Champion's mission to Iran to get women surfing

Dang, there goes my secret spot!

Just one simple question for anyone that may have some insight on this. Why do some feel the need to export surfing to every nook and cranny, to every country on the planet that possesses even just a few miles of sea or ocean real estate?...and never mind if said country even has surfable waves. I guess selling just the IDEA, the notion, or joy of surfing is good enough. What a crock! In my view, proselytising surfing is just as bad as it is religion. What's wrong with letting it be discovered naturally, organically, or serendipitously?

Ha,+1 h2ohkook.

good point sharkturd... but I hope we agree that evolution surfing is nothing like the crusades, spanish missionaries or other countless acts of hate and destruction that was done in the name of somebodies God... Sure surfers have gotten in fights over who has the best board, moves or style but we know that the cold water, sharks and difficulty of the sport will cast the disbelievers back to the beach... surfing is not like organized religion it is more like seeking enlightenment... just thinking...

I know what you are saying shark-t, it's a good question. I think maybe it's just because some people are ambitious and feel the need to do something that is bigger than themselves, I guess. It's funny though, as someone who surfs, the idea of everyone who lives near the ocean being introduced to surfing feels a little depressing. Serendipity is good!

I'd feel much better about the whole thing if it wasn't "a short documentary by French film-maker Marion Poizeau which will be shown on French TV later this month before beginning a tour of international film festivals, hopefully later in the year". if yr gonna do it, great - spread the stoke, god knows people can use it. but, you know, less impressive if it's an ego project (book, movie, blog blah blah).

Let's just step back a bit and not focus on surfing exclusively. Big picture: Iran just needs MTV. Anyway, that's a loaded statement. A question I have is should they have the *right* to receive exported content and culture? Americans think they do, and obviously their government doesn't think that's a good idea. At all. I think that sharing information via telecommunications really should be a universal right. The side effects of that are sometimes deleterious, like teens that want to rebel and smoke pot and talk back to their parents, and wear mini skirts, and listen to One Direction, and shit like that.

I don't get it either. The whole thing strikes me as a bit weird.

at least most suits have built-in hoods. keep those ladies covered up!

"It was just a wild plan to surf where a woman had never surfed before, to try and get other women interested"
"I'd love to see more women surfing and I'd love to see it become a sport for everyone, not just the wealthy."

Its a female surfer trying to get WOMEN surfing. I think your super secret sport is safe.

Fair point turd-a-reano. Upon learning the then-new Islamic government in Iran was beating people for listening to disco records, Joe Strummer wrote Rock the Casbah (not the Shah was entirely tolerant of personal expression). My guess is that Joe Strummer put a higher priority on his bond with fellow kids listening to music than with the Iranian government. But there are obviously different ways of viewing these things.

That said, I would feel more comfortable with this surfer penetrating a repressive regime than say somewhere like New Guinea, where there really isn't a regime to speak of.

IMHO this has more to do with the promotion of freedom than it has with the promotion of surfing, and I don't mean that in the 'America! fuck yeah!' kind of sense. Surfing is a way of promoting freedom and self expression that is potentially non-threatening to abusive authorities and therefore safe and liberating for its participants (I say potentially because that remains to be seen in the case of Iran). The same thing can be done through other forms of expression, Iran has great alternative rock bands that can rival with many western bands, but they're putting their freedom on the line by following their passion (check out the Yellow Dogs on Youtube). If Iranians can enjoy their surf more power to them, they're the locals, right? Spread the stoke.

But then again, maybe this is all a ploy by Body Glove to flood the Middle East with lycra hijabs...

Too many issues come up when it comes to Iran. We got repression, women's repression, censorship, dictatorship, theocracy, past wars, Mickey Mouse giving the finger bumper stickers, hostages, I could go on and on and on. It's just one of those bingo board countries, so the message of surfing is going to be muddled in with any of those bingo squares. On the one hand if it really was simply a ploy to get women to surf on the grounds of the women's repression bingo square, that's cool, but honestly how effective is that going to be given the current state of things? I guess the point could be to try. If you don't try then you wouldn't know. Maybe tons of gals will follow in tow and now begin a life of surfing the Indian Ocean there. Then there's the practical not-so-idealistic side of me that notes some black robed babushka called the fuzz on her, and as I mentioned before, they don't have MTV. That makes me think it was more of a PR gag in practice even though the intent was not as such. But you never know. Once you teach someone to surf, there's a high probability they ain't going back to not-surfing life :), and sometimes all it takes is showing someone something, and they take the baton and run.
Enjoy the Iranian surfing waffles.

“We have to end apartheid and slow down the nuclear arms race, stop terrorism and world hunger. Ensure a strong national defence, prevent the spread of violence within central urban areas, work on the middle east settlement, prevent US military involvement overseas. We have to ensure that the US is respected as one of the world’s economic leaders. Now that’s not to belittle our domestic problems, which are equally important, if not more. Better and more affordable long -term care for the elderly , control and find the cure for the AIDS epidemic, clean up environmental damage from toxic waste and pollution, improve the quality of primary and secondary education, strengthen laws to crack down on crime and illegal drugs. We also have to ensure university education is affordable to everyone and protect the Medical Health Service for everyone plus conserve natural resources and areas of nature beauty and reduce the influence of political action committees.

“But economically we’re still a mess. We have to find a way to hold down the inflation rate and reduce the national debt. We also need to provide training and jobs for the unemployed as well as protecting existing US jobs from unfair foreign imports. We have to make England and the rest of the US a leader in new technology and at the same time preserve our historical companies. We need to promote economic growth and business expansion and hold the line against income tax and hold down interest rates while promoting opportunities for small businesses and control mergers and big corporate takeovers.

“We cannot ignore our social needs either. We have to stop people for abusing our welfare system, while still providing food and shelter for the homeless. We need to oppose racial discrimination and promote civil rights while also promoting equal rights for women but change abortion laws to protect the right to life yet still maintain women’s freedom of choice. We have to control the influx of illegal immigrants. We have to encourage a return to traditional moral values and curb graphic sex and violence on TV, in the movies, in popular music, everywhere, but allow freedom of choice to those above a consenting age. Most importantly we have to promote general social concerns and less materialism in young people.”

Patrick Bateman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBBrd3pQblg

Sounds good to me...Wonder what stops us!? Task too big?