Localism
Definition of a Local?
Tracking a thread of comments on the blog today has got me thinking about this issue: just how does one become a local, and who is justified in making such a claim? When, or after how long a period of surfing at a place like Rincon, can someone identify their self as a "local"? I don't mean to offend or pick on anyone regarding this issue, but the topic seems to be a hot one. I encourage anyone who has an opinion to state their position anonymously in the 'comments' section by clicking here. Data collected from this discussion may be used in a future Blue Edge Magazine article on this topic. Seaching Wikipedia I came across this entry on surf culture. Give it a read, and let us know what you think! Please don't flame any respondents!
Surf Report
Rumor has it that there has been some good surf action at the point the past couple of days. Unfortunately for me, I have been recovering from a discogram procedure that hopefully will provide some diagnostic certainty as to the cause of my chronic back pain. I'll have the green light to get back in the water soon enough, but please, in the meantime, grab a wave or two for me.
An unidentified flying fish carving the face of a small Rincon wave...
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Thursday Evening Update
There was still a little bit of swell in the water this afternoon when I went to go check it out. While maybe not as good as it'd been the previous couple of days, looked pretty fun to me. I'm not sure who this surfer is, or whether or not he is a local for that matter, but clearly he had Indicator wired with a radical backhand attack...
Thanks for all of your comments on localism.
Tracking a thread of comments on the blog today has got me thinking about this issue: just how does one become a local, and who is justified in making such a claim? When, or after how long a period of surfing at a place like Rincon, can someone identify their self as a "local"? I don't mean to offend or pick on anyone regarding this issue, but the topic seems to be a hot one. I encourage anyone who has an opinion to state their position anonymously in the 'comments' section by clicking here. Data collected from this discussion may be used in a future Blue Edge Magazine article on this topic. Seaching Wikipedia I came across this entry on surf culture. Give it a read, and let us know what you think! Please don't flame any respondents!
Surf Report
Rumor has it that there has been some good surf action at the point the past couple of days. Unfortunately for me, I have been recovering from a discogram procedure that hopefully will provide some diagnostic certainty as to the cause of my chronic back pain. I'll have the green light to get back in the water soon enough, but please, in the meantime, grab a wave or two for me.
An unidentified flying fish carving the face of a small Rincon wave...
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Thursday Evening Update
There was still a little bit of swell in the water this afternoon when I went to go check it out. While maybe not as good as it'd been the previous couple of days, looked pretty fun to me. I'm not sure who this surfer is, or whether or not he is a local for that matter, but clearly he had Indicator wired with a radical backhand attack...
Thanks for all of your comments on localism.
Why don't you ask Dora,What Makes a true local there are none you are eather a surfer or surfie that's what defines a local. Rincon today the world tommrow,if you look hard you will see what a true local looks like and respect that fact. we are so used to being invaded by these dorks's you call local's
My thought was if you were BORN in the general area of a break you surf, then you are a bonafied local (within a few miles radius).
Native to a new area is living somewhere for over 10 years...
If you were born in S.B....well, Rincon is in Ventura, but thats way more "local" then some one from East coast.
If you only surf that one break, you are missing out on the essence of surfing...try a new spot once and awhile and give us "locals" break.
A local would know that Rincon is in SB county not ventura county. C street is Ventura. Sorry to get technical but I thought it should be cleared up. I do agree however, that you should change up where you surf in order to further your abilities as a surfer. Both ventura county and santa barbara county offer great waves, believe it or not, there are still relatively unknown spots to most surfers. In a way, Rincon keeps those other sopts uncrowded.
