From the clothes on your back to the presidential candidate on your absentee ballot; life is all about choices. Some actors, like the late Paul Newman, chose to perform their own stunts, SUNY Cortland senior John Clare has made the choice to surf. Speak Magazine’s interview with the Long Island native suggests surfing is more than a sport- it’s a statement of identity.
1) How long have you been surfing?
I have been surfing since I was 11 years old, So 10 years but I have been a water person all my life.
2) Where do you catch waves?
My home town surf spot is Smiths point. To get to the spot you need 4 wheel drive. It a pretty secret and localized break
3) How do you dial into the surf world?
I am subscribed to surfer magazine, there are also a few sights online such as wetsand.com to track surf through out the world.
4) What do you think about surfing getting cut from the summer X-games in 2008?
I think that surfing should be a huge part of summer x-games, but for some reason in the United States surfing has a bad vibe. If you go to a place like Australia surfing is in the head line news not football or soccer. I think that people don’t understand the true feeling of surfing. It’s an experience that no other sport can give you.
5) Of the following former summer X-Games events- which would you like to see re-instated?
A) luge
B) inline aggressive skating
C) surfing
D skateboarding vert- doubles
6) What do you think about the snow/skate/surf industry embracing environmental stewardship more aggressively in the wake of the climate crisis?
I think that it is a great accomplishment of the surf/snow/skate industry to take hold on the climate crisis. I know in the surfing industry, environmental factors effect the breaks each year. With the more construction along beach front land the sand is slowly starting to disappear. This is not good for or breaks, the most well know surf breaks are starting to disappear and something needs to be done.
7) Do you have a favorite surfer?
My favorite surfer would have to be Taj Burrow.
8) Would you be willing to throw down a little extra cash for an eco-friendly surf board?
I would have no problem throwing down more money for an eco-friendly board as long as it performed the same.
9) What is the gnarliest surf destination you’ve ever visited/ surf trip you’ve gone on?
I have been to a few different places to surf such as Australia, Puerto Rico and most of the East Coast. Out of these places my favorite might have to be Puerto Rico. It could have been the time of year but the conditions were great when we were there. But I can never forget good old fashion Long Island where I only have to travel a mile to surf smiths or 45 minutes to surf Montauk.
10) Where do you dream about surfing in the future?
My next destination in the future is going to be Puerto Escondido. It is known as the “Mexican pipe line”. Its an absolutely amazing break.
11) Finish this sentence: “Because of Surfing...”
Because of surfing I am who I am today and I love the stereotype of being a surfer.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Surfing USA: A Wave of Environmental Stewardship
The Beach Boys faded like a California sunset in the mid-90's but their nostalgic music, inspired by a surf sub-culture , once challenged The Beatles for the pop-music throne. The Beach Boys' greatest music was nothing less than a call to action. This call to action came at a time of never- -before-seen political and social transformation. With song titles like "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "Good Vibration" it's no wonder the Beach Boys managed to spark a massive youth migration to Southern California in the 1960's.
In a Lewis & Clark-Esq fashion they planted the seed for West Coast exploration. When the band was in the limelight, their audience was transported to a world in which beach-front bonfires,chasing girls, and catching waves was a right of passage. The counter-culture's mores began to blend in with mainstream society and our parent's and professor's generation can attest to the fact that expressing your individual freedom became priority number one.
Today, young people searching for outlets of self-expression jump on surfboards, snowboards, and skateboards. Part of the appeal for these actions sports is their limitless potential for creativity and individual style.
An estimated 6.5 million snowboarders hit the slopes in 2006. In the 1950's there were 200 surfers in all of California. Nowadays surfers have to sleep on the side of volcanoes and camp on the edge of rain forests if they want to find uncrowded waves. Just as generation X developed a sense of freedom and rallied their support for the civil rights movement, so too has generation Y started to bolster support for a global environmental movement. Under the pressures of public scrutiny Richard Nixon's Administration came up with a plan to meet the demands for cleaner air, cleaner water , and a more stable environment. The Environmental Protection Agency was born. Today, generation Y is one of the most powerful stakeholders in the environmental movement. What's more is that the surfers, snowboarders, and skateboarders in generation Y are taking a stand on this issue because the longevity of the sports they love depend on clean water, clean air, and winter.
The surf/skate/snow industry has embraced a more aggressive model for thwarting global climate change as of late. Their eco-conscious business models could serve as the model for the rest of American industries in the future.
In a Lewis & Clark-Esq fashion they planted the seed for West Coast exploration. When the band was in the limelight, their audience was transported to a world in which beach-front bonfires,chasing girls, and catching waves was a right of passage. The counter-culture's mores began to blend in with mainstream society and our parent's and professor's generation can attest to the fact that expressing your individual freedom became priority number one.
Today, young people searching for outlets of self-expression jump on surfboards, snowboards, and skateboards. Part of the appeal for these actions sports is their limitless potential for creativity and individual style.
An estimated 6.5 million snowboarders hit the slopes in 2006. In the 1950's there were 200 surfers in all of California. Nowadays surfers have to sleep on the side of volcanoes and camp on the edge of rain forests if they want to find uncrowded waves. Just as generation X developed a sense of freedom and rallied their support for the civil rights movement, so too has generation Y started to bolster support for a global environmental movement. Under the pressures of public scrutiny Richard Nixon's Administration came up with a plan to meet the demands for cleaner air, cleaner water , and a more stable environment. The Environmental Protection Agency was born. Today, generation Y is one of the most powerful stakeholders in the environmental movement. What's more is that the surfers, snowboarders, and skateboarders in generation Y are taking a stand on this issue because the longevity of the sports they love depend on clean water, clean air, and winter.
The surf/skate/snow industry has embraced a more aggressive model for thwarting global climate change as of late. Their eco-conscious business models could serve as the model for the rest of American industries in the future.
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