| Are surfers too territorial?
By: MARC FIGUEROA - Staff Writer No Growing up in Orange County, I ran with guys like Jeff Spicoli from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." While I can attest that the "tasty waves and a cool buzz" stereotype is, indeed, true, I also know that surfing can become serious business if it's not taken seriously. The unwritten code of territories isn't akin to gang warfare. Rather, it's a way to keep everyone safe. Think of it like snow skiing. Beginners don't ski double-black-diamond runs. On the flip side, expert skiers are only found on the bunny slopes if they're looking to hook up with a snow bunny. It's the same with surfing. Beginners go to Moonlight Beach in Encinitas and studs like Rob Machado head to Trestles in San Onofre. That's not being territorial. That's just being safe. My colleague to the left is babbling about how I have no credibility on this issue because, after all, I'm a golfer more than a surfer. While I agree that I've traded my Sex Wax and longboard for a set of irons and a pair of goofy-looking shoes, it's important to point out that Loren is a hockey player from Minnesota. About the only exposure to the beach he had growing up was the local wave park in Minneapolis. And let's not forget that he's the sports editor of this newspaper. Translation: He's a desk jockey who wears a tie. The only time he goes to the beach is on the Fourth of July, the one day when no one surfs because there are too many pasty tourists walking the coastline in their socks and sandals. Yeah, Loren was there with his two-wheeled cooler, free Budweiser umbrella and farmer's tan. When I'm at Torrey Pines Golf Course working on a U.S. Open story, at least I'm within earshot of Black's Beach, another local spot for veteran shortboarders. I've talked to them. I know their plight. And where's Loren? He's back in Escondido behind a desk, calling plays to the real reporters in the field, all the while wondering if the second-floor coffee machine will ever churn out anything that actually tastes like coffee. He might as well be in Death Valley. All Loren did to prepare for this debate was watch "Point Break" over and over again. While I hear he does a mean Keanu Reeves imitation, it's hardly helping his side of the story. Surfers aren't too territorial. They're just being safe. Hockey players, take heed. Contact staff writer Marc Figueroa at marcfig@aol.com. |
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In preparation for this debate, I've spent the last few days watching Patrick Swayze absolutely shred in "Point Break." My counterpart, meanwhile, warmed up by hitting a bucket of range balls.
Thanks to the good folks at www.Riptionary.com, I am fluent in surferspeak. My opponent knows how to order a beer in Spanish.
So who is this golf writer on the other side ripping me and telling you surfers aren't too territorial?
What a ridiculous argument. It's the ocean. There are no lot lines or fences or deed restrictions ---- only kooks claiming ownership of their favorite spots.
A lifeguard is quoted in today's cover story on surfing as saying: "It can get kind of tense in the water sometimes, especially when it's crowded. But it only gets physical once or twice a year. Most of the time they just scream at each other."
That's not the worst of it. I've heard stories of vacationing surfers in Mexico being targeted by wrist-rocket-wielding locals who want the waves to themselves. Patrolling some SoCal waters are surf gangs who, apparently, have watched "Point Break" far too many times.
I don't get it. I grew up playing hockey. We had neighborhood rinks instead of surf spots. Little kids lumped in with the big ones. Everyone playing together. Everyone getting along. No one acted as if they owned the puck or a particular patch of ice.
It seems some surfers take themselves too seriously. They have forgotten that surf is an unlimited resource, not unlike the gas being spewed on the right side of this page. Surfer dudes and dudettes jostling for waves seems as senseless as Eskimos fighting over snow. But they're out there, trying so hard to act cool they end up as buffoons.
Gnarly, indeed.
Marc tells us that surfers are simply enhancing the "safety" of the sport when they shoo away outsiders. I'm not sure what kind of logic equates aquatic fistfights as "safe," but I do know the chemicals they spray at golf courses ---- not to mention all those cervezas ---- can kill brain cells at an alarming rate.
The romantic notion of easygoing surfers sharing waves, calling everyone "dude" and hanging out by the bonfire seems more fairy tale than fact.
If you're interested in something a bit safer, try hockey.
Contact sports editor Loren Nelson at (760) 740-3551 or lnelson@nctimes.com.