Saturday, November 08, 2008

HALT! Stop the press, stop the sewing machines. Surf industry repent. Repent! This is a call to order to those that are in a position of power to make a change and are sitting idly as time goes by. You are being singled out. As our nation is going through a time of change; surf industry so should you. This modern so called “surf industry” is so far off from the lifestyle it portrays, it might as well market its products to a whole different other “extreme” demographic because it certainly doesn’t represent the surf world we have known, or what the premise of the lifestyle was based on. It must come to an end. The surf industry is the biggest pimp going, and not in the cute MTV portrayal of pimps unto our society which young males can aspire to be. The surf industry has become that real life, cold hearted pimp, who puts a piece of human flesh on the corner just to make a few dollars. The gig is up. You are whoring a lifestyle to the masses for which you care not.
The arena in which surfing happens has been and continues to be in great danger. Our beaches and oceans are becoming more and more polluted and have become a modern wasteland for those who care not about it. If nothing is done in the future there will be no surf industry because there will be no surfing due to the condition of our planet. How is a surf company going to sell a t-shirt then?
The natural order of our planet’s wildlife is continuing to be thrown off due to the everlasting negative fingerprint man has left. Common practices like whaling, over fishing, factory fishing, bottom trawling, and bycatch issues are all current problems that are plaguing our oceans. Not to mention the Grand Poobah of it all, pollution. For some unknown reason, the ocean has assumed an unofficial title as an aquatic landfill which must suffer the burden bestowed upon it. Time and time again, the same daunting products keep turning up buried in the sand, trapped in the dunes, or floating in the lineup; plastic, paper, aluminum.
Congress just lifted a ban on offshore drilling. Uncharacteristically, weather phenomenons have been occurring only to be dismissed as global warming shams. Animals and sea life are bearing the brunt with obviously no voice or action to change things, and must face the constant perils left in the wake of mankind. There is only one place where the act of surfing can occur and that’s the ocean. So why are we sitting back while our sanctuary is going to waste?
The reason the surf industry should be targeted is because they by far have the deepest pockets and the loudest voices which they have not yet used. They need to be held accountable because they are the ones that are portraying a lifestyle and are in a position to bring about change if they so desired to do so. For some reason, throughout the course of history, the surf industry got it twisted and became more infatuated with fashion over surfing. Magazines are smitten with big advertiser dollars to broadcast the season’s latest “fad,” which is intended to stir up frenzy among the surf community to rush to the nearest retailer and spend money on being able to look like a surfer.
To digress for a moment, the current state of “surf fashion,” has to be some of the most abominable garments manufactured, period. It is almost as if the industry is trying to reinvent the wheel time and time again, pawning off current trends to consumers, feeding them what they feel is in vogue. When Main Street America copies or emulates surfing they are paying homage to the lifestyle and what it exudes, not the designers in the surf industry.
And this is the problem, surf companies are more concerned with regurgitating neon and day-glow colors on sub-par designed surf shirts than actually procuring and enhancing the culture. Just stop! Stop focusing on marketing the lifestyle and start living it. Because if we don’t, there will be no surfing. Stop worrying about pushing an image and create an initiative that will protect our environment. We need to band together as one and unify under the common cause of protecting our ocean, beaches, and heritage.
Unfortunately, if nothing is done there will be a point of no return. Non-profit organizations can only do so much. Surf industry you have the dollars and voice to use, so use it. How about companies start to get notoriety because of the positive impact they have left on surfing and not what “rad” t-shirt they marketed. Use the voice of the industry to protest to our lawmakers so they can hear what the people are saying. Not only sponsor surf contest but beach cleanups and programs to reform our careless ways. Create awareness of the current state of affairs regarding the environment, for knowledge is power. It is time to unify and make a change. For tomorrow may be too late.

2 comments:

ns said...

feed the masses lies, keep them distracted, we can't hurt our precious business, the earth is expendable!

we may very well be past the point of no return? but when it gets real dark out it's sometimes easier to see the light

ns said...
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