With Medina winning the world title yesterday, the threads on fire, and this article on surfing magazine posted 2 days ago: http://www.surfingmagazine.com/magazine/surfing-needs-emotion/ which is leaning towards more "entertaining" drama out of the water from the athletes. Looks like the ASP / WSL are pushing for changes that the surf community more than less is un-happy about. Personally my fear is I don't want the sport become like the NFL. The players are more know for their notorious scandals off the field then any of their actual achievements in the sport but getting hung up on Medina's celebration & flag waving seem so irrelevant to anything - I thought it was about the actual surfing. So what is the big fear of change in the sport?
I think theres already too much emotion with the ASP. For example, Jeremy Flores punching his board every time he doesn't advance...like, wtf? Get a grip on yourself...
The future of any sport that is trying it's hardest to be "mainstream" is not a good one. Being mainstream and making the big $$(which is derived from marketing) means they will have to appeal to the masses. Unfortunatley, what attracts viewers(the masses) is a good old fashion train wreck. So in other words, you will be watching "Real world "asp"" in a few short years. And Real housewives of the ASP is not far behind. That is, if they are "successful"
I just want to know if she actually puts on a wet suit, ever, in "southern new England? And she ride a short board as well? Who knows, maybe she rips? Any fear of change would most likely be getting in or out of said wet suit. You know its cold outside?
True. But I believe the original point of this thread is that "the powers that be" (i.e. corporate sponsors & the administrators of the ASP/ WSL) are aggressively trying to push "our sport" in that direction. Just look at the name change.."World Surf League". There's just way too much money at stake for them not to head in that direction. The "Target" Maui Pro..Really "Target"...?? Can I get a few bars of wax at my local Target?? Um...No. But that's not the point... I like what Greg Noll said in Step Into Liquid, We can hang all kinds of bells and whistles on it but it all comes down to the wave...That's all we as surfers really care about/ that next perfect wave. All this Medina/Brazillians/ ASP-vs-WSL/ nonsense everybody is spouting off about today...that's all just bells and whistles. Sure it's fun to root for somebody/ and I admit I played that "fantasy surf-thing"( where do you suppose they came up with THAT idea huh?!...but like I was sayin' to a buddy the other day..."If Madina wins is it gonna effect your life in any way whatsoever?"...nope. Not really. Not one tiny bit. Any more than it would have if Kelley won his 12th or Mick his 4th. Anyway...just felt like I had to throw in my two cents 'cause the original poster is such a hottie!!
with prima donna world champions like Medina, 'the sport' is becoming more appealing to the reality TV watching masses. CC- dont breed, k?
You can see a reluctance to change in the judging, which isnt a bad thing. Mick Fanning power cuts win heats over "new school tricks" I don't follow ASP too hard but from what I have seen dudes aren't throwing surf video skate tricks in competitions. It seems to be like the skate world--- park vs. street. I enjoy watching dudes that are better than me, which is pretty much everybody. But I wouldn't mind seeing more "tricks" and less traditional surfing, and if that means restructuring heats to allow for more of that than so be it. No hulking out though. No WWE-ASP.
I like to think that it's all going to collapse, and move back from the push towards the mainstream. But that's probably not going to happen. I don't see skateboarding turning back the clock on this either, we've got million dollar contests and a league now (Nike Street League), more Zumiez than ever, and a whole generation of marketing douches who think a skateboard is a fashion accessory. Surfing doesn't follow skating, and I don't think it will ever be as popular, due to accessibility of terrain. But it will continue to explode in popularity, as skating does, even if the WSL fails. Because of the internet, anyone can see it and say 'I want in;' anyone can learn the terms, thanks to the league-ification of things. Pushing all of this along are the current 30-40 year olds, who think it's okay to sell skateboarding & surfing to people who don't participate, just so they can buy an SUV big enough to transport the 6 sacks of bile that are propagating their pathetic genetic lineage. I'm not afraid of change, I just want to kill the people that are steering us towards conformity and mediocrity.
I think big wave surfing has a better shot at making it "mainstream" organically and not being a manufactured version of the image of surfing for a couple of reasons. 1. Non-surfers who watch an ASP event have no idea what they are watching. As far as they know it's a guy flopping around in the surf. Some stuff might look cool to them, but they still have no idea what is an actual "move" and what is being judged, let alone the difficulty of any of it. So following it with any level of real attention is not gonna happen. 2. People know that a little speck of a human screaming down a 50+ft wave is just plain hazardous. The general public can watch big wave surfing an say "wow, that's crazy" and not need to know anything but that.
pro surfing can wither and die - i would cheerfully piss on it's grave. always remember: surfing owes no one a living.[/QUOTE] +1
we need to stop surfing from becoming more mainstream. but its so mainstream that were on a forum that gets thousands of views daily.
I think the entire format begs for criticism. 32 dudes who get coddled and pampered. The judging system seems like it's completely made up every event. Also in the politically correct world we live in everyone likes to hop on any drama bandwagon they can. In the end I don't really care I'll probably stop watching for the most part after Slater hangs up his jersey. I'll just watch the highlights then.
I had to stop watching when they kept saying chicken skin. Instead I watched "The Wolf of Wall Street"
Everyone's trying to make some $$$. Make surfin mainstream. Yuk. If my shroompaired memories of the 60s - 70s are correct, surfers used to be a notorious lot. Now we're tryin to be all PC and stuff. The change some fear is maybe goin back to how it used to was? We fear change... [video=youtube;1TtGQnyPZ6g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TtGQnyPZ6g[/video]
For what it's worth, I tuned out after Slater left. No Slater, no real Pipe, seeya. Of course the neighbor lady showed up too. She wiggles nice and likes her some Guero. Hey, CC. Keep hangin out here. We can be a scruffy bunch, but it's all good.