Geographically, Rincon is Carpinteria's backyard. For those of us who grew up in Carp, we deal with a yearly onslaught of travelers (S.B. and Ventura included) who claim to be locals. They believe they deserve the same respect as someone who has grown up at the Con and earned their spot in the lineup after years and years of paying dues (bumping rails, blatant snaking, dodging bailed longboards). e.g. What about the self proclaimed 'King Con'. What a pretender. Creating a website to try and convince people you're local is real pathetic. King transplant is a much better description...if you look hard you will see what a true local looks like and respect that fact. If you're not from Carp, HAVE SOME RESPECT!
tarpiz your p**y a*s would run if you incounterd me and you know this Thekingcon,As far Rincon Geographically being carpinterai's back yard me and my homie's handled that years ago and if you grew up here like you said? You should know the real O,G. Tar pit's Crew. TheKingcon.com,Just because you mommy
Move to carp means nothing. (text edited by site administrator)
Your selling out The queen with your crappy shit on the web. Shame on you. Sit in the piss pit and get loaded. As long as your not in the water
you no nothing about selling out because you have nothing Rincon Pit Crew is ##1and stright up hard core and only offered at the Dan merkel art gallrey and doing very will Thank you.P.s, The new Munoz,Merkel, Tees will be on sell soon online.Thekingcon.com
Fellow surfers, A friend told me about this blog and it is neat that you guys share your thoughts. I moved here about 5 years ago from Kauai, south shore, and have already noticed the attitude in the lineup at rincon. The guys who surf well and mind their own business are the real locals, they don't need to scream about it. I dont consider myself a true local and I try to respect the guys who fit the bill. I have found that the guys who argue and try to descriminate who's who in the line up are the guys who are less talented and as a result, frustrated.
Your a local if your dad has taught you to surf there, or if you are a dad and you taught your kid who has now been surfing it on there own. Same goes for mom's. Also for the orphans out there an easy in is if you have been run over and needed to get stitches. But really a true test of a local is if they can get lots of waves on the most crowded days. You need to know the place pretty darn well to pull that off. You also have to live in Carp. Everyone else gets snaked
I think being a 'native' means you were born near the break you surf at. Being a local is more than where you were born. It's a state of mind and a responsibility to your beach and your fellow surfers. I'm a transplant (16 years ago), but my children are native Goletans. I hope to teach them to respect their break and all the people there. It's said a lot, but it's true: Give respect to get respect. I always try to surf like my kids are watching.
A local is anybody who surfs the spot(s) near their homes. When they are out surfing, they are "local." It doesn't matter how long they have lived there, or whether they went to high school in the nearest town. Nobody has rights to surf spots just because their parents moved to the area in the '70s, or because they moved there five years ago to go to college. Nobody owns the ocean/waves. Funny how many surfers seem to think they do. Be a global local.
Vaq, you live in a fantasy utopia. Surfing is the most selfish sport in the world. To say that means you have no courage to fight for the limited resources. I am willing to stake my claim at rincon because I will fight for that which I have grown up with.
Go paddle out on the west side of any Hawaiian Island and proclaim your a global local and see what happens. Global local doesn't mean anything more than bottom of the pecking order everywhere.
Being a local means you never have to justify to anyone that you're a local. Surf well, be respectful, and don't kook it up.
one is a local who live an grew up in the area.an one who respects the area an beach they live in an reapects the non local to enjoy the surf with the locals . but the non locals need to respect the pecking order and not just come in an surf the break with disrespect to the locals. also one can become a local by living in a area were the surf breaks like Ricon for over say 5 yrs if they become respectfull with the area that. you dont really need to be born in the area of the surf spot . it all comes down to a pecking order. Just like here out in Maui.. show respect get respect .Mahalo. oh ya its going off over head here .not much for the pics in your blog. for the surf at ricon..pray for double over head .it will come.Aloha
also one is a locallike me whos been away from ventura over 10yrs like me. i surf ventra c street when it was a dirt strip an when it was breaking over the pier off of c street and when oil pires had their piers and when ricon had tom curren out there as a grom. i come back one day and laugh at a young kid to tell me toget out of the water because i am not a local.
A local is born, not transplanted. A good local cares for the community more than the individual. If you don't like the locals move along, because they ain't leaving. Localism is the outcome of a lifetime of influence, the influence of an area over a person and their life. At the beach there are levels of seniority; visitors, regulars, and locals. One cannot be the other. Locals dint always have to be overtly hostile, and visitors should not expect any respect, you gotta earn that. It took me twenty years to not hate every LA city boy i came across...
And i am still trying to let it go. but it can be done.