When Locals Attack

That was me driving the jeep. Nice to meet you Tim, despite the lame reason. 12v air compressor has been ordered via Ebay, $16, free shipping. I'm seriously considering posting a nice map to where you were at. So super lame.

Lame act by even lamer people. I say we arrange a collective go out on the next good swell. :)

+1

Is cryptomail really Clark Kent? Strange that he just shows up.

Well, this doesn't sound too bad. Worst localism encounter in 15 years is 3 flat tires? No punch outs, threats, or beatings as one often encounters in Hawaii. Rather than take the victim role, maybe you can learn something from this encounter? How many of you were traveling together? If it's more than two, there is your first problem. Yes, Texas plates will add to the mix, and yes, a high end nice car may also make things worse. What would you do differently next time?

Very curious to know where this is a) so I can be aware next time I go there and b) I think the a-holes need to be called out on it.

Good nytimes article from a year ago re localism, north shore style Rough Waves, Tougher Beaches
: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/sports/othersports/23surfing.html?_r=1...

I think what you do differently next time is booby-trap your car like Data from the Goonies, so that if someone tries to wax your windows or let the air out of your tires, a boxing glove pops out and knocks them in the face.

Localism is lame no matter where you see it, or how extreme it is. I think localism is anti-surfing. The guy who let the air out of your tires is probably the worse for the wear. I doubt it made him feel any better, even though he hoped it would, and he probably had a shitty sessio, pre-occupied with grumbling to himself the whole time about the "people invading his waves" to actually enjoy the waves. Like I've said before though in different rants and in comments, there are jerks everywhere, not just in the surf line-up but at the grocery store, in parking lots, everywhere. Try as you may you can't always avoid them, so my strategy is to brush it off. Let the jerk be the one who gets brought down by his actions, rather than you. That, in response to @mahu, is how you make the victimizer the victim. I applaud @redtim for seemingly doing just this and not letting it get him down, and @tcannon and @crypto for (not surprisingly if you know the guys) lending a hand.

"funniest" localism I've experienced is 2 older guys growling at me as I've paddled out at 2 different spots...like dogs....... No words. Just growling. And not in response to anything. Just me being there. These dudes will likely not age well.

I really wish people wouldn't think "Oh tourist" when someone has out of state tags. I have SD tags on my car and truck because I do not have CA residency due to living in a campground. I never got the point of localism in the parking lot, or on the internet for that matter. There is just too many chances of being wrong and ruining someone who isn't surfings day. When I surf a "secrect spot" I am usually happy when a person or 2 shows up for the safety factor ( shark attack probability goes way down ).

My thoughts are if your going to call someone out for droping in or sitting in the wrong spot, fine they deserve it, but doing something to cars in the parking area is just stupid. I think Respect of a spot is important but damaging property in a way that doesn't let people leave is about as stupid and self defeating as you get. Now even more people know about your secret spot, bravo.

Some people forget the ethic that we're all out there to have FUN.

ya, the thing about localists is they're basically just not smart. kind of like monkeys with usable vocal chords. i've seen the no-purpose growler type and i think the theory is that they want to build a rep that visitors are not welcome.

making that theory backfire is brilliant. post a map! blog the crap out of it! even better, let's get a posse down there to clog the line up. we should bring some SUPs and a friggin' canoe. what the hell, i'll rent a jet ski.

I think the mistake you guys are making when you evaluate this, just like ###### thing, is that you think you're dealing with normal, rational people. You're wrong. Localism isn't normal or rational or fair, but it exists. As much as we all want it to go away or pretend that it's not there, it DOES exist. Mark, I think you've got it all wrong: I think that guy who let the air out VERY MUCH felt good about what he did. I can see him sitting around doing meth with all his meathead friends saying, "FUCK YEAH, I let the air out of this kook's tires, and he's luck that's ALL I did to him."

No amount of kindness or patience or understanding is going to change the fact that people like that exist. So, I hate to say it that Mahu is kind of right on this situation. If you you simply want to surf a localized spot and not "make a stand" or something like that, the key is blending. Show up alone, don't park where all the locals park, make sure you paddle out at the proper spot, don't paddle right up to the top of the pack and NEVER sit on their inside, stuff like that. But if you want to prove that your way of thinking is better than theirs and make a stand, you're in for combativeness.

