Jamie Brisick observes "how the omnipresent camera has affected surf style…"
There’s a scene in David Egger’s dystopian novel The Circle where an exec from a fictional Bay area tech giant is pitching a new gadget to his adoring disciples.
It’s a Steve Jobs trope. Ear mic. Black skivvy. The whole show.
But he’s also a surfer, and his breakthrough innovation is a pocket-sized, mass- produced camera that can be placed on any beach to live stream surf conditions. You can keep it as your personal feed. Or you can hook it into the network of millions of others of cameras
It’s the ultimate surf cam. Nowhere needs to be secret, anymore.
Of course, like any good sci-fi, curly questions are posed about omnipotent technology, the public’s right to know vs the individual’s right to privacy etc
But the thing is, this sorta tech is already here.
The writer and former pro Jamie Brisick has written a story in The New Yorker, and published today, riffing on this very topic.
Read, Surfing in the Age of the Omnipresent Camera, here.
He opens his scene with a new VAL toy called Surfline Sessions™. It’s an app that recognises subscribers and records their every wave, if it’s in front of a Surfline camera. You can have your videos cut and ready waiting for you by the time you get back to your car to dry off.
The video guy for the everyman.
I saw another one recently that is a camera you leave recording on the beach that follows you around the surf using a GPS tracker.
Never miss a wave, anywhere, anytime.
On Mikey February: “His hand jive, soul arches, and toreador-like flourishes play to the camera in a way that breaks the spell of the itinerant surfer in far-flung solitude. His style is as self-conscious as the duck-face selfie.”
It all makes for great marketing hooks. But isn’t also sorta fucken …lame?
I quoted Parmenter recently when he said surfing is the ultimate selfie sport.
In The New Yorker, Brisick takes it further.
On Mikey February:
“His hand jive, soul arches, and toreador-like flourishes play to the camera in a way that breaks the spell of the itinerant surfer in far-flung solitude. His style is as self-conscious as the duck-face selfie.”
He then quotes Slater.
“Style should be natural, and not perfect. I really dislike watching someone, anyone, who seems to be trying to look a certain way.”
Is it true style when it’s just for the camera?
Even Al Knost’s biggest fan would say no. (Though I’ll still watch him and Feb errrr’ damn day)
But what if constant recording can help you improve your surfing?
Is it still narcissistic then?
Already, surf dads sit for hours on beach capturing their kid’s every move for feedback. Surfing Australia do adult camps out of their Cabarita high tower “for all levels of surfer”.
Even I did it recently with our Ments trip photog. It was the first time I’ve seen proper video of myself surfing. It wasn’t pretty.
But it did help me pick up on a few things I already felt I might be doing wrong. I’m not about to go and hire Martin Dunn to follow me around with a drone and a clipboard. But I will open my shoulders a little more through top turns.
Surely that’s not a core crime?
Anyway, all argument is academic at this point. The future is already here. In Egger’s Circle, the tech bro’s grand reveal is that his cameras aren’t just capturing surfing. They’re also in Gaza, and Chechnya, and inside politicians offices.
It’s full transparency, whether we like it or not.
The revolution will be televised.
And it can help you with your roundhouse cutties.
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I’m a big fan of Brisick’s work but I think this article is toss to be honest. Under-developed ideas, mixed with tired old tropes plus a sprinkling of middle-aged moral panic. And Slater can get fucked, I can’t think of another surfer in the world who’s motives for the way he surfs are further away from personal enjoyment and expression.
