe topless-
1. Anti-semitism is fucked.
2. LS CAN surf (and probably better than most of the mag/industry tools around OC/SD)
3. Those photos look to be taken from video. Can we see the whole puzzle please?
VB is terrible. Whoever said VB is good has never been to Oz.
Re:
Can Lewis Surf?
Answer:
D’fuck do you care? Is that why you come here, read his post, then spend the time to configure a comment?
Okay,
Suppose for a second, that Lewis Samuels surfs like a roofied mule. No, how about a paraplegic cinder block? How, in fact, does that weigh on his personal opinions and insight into the world of professional and leisure surfing?
Has Dick Vitale ever made a basket in a significant basketball game? Did Siskel or Ebert ever direct an Oscar winning movie? And why does Robin William’s continually endorse Nair?
Rather than watch Lewis rip or slog through a mediocre or perfect wave, shan’t we be more interested in the state of the surfer / songwriter; or the ‘parental income, and or, trust fund’ disparity between professional surfers and every other sport around – which may have some bearing on why pro surfing has yet to light even the faintest of fires under the public: ala motorcycles and skateboards (and while it will never be considered hardcore by anyone raised below the median income level). Punker Pat – I’m looking at your pampered baby butt cheeks.
I thank my sweet Lord Laird, that Lewis isn’t encumbered by the needs of most sporting websites, who insist on their ‘expert’ pros commenting on other pros.
As Artie commented earlier… it ain’t pretty, it ain’t funny, and we ain’t reading it.
Roger that Magnum.
note* Bill Walton is a fucking retard, a shining example of why ex-pros (in any sport) do not make good commentators. Maybe Mike Vick could do the Westminster Dog Show, that would be hilarious. Listing to Snips go on and on about how killer Danes cutback was is akin to scrubbing a reef cut with lemon and a tooth brush. Absolutely fucking painful.
Lewis, please start that running commentary simulcast with the webcast that has been suggested by your loyal commentors. That would be worth listing to rather than muting it and pumping Neil Diamond.
Oh yeah and the last post fucking weak!
Finally a well written piece on this piece of shit page.
The bashing of lower placed CTers is getting boring. This was a refreshing break from the usual routine at postsurf
This is a bit of a tangent but Australians and Americans have alot in common as far as competition is concerned I believe. Both the US and Australia are British offshoots with Australia being a younger and hence more aggressive version. Gold medals/capita in Australia must be near the top and surfing, here noted, is another example. One more striking example is soccer. The US and Australia are about equal in terms of soccer skills, pretty much average but not respected on the world level. As evidenced at the World Cup 2006, the US was the only team to not lose to Italy (the champs) and Australia lost only on a late and questionable penalty kick. My point being the hyper-competitiveness can compensate compensate for a lack of skill/tactics compared to say Italy, Brazil, Argentina.
@ Magnum Q. Meatwhistle aka BR
@ Not another mark
Yes Lewis has a right to express his opinion but it’s funny he talks like he’s surfs as good as slater. the pictures “Not another mark” referrenced are the exact vague bullshit I am referring too.
Anyone can make a photo look good. whereas a video part shows you surfing. True if taken enough video and good editing can make a kook like me look like I rip but the skills show through.
If Lewis didn’t surf anymore and was just a writer that’d be fine too, however he talks a big game and when he criticizes other surfers faults like Virs, who isn’t in the top eschelon of professional surfing, it just sounds ridiculous because he doesn’t have any credibility since we’ve never seen him surf.
Obviously BR can’t surf either.
Fark there is a lot of ridiculous negativity and bitter posturing…..Lots of people can wiggle their asses and even punt an air these days. The difference is do ya do it with style or are you all stinkbug, wide stanced, ass high, arms wagging like an octopus. The latter is butt ugly no matter who it is.
actually, Lewis doesn’t talk about his surfing at all as far as I can tell, at least not here. If’s you, Makooka, who seem to want to talk Lewis’ surfing, which is fine if you’re into totally hypocritical commenting on internet bbs. Shouldn’t you have to post your video and your resume before you can comment on Lewis’ surfing and writings?
No, because like my name implies i’m a kook. Lewis however regards himself a surfer . . . so prove it.
kooks don’t make it out when o.b. is half as big as it is in those photos kook.