Why Can't Surfing Be More Like Cycling?

Let's go back in time. No, not in surfing time. I'm talking about going back in time in the world of cycling. To the time when Lance was kicking ass and was all people could talk about. You know what was so cool about that time? People still didn't give a damn about cycling. Oh, everyone jumped on the bandwagon to marvel over his ability to beat cancer and become a better cyclist than he was before the illness. Still, the Lance hysteria didn't exactly flood the roads with bikes. Those of us who were hardcore roadies kept riding . . . and suffering for our sport. (You can't be a serious cyclist unless you admit that you welcome the pain. If you ride, you know what I mean. If you don't, I can't really explain it.) The new riders either gave up or used the bike sparingly for recreation. I liked being a cyclist because it was different. It wasn't a sport that appealed to the masses, therefore we hardcore cyclists, with our extremely insular communities, could just do our thing together. Don't get me wrong. Cyclists, especially those who race, are a conceited bunch. You're not welcomed with open arms on a training ride where you're not a regular. Your legs do the talking. If your ass gets dropped, you'd better know your way home. If you cause a crash and go down, it's possible no one will stop riding to see if you're alive. (I've been a witness to that one. On one training ride, I was one of only three people out of about 25 who stopped to see if this guy, a rider none of us knew, was alright.) Still, there was a feeling of solidarity among the cycling community.

I can't help but compare my cycling experiences to my surfing experiences. As much as I love surfing, there's something about it (i.e., all that is the world of surfing as of 2007) that isn't right. I think I'm bothered by people seeming to care too much about surfing. It's not so much that surfing's gotten too big. It's that people ascribe too much meaning to surfing and the fact that they're surfers. What does it mean to be a surfer? In my mind, nothing in particular. What did it mean to be a cyclist? Again, nothing in particular. But if you ask a lot of people in the lineup what it means to be a surfer, I think you'll hear answers that will piss you off. Next time you're in the parking lot at a surf spot, pay attention to those around you. Which ones surf for the pure joy of it and which ones are there with something to prove? This is not about skill level. I'm talking about attitude. This attitude can be found in vets as well as in the ranks of the newbies. I can't put my finger on it really. Is it that surfing is the new measure of cool? Ergo, I surf, therefore I'm cool. It's the people who buy into that who bother me. Surfing does not make you cool. Surfing doesn't make you anything. And really, who gives a damn? Surf for the love of surfing. Stop buying into the mass marketing of a manufactured surf culture. Let surfing be what it is: paddle, pop-up, ride, exit. It's as simple as that. Now, people romanticize what it means to be a surfer. Are they trying to play the role? Look the part? Walk the walk? Talk the talk? People, there is no "role". Stop assuming a surfer must be a certain way. Give respect and earn respect. It's not hard to do. And yet, too many surfers make it out to be more than that. This is why I ask: why can't surfing be more like cycling?

I don't know if this post will make any sense. I couldn't clearly articulate what I wanted to say. I just wanted to try and put my thoughts into words.