Again, please don't think that I'm condoning these actions. I'm just saying that you need to evaluate them properly for what they are. If you want to make it a point that their way of thinking is wrong and you make a stand, expect some sort of retaliation. This isn't some sort of educated democratic debate where you can calmly talk out your differences in a moderated forum. You're dealing with meatheads who operate on the bottom-most possible level. Maybe over the long run you'll have some sort of impact, but it's definitely not going to happen overnight. But if you just want to SURF the spot and get in and out, then just try to BLEND. Be as invisible as possible. You might still get the stinkeye, but you'll get your waves eventually.

4 guys with boards and texas plates is just asking for it imo. Its kinda an unwritten rule that showing up to a small/secret break with more than one other person is a no no. My advice is to tread lightly.

I personally refuse to surf with others...why add to the crowd?

I've encountered localism on numerous occasions and usually take something from it. While their tactics may be brash, they are sending a message which is that you've offended the local surfing community, and I don't think it should be completely ignored.

I don't pick sides really, cause i straddle both ends. But in my localism encounters, i've been both innocent and in the wrong. But either time, i learn from the occasion and it contribues to spending countless hours earning respect in many a lineup.

I understand the negative reaction but my hope is that we all learn from the occasion. The additude on this board often seems like unobjectionable entitlement. Call me old school, but i still think people should earn their right to the lineup. Surfing is sacred and i'd like to see it stay that way.

For the record, i don't mean to come down of you guys and i'm a proponent of this site. Just trying to offer another perspective from a seasoned/seen a lot surfer meng.

also, people are overly protective of the spot i think you're talking about. Its the only place in sf i've encountered localism and it turned into a pretty ridiculous parking lot extravaganza. I doubt he'll ever say anything to me again. However, its started over a sc tide table in my car.

That's totally lame and disappointing. There's no excuse. Earlier this week I was told to be careful about parking around the Palomarin coast. Its been happening a lot lately. And not just to people with fancy cars or out of state plates. Also reports of people doing donuts to kick up stones against cars. The good news is about 95% of the surfers i meet between Bo and Salmon creek actually have brains in their heads and are more focused on going after the stoke so hopefully this issue will be resolved quickly.

Localism of this sort has nothing to do with keeping surfing "sacred," any more than it keeps the corner of 24th and Mission "sacred" when some idiot tags all over it with graffiti and shoots a rival gang member. Most surfers are quick to recognize how retarded that type of behavior is when they see it expressed in other cultures, but somehow when it comes to our own actions we're convinced that there is some really important set of values that are being defended by all the thuggery, seflishness and macho posturing.

Bullshit. It's time for surfers to grow up and realize that nobody owns the ocean no matter how many hours they've spent bobbing around like a cork in the water.

Agreed -- air out of tires is lame. Passive aggressive.

I am not surprised that you have only had a few localism encounters in your 15 years surfing. You obviously haven't been surfing localized spots.

Do not show up with more than 1 other guy, and all should be cool. Showing up to a remote break where you do not live with more than 1 partner is asking for trouble. Sorry to break it to you pal.

I am a pacifist and I do not live in a bubble. I am not a yuppie, hippie, newbie, or liberal. I am a Hawaiian surfer. I have also been surfing for a lot longer than 15 years and I understand and accept (though do not necessarily condone) acts of localism. It's called history -- some have spent more time at a spot than you or me. They deserve respect. No one owns the ocean, but people who have dedicated themselves to a spot deserve respect. For some reason, newbie surfers really struggle with this concept and expect people to welcome four of them in a Subaru Outback with open arms. Go back to the spot with 1 other friend and show some respect. And then come home and don't blog about it.

Bummer Tim. Thanks for sharing the experience here at least. Kinda surprised that those palomarin breaks get that kind of thuggery.

Mahu, I agree that history deserves respect. However there's no way to show respect to a punk who slashes and runs. That kind of faceless, irrational (as Pete correctly points out) action does more harm than good for the break, the neighborhood, and ultimately the sport. How do you show respect to someone who won't do the same? I think you can't. That's the frustrating part of this bs game. At any point, anyone can step up and decide they are the regulator for any spot. Dunno what the answer is.
* put up & shut up - lay low. carry 4 spares.
* seek & destroy - carry a bigger stick & prepare to escalate.
* other - what?

