New Non Surfing Sponsorship

I wasn’t trying to call out soul surfers really, so my bad for even including a generalized comment like that. So, Matt, I respect your issues with Nike and child/slave labor aspect of things. I agree with you there. But if we get into that conversation, we may as well throw every corporation in our country into that mix, regardless of industry. I hate Sprint, Wells Fargo, BOA, Verizon, IT companies, collection agencies, pretty much every large company in the country. Because the outsource American phone center jobs and basic things like that over to India, where they pay pennies on the dollar. Its just a “Legal” but equally unfair way to runa business. Proftitting from our people, and using third world countries low wages… That how America was built. Using other people to make money for us… So with that being said, I group damn near everything in the USA into that Nike argument. If you aren’t truly a local business, you are probably involved too.

When Clark foam went out of business, I didn’t hear shapers complaining cause they were buying cheap foam from asia and sh** for two years and still selling boards at the same price. I mean, when money is involved, people will resort to anything..

And yes, Laird wasn’t putting stickers all over his board with AMEX logos, but ask yourself this, other than blatent financial gain for him, What does AMEX have to do with surfing? You think when you call AMEX’s customer service line, it is an America. Hell no. It’s a guy in India again saying his name is “Timothy” or some BS…. So, my point with Laird, is that just because you don’t slap stickers on your board, doesn’t mean you didn’t sell out just the same. Some company gave you a couple hundred grand for them to use your footage and put whatever they want to sell on top of it. Simple and plain. No different to me that putting the stickers on first.

So, again, you can go tit for tat on this company or that, but its all about money.

What pisses me off more than nike, is my local surf shop in OB brining 30 idiots from a surf camp out every hour on the hour and creates dangers in the water for real surfers. That’s a perfect example of the contrary to what you are saying. Almost every shop I know offers classes and rentals to maximize profits. Its every worse than Nike when its you own shop putting kooks out in the water by the three dozen. And im talking every day all summer. A lot of days out here are big in the summer. Head high for a week, and the idiots are still binging people out, getting in my way,inviting anyone who wants to learn to come do it…

So, my point is, from the Nike 6.0, to AMEX, to Malibus in OC MD, to OB Surf shop in SD, to everyone else down the line. They all sell out one way or another. They fill our lineups with unwanted people every season. So EVERYONE in the industry, from Shapers, to Shops, to clothing makers to marketing firms are all to blame.

Probably including every one on this board…. We have all fed into this one way or another… So to say that keeping things local makes it better isn’t always true.

 

Yeah I am not saying Nike is the only company that does that. Most Major companies do it . Credit Card Companies are the worse with it.

Yeah If your into the Mainstream what is cool cause we say it is companies that kool . It dont affect me or my stoke. I just dont follow the hype I never have . I am not gonna run out and grab this board or that set of board shorts cause Pro Sufer So and So is rideing for them and he's #1 in the world right now.

As for your local surf shops filling the water with the safety risks as I call them . Thats a issue with you and the shop owner. If it dont go anyplace from there I would take it to you city hall and or head life guard to resovle that issue.
Are surf camp here are done once or twice a week and they realy take everyone's safty in consideration.

I am just a Old Salt I guess thats just how I grew up in the water. I am not to run out and buy the latest fad in surfing. I dont wear Flashy board shorts or have a board with more that 3 fins on it. I stick with the basic stuff nothing fancey or flashy just time proven to work and be good

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbu9ZTLLefE


Here's the comercial gotta admit it the best one ever put on TV

I dont really think he "sold out" doing this comercial

Really How many Surfers are gonna run out and grab a AMEX card cause he has one

 

Yeah, when its all said and done, we are both on the same page. I wear boardies that are on sale and look cool =) I will admit that. I have no cares who is wearing them. All my boards are thursters too. I don't do four fins... I don't follow all the other idiots in San Diego who all went out and bought Two fin Retro Fish from the 70s, I mean, every summer, all the guys here are surfing on these old, out of date, out of shpe fishes. Struggling through turns etc... cause its the "In thing", or it was for a few years. Other guys think its cool to look like a guy from the 60s and surf single fins no matter the conditions...

The only things I really try out that are new are wetuits. That stuff is pretty cool, and important.

As for the surf camps. SD is a surf city. You can't control the surf zones really. Its just sucks in OB where I live, cause the reefs basically turn off in the summer, so we are all packed into the same 1/2 mile stretch in bewtween the pier and couple jetties. And the problem is, that on south swells, every wave basically connects through multiple sections. So the all of us right up against the pier, take off, make a section that beginners wouldnt think you make, then all the sudden you aer going 100 MPH on the face and 7 foma boards are dropping in on you. I stink eye the teachers and give them **** sometimes, but again, its the summer, its usually not that big, so who cares... But still, those shops, ALL OF em, love taking that 20 bucks per kid every day and throw them in my lineup. Then they are the ones after work, surfing with us complaining abotu crowds. I'm like DUDE, you just pushed like 20 kids into mushballs all day in our impact zone and now you are out here acting like an angry Local? F U!