As a couple folks have mentioned, let’s take surfing down to it’s foundation. It’s a “water dance”, the purpose of which is self-expression. Surfing is not much more that a continued effort to push the limits of our interpretation of what is riding a wave. I don’t think judgement of another’s interpretation is appropriate. I don’t think making assumptions about Mikey’s motive to surf the way he does is appropriate. Although one could argue, that a rise in this sort of judgmental sentiment is an artifact of the increasing availability of tech infiltrating all aspects of our lives, including this sport. But back to the topic at hand. To make the leap that this is now “just for the camera” seems to ignore that folks have been adopting style since wave riding was first conceived. Look at the ol’ style masters like Micki Dora, Larry Bertleman, and Gerry Lopez. Technology was minimal relative to today’s capturing capabilities, yet I think many would argue that their flair was comparable, if not more pronounced, in relation to Mr. Febuary’s. Now to your point, the act of surfing for someone else is, in my mind, counter-intuitive to what surfing should be about. With the significance that the internet and social media has in our lives and self-perception, I don’t doubt that many are working on their cutbacks for the wrong reasons. But give my boy Mikey a break, I can’t watch enough edits of that guy.
I’ve watched Mikey’s edit so many time’s and never get that contrived overly self conscious vibe. Jeeze, that wave looks so fun, he clearly looks like he’s enjoying it. Reading Brisicks well developed description leads me to believe those thoughts of duck faced surfers styling for the cam have been on his mind for a while, and would play well to editors and readers looking to further flesh out the insidious changes social media and the ever present camera have brought to so many aspects of life. It’s a good thought and criticism, but seems misplaced leveling it at Mikey. That “NU RYTHMO” edit’s great.
All of surfing is contrived. A silly water dance that is fun to do and fun to watch when done well. ‘Done well’ is, as all forms of beauty, in the opinion of the viewer. And the the curator of the brand. And marketing consultant. The way Mikey’s surfing ‘style’ is portrayed is no less a product of a brand
Dane Reynolds or Craig Anderson. I enjoy watching his videos more than a number of the top ‘performence’ surfers because it has a different aesthetic in the same way I would rather watch a movie starring De Caprio than Adam Sandler. A movie is a movie and the talent is equally curated. Calling February’s surf style contrived is to assume that another surfers style is not. This is a silly assumption.
i think your surfing is plenty pretty surfads. up until the moment you paddle past me (and everyone else) to the front of the queue
🐍
PS it’s the biggest furphy in Newcastle’s long history. You know it.
???
mikey february is more guilty of this than the scores of programmed groms at salt creek? or the knost-clones who’ve sprouted like fungi from byron bay to san o? i’d argue that miikey’s style at least offers some variety
Alex Knost is the Lenny Kravitz of surfing. Totally derivative and unoriginal
Who’s he copying?
In my mind the whole 70s ethos. Soul arching, hand jiving, burnout etc except it was original then.
I know you’re right, I just enjoy watching him surf. I do pick and choose what derivative shit I put up with though.
I like Lenny Kravitz
To each their own I guess
feed is horrible. not even worth watching this choppy stop every 3 seconds. especially if someone is up and riding. Nice work WSL.
yeah – truly sucks. i was actually looking forward to wasting my work day watching this thing
the fb one is a little better
Humanity may destroy itself with technology and “improvement” is the lie.
Humans communicate more to a larger “audience” now, but struggle in person. One way conversations replace interaction, debate. Minor disagreements now framed as “hate”. “Wars” over twitter? Data breaches from secured banking? Presidents who speak AT their people, not to them.
I’m sure the genius’ crafting all the “advancements” in technology are doing it for personal gain, but the collateral damage to all this shit is obvious. Facial recognition is sold as many things, but the reality is surveillance.
And that two seconds of fame you get posting on social media of your new surf discovery, that special feeling you get with “likes”, ends the next year when you return to your discovery and find it “found” by all.
Privacy is a word that had meaning.
I surf because it feels good in my body. If I attempt to improve my surfing based on video, I may. I also may become even more aware of how I look, thus detracting from how it feels to surf in the first place. Self-awareness is a vicious cycle. It’s a helluva lot easier to lose innocence than it is to get it back.
I looked down once and saw my shadow surfing next to me…based on that I tried to sort of fix my style….and it was weird, I couldnt surf anymore and just caught a rail and fell.
I thought Mickey Feb style was contrived after that quicksilver clip at Ulus but didn’t say anything cause I told myself I was being a hater and too cynical ha ha.
