Surf Rider’s San Francisco chapter has fought to push back coastal infrastructure in the Sloat Boulevard area of Ocean Beach For years.
When Rip Curl announced earlier this year they’d be taking The Search to San Francisco it hit me that surfing is finally on the right path toward the mainstream. Unlike the critics who think the only waves worthy of World Tour competition are the ones that look like something out of a tarp surfing video, I’m more excited about the prospect of expanding and strengthening the image of our culture.
Having grown up surfing in Northern California I’ll tell you the experience is as rugged as the coastline itself. The water is cold. Duh. You get ice cream headaches from duck diving. Beaches are replaced with cliffs that drop into the ocean. The sharks seem bigger and the waves are even meaner when it’s on. Did I mention it’s cold? It can be overwhelming and invigorating all at once, creating an experience that helps us appreciate what we do in ways white sandy beaches and bare backing it can’t. It’s an image not often associated with surfing, but a reality for a large population of watermen who remain unnoticed. Main stream surf media doesn’t do the best job painting a well-rounded picture of our culture. Our world exists outside of Huntington Beach, Oahu and whatever tropical barrel happens to be your desktop background this week, but you’d never know it by reading a majority of surf mags. This is what Rip Curl tapped into in deciding to bring the World Tour to the City by the Bay. Just exchange the word “surfing” every time you read “the search” in the following quote from Rip Curl:
“We chose San Francisco to reflect a completely different side of the Search. Sometimes we forget that what we are searching for is right in our backyard, and that’s what San Francisco is all about. We also wanted to show the grittier side of the Search…we wanted to see the Search interpreted in this completely new, different, and lively environment”
And by giving life to our sport in somewhat of an under the radar environment, we can begin to create an appreciation from the masses and for each other. Surf Rider’s San Francisco chapter is cashing in and setting that example. For years they’ve fought to push back coastal infrastructure in the Sloat Boulevard area of Ocean Beach. With the World Tour in their backyard, the podium is now theirs and the pressure is on local government to act responsibly. Coastal erosion has led to shortsighted planning by city officials who simply build retaining walls and bulkheads to sweep the problem under a rug, an approach that will lead to long term damage to natural habitats and of course the quality of the wave as the coastline continues to change. As surfers it’s easy to care about this problem because it’s something we see in the places many of us choose to live and surf. We take it for granted that our adoration comes from interacting with the ocean daily while the rest of the world is left to wonder what it is we’re so obsessive, protective, and often times a bit snooty about. This contest is a chance for the city of San Francisco, those who do and don’t surf, as well as surfers worldwide to start caring about Sloat as much as those devoted to its pecking order.
Sharing is caring, and in this case sharing a taste of our reality can create positive change for the surf world. Taking the World Tour to New York, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and San Francisco may not be the most exciting option for watching a live webcast, but I can see any of the Top 44 get shacked out of their mind in warm water on DVD. The ever growing popularity of surfing may be a bit of a bummer when you’re fighting for waves but if the alternative is living where the only people who appreciate our dedication to the ocean are the ones I trade waves with then I’ll gladly deal with the crowds. Surfers will continue to accuse sponsors of selling out, but they’re also sparking advocacy for our culture. So while wishing you were seeing Kelly get another Puerto Rican barrel instead of a San Francisco peak think about everybody who will finally get to see we stand for more than just palm trees, shakas and south swells.