 

my orioles colored nike dunk high tops are the best shoes in the world. period.

 

Sponsorship

Target&other non surfing sponsors are able to reach a larger group of people
I think if anything-will promote surfing
Many people were not happy when Harley Davidson opened boutique stores
&pushcarts in malls
I guess it helped their bottom line
Sports&money go hand&hand
non surfing sponsors are still sponsors
Most people go with the best offer
Good Luck to all

 

I agree with everything CSB said. Surf lessons should be conducted in a safe manner.

Every one of us has had to start from the beginning. That means learning how to paddle, duck dive waves, etc. are part of the learning process. Newbies should stay out of the main pack until those basic skills are learned otherwise they can cause major safety issues.

I would rather see a bunch of people taking surfing lessons from a reputable company than to just see them try it on their own. A good instructor will teach the basic skills as well as good surfing etiquette. I'd also like to see more experienced surfers help out the beginners instead of coming down on them. You don't own the ocean.

Most of these people that try surfing will not continue to surf anyway. The only things that thin out the lineups are cold weather and/or a heavy swell. Pray for surf.

 

I work for a surf camp in VB in Sandbridge, so I have a little input on this issue.
First off, the last part your last sentence is completely ridiculous. So you were born paddling around in the lineup with a surfboard? Please...
I do agree that camps bring people out into crowded lineups is a dangerous practice. Our company brings the kids down the beach, well away from the nearby lineup. I don't know what camp is putting kids in danger out there, but they should have their business license revoked, especially if they're taking them out in head-high surf.
That said, surf camps are a great summetime activity for lots of groups. Most of the time, they go surfing with a YCMA group, have some fun, and never do it again. Surf shops see sharp decline in business on the East Coast, so camps can float the boat throughout the winter months.
Right on about Laird, by the way, but lighten up on kids learning to surf...[/QUOTE]

Im not sure what comment of mine you are talking about, but I told the kid from this post earlier, that WE HAVE ALL had to learn the hard way. When I was younger and some guy screamed on me for duck diving the face of the wave instead of going behind him and taking the closeout on the head.... After that, I learned. Just like everyone else....

You missed my point about surf camps. Its not that these kids are in a TON of danger, but that is only because the rest of us know what we are doing. But it just pisses me off, cause the camp guy know that we will get out of the wave and not run them over, but yet they still drop in all day. And like i ALSO said, I NEVER say sh** to beginners, ever. I don't waste time explaining the rules to people. They are in a surf camp, and yes, the camp stays all the way up against the North Peak, as far as you can get away from the pier in the surf zone, but my point is, everyone who is a decent surfer can connect the lines all the way down, so on a normal summer day, THERE ARE NO FREE waves left for the newbies to surf. EVERY set wave has one of us on it. And we connect it all the way. Most people have to sit next to the pier and dont get waves all day, because there are only 3 waves per set... Yet the surf camps are dropping in 10 at a time on the final section, as one of us flies towards them to make a final turn, and we just jump over the back.... Its just annoying. If someone doesn;t know what they are doing, take off, makes the section, then there is a 10 person/board pile-up... It just pisses me off that because we can get out of the way and not hit the kids, they still feel ENTITLED to get waves, cause the kids paid for it. I dont give a sh** if you paid 20 bucks. If you dont know how to surf and you go to the OB pier in the summer, where there are already 50 talented guys out, YOU WILL NOT GET WAVES.... So for these shops to even SHOW UP in the summer pisses me off. We have good water temps all year. Run them in the winter... These camps have NO BUSINESS in surf zones in the summer... Take your little camp down to a beach in mexico that you can have to yourself.... Anywhere around here in the summer is a danger. There just arent any empty waves left..... Thats the problem. And we dont want to give waves to a class of kooks just cause they paid for it... Go back to Arizona, ya know... I had to surf that place every day for years to earn my stripes, so some class of goobers has no place there.... You gotta laern somewhere, but coming out in packs of 20 ANYWHERE is retarded... Period. RETARDED@!

 

Sounds like your spot is a cluster-ef. Sandbridge is way more wide open and it's easy for us to find our own little peak well away from people, but we don't have the same kind of waves or crowds as SD.
Apologies if I took your comment out of context, but the text just sounded way elitist. Ideally, those shops should hold their lessons somewhere else, somewhere more forgiving like we do.
PS, I've taken plenty of lumps coming up surfing the crowded spots in VB. Def learned the hard way, but I listened, knew my place and respected the order of the water...