The Inertia Founder Zach Weisberg conducting some field research in Nicaragua. Photo: Patrick Ruddy/ruddyphoto.com
Yesterday, the inter-web’s favorite D.I.Y. dispenser of digital aloha, Korduroy.tv, featured an interview with our own Zach Weisberg. We’ve been fans of Korduroy from day one, so it was an honor to be featured on their site. In the interview, Zach discusses The Inertia‘s origins, online media, and wrestling in college (among other things). Read the full interview on Korduroy.tv. Here’s an excerpt:
What is the goal or mission behind The Inertia? And how do you stand apart from other surf media/surf websites?
There are a couple of goals behind The Inertia. The first is to provide a platform for thoughtful and talented folks in the surf community to share their ideas, opinions, art, and photography.
Historically, surf magazines have created a product that they think will serve their readers’ interests, but with The Inertia, readers create a community and content for themselves – with a little help from us. Luckily, our community includes some well-respected pros, world champions, and industry players, and we love hearing from them. But we’re just as excited to hear from everyday surfers who are more than qualified to share fresh perspectives in a meaningful way.
Otherwise, The Inertia aims to address contentious issues in the world of surfing constructively. And it’s surprising how many actually exist. From bigotry to homophobia to misogyny to drug-use, surfing, like all cultures, wrestles with its imperfections, and, in my estimation, the editorial climate preceding The Inertia wasn’t very hospitable to the idea of honestly and openly investigating divisive topics. I wanted to change that, and I think talented writers like Tetsuhiko Endo were up to the challenge. As an example, Ted wrote a powerful piece about the controversy surrounding Andy Irons’ death, and that’s something that couldn’t have been and hasn’t been done in any other outlet – despite being probably the most significant story in the history of surfing.
I don’t see any reason why difficult issues can’t be addressed respectfully in surfing. That’s how we learn and evolve. It can be uncomfortable, but, ultimately, I think we have an obligation to make sense of our history – even if it’s uncomfortable. I absolutely love journalism. Real journalism – where a reporter does his best to present a situation as fairly as possible and trusts the reader to form an opinion – is a beautiful thing. I want surfing to enjoy that gift, too.
Check out the full interview on Korduroy.TV.
This was a big PR week for the site as one day later, USC Marshall School of Business also showcased The Inertia in a feature highlighting exciting projects from their newest class of Full-Time MBA candidates. Check out the piece here. According to U.S. News and World Report, Marshall is ranked #8 nationwide in entrepreneurship. Looks like we’re in good company!