Quick question to anyone who may be guarding a mysto spot... What would be worse to find at your secret break: a car full of folks from SF or Jamie O'Brien (or some other pro surfer) plus entourage and film crew?

@greacen I wish someone had let the air out of Rob Machado's tires or his crew's tires when they showed up like a little herd to OB on a flawless morning following his self promotion for his latest flick. Apprently he wasn't even that courteous to the audience in fielding questions. Not nice to SFers, then get out.
If this tire incident happened in SF, no point to escalation. Even if you win, local means local, and then next thing you know you'll be getting decked from behind when out at some bar. You don't have to befriend the dudes. I would like to add that karma can be a bit@#. Police reports work to a degree. But your cops are local too, and don't be surprised if they don't find it appropriate you were congregating and driking beers overlooking the break since you shouldn't be getting back into that car too soon anyway. At least nothing worse happened.

I'm with mahu on this one. I learned to surf in Maui and only surfed Hawaiian waves for the first few years; there's a definite pecking order that is well-understood out there and for the most part it helps keep the peace and the vibe in the water happy, respectful. Even when its crowded, Hawaiian waves are some of the happiest and most polite ones anywhere 99% of the time. I've definitely seen a few folks get popped and have gotten vibed pretty hard myself. But vibe-wise I would trade a crowded Hawaiian wave for a crowded California wave any day. When I first moved back to SF and surfed here (I grew up here but never surfed it before) I couldn't believe how rude people are here in the water on average by comparison, and I think its due in large part to the fact that there are consequences to being a d*** in the water there. Everyone knows that good etiquette dictates that you don't show up at a localized break with more than one surf buddy, and you certainly don't charge the lineup, or hang out drinking beer and being obnoxious (not saying you were being obnoxious in this particular case, but some people might see it that way just by virtue of you standing there with a bunch of your friends). Just sayin'.

Letting down someone's tires is cowardly.

If someone paddles out straight to the peak, snakes everyone or starts dropping in, criticism is in order. If he doesn't get in line, I could even understand physical violence. This form of "Localism" would be policing surfing's accepted rules and I think it's OK.

However, most "Localism" I've encountered in CA takes the form of average to bellow average surfers who can't really compete in the lineup. A group find some spot they can handle, band together and decide it's OK for them to drop in on anyone they decide to, which they proceed to do and then get pissed if the people they drop in on continue to catch waves despite them.

Someone's talent level shouldn't have that much to do with it, Lee. Are you saying that if a guy rips that entitles him to drop in on everyone he sees fit? I see what you're trying to say: good surfers can catch waves on their own without resorting to localism tactics. But plenty of ripper surfers take all the waves they want, out of turn, because it's "their beach". Have you been to ###### lately, or been out when the crew is out at Deads or Fort on a packed/good day?

Conversely, there's plenty of old guys that have been surfing here for 30, 40, 50+ years that don't surf all that well. They are mellow fixtures in some of the more common lineups. Are you saying that it's ok to paddle around some guy that's diligently sat at the top of the peak for decades waiting his turn just because you’re younger or more fit, and can paddle around them or jockey better?

Part of the whole problem with local clashes is that people don't recognize what it is in the first place. I think Kool-Aid said it best when he said that many of the surfers on this board, which I think is a fair representation of city surfing in general, have this air of "unobjectionable entitlement" about them. You know, I understand that. Many of these surfers are athletic, educated, intelligent, they've accomplished a lot in their personal and professional life, they are good people - so they feel that they have every right to get right in there and mix it up and they'll be part of the pack. But, once again, surf line ups are NOT the real world. It’s a fucked up little environment that exists only in the bubble of that particular break.

If you want to make a stand against it, that’s admirable, but be prepared to be in for the long haul because it won’t change overnight (if ever). But if you just want to surf with the least amount of hassle, you’ll learn to recognize the local situations for what they are, adapt, and blend. It IS possible. Believe me, I’m a living example. But it takes a while, and it takes patience and humility, especially when some total barnyard snakes you for 5 years before he finally realizes you surf pretty well and starts letting you have a few waves without hassle. But it is what it is…