Race baiting is at an all time high. Who can unite us all?
Two months ago, Rory Parker predicted that dear Adriano de Souza would win both the World Surf League crown and also the Pipeline Masters (HERE). And how prescient is that? It made me very happy because I felt the little man’s tireless work ethic, his up-by-the-bootstraps pluck, his gold chain resting against hairy chest would coalesce the world under a banner of happy reconciliation (HERE).
And don’t you want a people’s champ to hold the trophy this year? Our world is very fractured. The 1% fights the 99%. Islamic radicals fight good-livin’ folk. Donald Trump fights Mexicans and Muslims and handicapped people. An ADS championship could unite us all. Don’t you want that? Don’t you wish for world peace?
I wrote at the time and then he did win and the surf world did not unite in peace but, rather, exploded into racist hyperbole. The camps shot back and forth with Brazilians preferring a generally angry/shouty FUCK YOU AUSSIE FUCK tone and non-Brazilians preferring a less obvious/more insidious type of institutionalized bigotry. Like commenting on ADS’s, but also Medina’s and Toledo’s “style” which is really just another way of saying the boys surf “non-white” no?
And has the surf world ever been more divided down racial lines? It has always been extremely territorial, and territorial claims have, from time to time, exploded. It has also been generally classist, but has it ever been this explicitly racist? I think not.
It’ll be interesting to see if the animosity spills from online comment boards into real life. Like, will Bali’s various waves turn into mini-apocalypses with roving bands of Brazilian youth fighting roving bands of white youth? Pitchforks and things? Will it feel like West Side Story with the Jets vs. Sharks?
Is there a Brazilian surfer who can unite the camps, a shreddy Gandhi? Is there an American/Australian surfer who can? A rippy Robert Kennedy?
And, if not, who will choreograph our dance rumbles?
Yago Dora be Gandhi, Jack Robinson be Kennedy. Until they arrive on tour Ross Williams choreographs the “spicy” dance rumbles.
Reading again some posts, it’s funny how we all miss one simple truth:
HUMAN BEINGS ARE THE SAME SHIT ALL OVER THE WORLD. Nice, arrogant, dumb, kook, violent, smart, all those profiles doesn’t matter about race and every race has all of them. I go once a year to Indo. I had great experience with Ozzies in and out of the water, but also terrible. I understand that there are a lot of brazzos with bad beahviour, but there are lots of ozzies, hawaiians, europeans etc with bad behaviour. As such, affirm that one specific nationality sucks is a huge mistake. The real problem with brazzos is because jiujitsu. 20 years ago there are really few BJJ gym center out of Brazil and everytime there was a problem with a brazzo surfer who knows jiujitsu, it ended the same way. But, dont you agree that it’s natural???? And also cultural differences. And the last but not the least, brazilian waves sucks, so brazzos travel a lot!!!!
Sympathy is the word you’re groping for here verbal. We must be sympathetic. What causes momentary nausea for me is the size of the pay checks being cut for people whose surfing styles outweigh their characters.
I might never go back to Stab. There is intelligent life on the boards.
Just be happy that Black People don’t surf in mass, Imagine if Mike Jordan or Steph Curry was an aerialist surfer. White boys and Brazzos would be out of work…
Ha I remember an old stab article proclaiming the rise of the black surfer after a guy won a low level comp, they got into a little bit of hot water for the way they worded that one
There is a balck kid in Brazil, Vitor Bernardo, he has a section in Felipe Toledo movie. He will qualify, he is really good and does has style.
Calling it racism is a stretch. I think a lot of it is a byproduct of lots of SoCal surfers dealing with Brazilian “passion” in the local waters. There’s certainly some selective bias at hand in regards to remembering negative anecdotes, but almost every SoCal surfer has had to deal with an aggressive Brazilian in the water and it’s translated into blanket dislike for them both in the water and on the CT. And if we are being specific to the CT, I don’t see blanket hate for all Brazilians. Most people I know can’t stand GM or ADS for various reasons, but conversely you’ll never hear anything negative said about Toledo or Woggolly.
What?? You blind? Toledo is abused all the time. He is getting stoned more frequently than Bruce Irons.
I feel so very low that this race crap has entered into my favorite fun activity. Now I can’t escape it anywhere, I’m ashamed for surfing as a whole. I just stick with these simple rules for my surfing criteria. 1) don’t drop in on me 2) don’t sit inside me 3) if you hoot me off, you better make the drop 4) when I’m coming down the line don’t duck dive in front, go behind. Truth be told, opinions are like ass holes, everyone has one. My surfing world doesn’t revolve around race, I judge based on my criteria expressed above. Yes, it is simple and everyone knows, or should know, the rules above. Keep it in perspective folks, none of this banter matters one bit for our next sesh. Having said that, if a surfer breaks a rule above then he/she can be excommunicated, trash talked, or pounded. These encounters can include slanderous remarks towards the perpetrator including mother jokes, the word kook, f bombs, but no racial remarks. This is my surfing world, simple, yet effective and generally accepted world wide.
i forgot about Curren! Him for sure, above all. Not a huge fan of Andy, but don’t think he’s trash. Not into Occy. Mick is pretty boring. Non world champs I like: Dane, Machado when he’s not on a weird board, Craig Ando, Ozzy, Bruce, Taj, John John, Felipe, Stephanie…
Question: are the people who say that the judging criteria needs changed to account for style the same as the people two generations ago who said that surfing couldn’t be judged, maaaaannnn?
Eh???
If you think it’s racism you’re an idiot. Who the fuck hates a person or thinks less of them because of where they come from? It’s only the poo stance…. and actually the overbearing father relationships are fucking annoying too. Both of which the current Brazilian CT competitors have in spades.
That being said, I’d be equally pissed off if Yadin Nicol, Keanu Asing or Zeke Lau won a world title with their shitty crab-stance. It’s just a coincidence most of the Brazzo’s we’ve seen have, or in Gabby’s case, have developed a wide stance. If my dad saw me surf with the slightest bit of a poo stance when I was a kid he would ban me from surfing my short board and put me back on a mal. Brazzo’s (and other shit stance individuals) have got all the moves but need to learn to execute them in an aesthetically pleasing manner.
I’m very excitedly awaiting Charlie Medina’s own Damir Dokic (father of tennis bitch Jelena Dokic) style “two pieces of fish” melt down.
“Who the fuck hates a person or thinks less of them because of where they come from?” Are you fucking kidding? Everybody in the WORLD hates people for these reasons! Especially everyone in the surfing world!
And everyone who focuses on airs has a wide stance at times. Even Kolohe. Even John-John. It’s not a coincidence. It’s how you fucking make airs. Adriano was a fantastic aerial surfer until he began figuring out how to be world champion.
btw here is something nobody has gone near re Adriano. He and his family are descendants of Africans who were wrecked on Brazil’s north-eastern coastline while being transported to Louisiana to be sold as slaves. Yeah that’s right, the same cultural wellspring as the USA’s entire African-American population. That’s where his nickname, “Mineirinho”, comes from.
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I suppose it was a rhetorical question Nick. I reckon it’s pretty crook to hate someone for their colour or nationality but I guess that’s the reality. I prefer to just give people shit for their ugly crab stance. I’ve made an interesting but not so surprising discovery that people who defend or don’t recognise the poo stance in fact have a poo stance. The poo men look out for each other. It’s very sweet.
I’m the Prince of Ubatuba mate, don’t even try to tell me how to fucking make airs.
Your third point is completely lost on me, but I’m willing to listen.
Fucken hell the Poo Man Conspiracy. The League of Extraordinary Poo Men. Founding members Christian Fletcher and Ozzie Wright. They pretty much get away with murder those poo men.
Re Adriano being part African descent, I was just chucking it out there, like everyone is all “it’s not racist!” but man, it might be in some quarters. I hope not though. It’s way better if all these people dislike him because he is Brazilian.
Shit you’re right…. I thought the founding members of the Poo Man Clan would be shrouded in secrecy but Christians frontside top turns are absolutely dripping with crab poo. He is the chosen one. I can only find a few images of Ozzie shitting in a barrel but I’ll take your word for it.
I hope Adriano doesn’t interpret it as racist. I don’t think it should be interpreted as xenophobic either except for the fact that a lot of people run out of funny things to say and start to resort to “you live in a slum” etc. Those people are idiots (like Tio Sam), and we have them in every country.
You’re a kook troll from QLD.
Ubatuba.
You IP address dude. You IP address.
Ubatuba. Idiot.
You’re right about his origins but the nickname has a different background. His older brother, the one who gave him the 7bucks dor his first board, has the nickname Mineiro, which means someone from the state of Minas Gerais. Mineirinho is the diminutive.
Miniero, yeah – there are other implications in the nickname though. Minas Gerais is a state in the NE of Brazil where many of those original African slavers washed up. The nickname is freighted with that and also with the idea that the bearer of the nickname is a kind of quiet achiever — someone you don’t notice much but who gets shit done. Angelo de Souza is like that (imagine being a military policeman in Brazil) and so is Adriano.
Spot on. Quiet underrated achiever. He’s growing so fast here now. Look at his arrival earlier today, milk it Mineirimho! https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
you lie. If you could surf like ADS you would in a heartbeat.
Tom Carrol – now there was a chimp, er champ, with style!
I reckon it’s got a bit to do with brazzo’s knowing they can kick the shit out most people with their kung foo so they aren’t afraid to say what they think. On the flip side aussies have always had a bit of tall poppy syndrome where you don’t brag about how fantastic you are or you get brought down to size one way or another. Different cultures different attitudes that are pretty far apart. If a bloke in oz was like yeah i’m the greatest, my teams the greatest, we dominate etc you would either hope he’s joking or would loose him pretty quick where maybe brazillians need to do this to get what they deserve. It’s hard to stand out in a big crowd.
Italo Ferreira… I think he could be our Brazilian shreddy Gandhi. Seem’s like everyone’s stoked on him. I especially admire how he channels his hunger/passion/drive/whatever into the right thing – his surfing in a heat. He just fucking goes for it and I’m really excited to see him surf next season.
I don’t think Kelly shares you simpathy for our brazzo stud.
The WSL needs to change. Its not the World hardest worker, least cunty Brazilian League. Style or form need to be factored into scores, airs judged more critically, messy awkward and disfunctional landings should be penalised. Learn from skate and snow sports! 10s for single maneuvers should be impossible. Fix the system and get the correct results.
Not many disagree ADS is a hard working, dedicated nice guy, good for him. Not many would agree hes the worlds best surfer this year.
Brazilians have been hated long before they won a title and will continue to be hated if they never win another, everyone who travels knows why, its a simple game… ADS is the least ‘Brazilian’ Brazilian on tour. The hate boils down to discomfort with his result, not Racism.
All I hear from your babble is the cacophony of defeat and decay.
”least Brazilian”? Is being brazilian such a bad thing that you actually gain points not acting like a brazilian? So we should be more american? Maybe more Australian? Dude, you are a certified and clueless racist moron. And people commenting that has no such thing as being racist towards brazilians…
I don’t get why people take it so personally. Brazil are kicking our arses because they’re surfing to the criteria while the rest of the tour either don’t have the ability, or are too egocentric to do so. It doesn’t mean that they’re the best surfers in the world, they’re just better competitors.
But to do what Medina does in 30 minutes, you must be a freak. And Marijuana, i think pot makes you lazy, JJF smokes a lot, so THC steals his competitive instinct. Medina and ADS don’t smoke. I’m not a saint, I also smoke, that’s the reason i think I understand JJF spending 25 minutes in Trestles waiting for a wave and lost to Glenn Hall…
No JJF does not smoke , he needs a strategic coach as he always waits for a set wave to get a 10…he needs to learn like ADS did how to build a house in aheat!
Strategic coach? What is that! He needs to cut down on the sensimilla, that’s what. And Bob Hurley need to tweak his sweet contract too, cutting down the base compensation and creating the incentive for him to perform in the competitions.
.ditch the pakalolo asap, john…
Who are you? And welcome!
Yeah, no. Show me someone as fast as Filipe. Or as consistent with his airs as Gabs. The “they just play the game better” excuse is losing its luster quickly.
If aerial surfing is what floats your boat I’m stoked for you and you’re right, it’s hard to go past Filipe/Gabs/Yago. I’m into different shit, so those guys don’t really do it for me. It’s like women, dude. You might be on the whole blonde, silicon tits and pumped up lips trip while I’m vibing on the brown skin & curves in all the right places. The WSL merely crowns the Miss Universe of surfing.
Except Gabs also wins Chopes, Fiji and is now a repeat finalist at Pipe.
Tell that to yourself in front of the mirrorr and try not laugh! Hahaha
I met this guy from brazil, he followed the wsl like other people watch rugby. He wore board shorts and shit but I don’t think he could surf at all.
I’m preeety preeety sure that is part of everyone’s plan. The IQ in these boards is so damn low it’s insane.
.nobody follows rugby outside Oceania…
Let’s be fair, the Tour would be a shit load more interesting with some thick, delicious lashings of hate thrown into the mix! I’ll take any kind of hate, I’m not precious about race hate if that’s all we can get. Right now post heat interviews are as bland and sugary as they’ve ever been. I hate that AdS won this year, but simply because he went all “nice guy” on us! Thank fuck for Gabriel Medina.
Medina was given the surfing skills of a god and the social skills of a Sheldon Cooper.
Exactly! Perfect.
“Like commenting on ADS’s, but also Medina’s and Toledo’s “style” which is really just another way of saying the boys surf “non-white” no?”
If surfing with your feet too wide apart and ass sticking out is considered non white style then yes I am not a fan.
Yeah Chas below you are right, on the surface it is nationalism and plenty of chest beating. However below the surface there is something deeper for sure. Style aside (and I have seen Adriano surf out of competition and he rips) most people should respect the rags to riches story that Adriano has built to reach the pinnacle this year. Am sure if was an Aussie or American rising from the “ghettos” to be number one would be totally newsworthy the sponsors would flood in.
The probable fact is that the WSL can manipulate things via how they market and release news and then even judge – its entertainment its viewership and its a business and they are in it to make coin.
The only way to make a change that everyone can be on same page is to take out the subjectivity.
Then it is only performance that can be respected, no matter the nation or “colour” – the best competitive surfer will be the best competitive surfer
You think this is bad, wait til we’re in the Olympics
Brazil should pounce on the KS wave pool and do a chlorinated 10 foot version. Just imagine the press it could get.