Can we go back to just calling VALs kooks?
I’d surf however you wanted me to if it meant I was romantically involved with a certain someone 😍
Saw someone surfing with a toilet brush the other day, thought he was keen to measure the waves. Turns out it was a selfie stick. This seemed a weird kind of narcissisicm, is pulling a poo stance and holding a toilet brush really the kinda thing you want on social media?
A lesson in tolerance.
Not all surf-mat riders are shits:
https://www.theguardian.com…
Does seeing yourself surf improve your surfing? Yes.
Is seeing yourself surf soul crushing? Yes.
The one I don’t understand is the guy who posts himself surfing his locals waves to all and sundry when it’s good. Your shitting in your own nest.
Self confessed gopro user…. But it helps…. My craving for more attention and style (improving).
Board-mounted or handheld?!
Kook either way
Watched footage of an HTs session: my mate, me, the owner of HTs resort, Soli Bailey and Jordy Smith. Three wild guesses how good that made me feel :-/
Was out there that day as well. Soli did the biggest nonchalant air over the surgeons table right in front of me. I was just happy to be out there getting a few waves in warm water paradise.
to confess, I got given one of those solo shots for a present.
I carried it around in the car for a month or two, too embarrassed to set it up.
finally found a day of gurgle when there was no-one around and couldn’t make it work.
they don’t work at rocky points, so there goes that fantasy.
Isn’t it odd how the phrases ‘Solo Shot’ and “wank’ seem somehow synonymous?
hahaha
Oh I’d try it for sure if I got a chance. Just not near anyone.
Conversely I like watching amateur surf vids on YouTube. Maybe cos it seems more obtainable? Home girls for the modern day man?
I like watching amateurs too 🙃
there doesn’t seem to be anyway to do it discreetly
Embarrassing enough that I own a second hand board with a go-pro mount on it… I’d take it off, but I’m sure it’s stuck on with some sort of superglue that NASA uses in deep space.
Mount one of those comedy clown-horns on it to signal your priority to less-aware surf board-users.
“PARP PARP!”
Or a waterproof speaker and share your favorite tunes with the lineup!
perhaps a bobble head Chas figure.
Swipe a Mercedes hood ornament and superglue that on there.
I think if ever saw myself surfing I would just straight-up slash my fuckin throat with my electric pole-pruner.
Some things are better left unknown.
But then on occasion, I long for the ease to partake in the vapid narcissism which the youth so nonchalantly enrobe their lives with, like a cloud of Blueberry Fart vape guff.
Derek wouldn’t let me include the eight hours raw footage of me surfing two foot Lance’s in the story so I’m running a slide night at St Augustine’s if you’re interested.
A single brush or hip high ?
Hawaiian toilet brush
Ho brah !
For da big nuggets !
hahahhahaah
I’d love too.
I’ll tell the wife I’ve found jebus and I’m going to
prey on the weak-minded and gulliblepray.As one of the countless many weak minded and gullible folks who’ve been preyed upon over the last 2000 years or so, please tell me what its like to be discerning and sophisticated so I can live vicariously through you.
No need to do that!
Just accept that there is no magic beardy sky-faerie, and attempt to live a morally positive, ethically-sound life.
It’s much simpler.
Job done!
Your keen wit implies an above average intellect. As such, I’d think you’d feel a bit silly continually plucking such low hanging fruit as us Jerry Falwell imitating, Trump supporting, snake handling, tongue speaking, sky fairy believing, jebus-loving Christians. I’d think you would have more worthy, less believing in stupid fake stuff fish to fry. I guess that’s what I get for thinking because if I truly think I might come to believe that life and all that is required to create and sustain it is all somehow a big happy astronomically improbable coincidental accident. I clearly need to start thinking more with my upstairs head but I guess when I regress to the folly believing in something beyond my own amazing logic , I can always rely on that good ole reliably (and predictably) smug haughty atheist ethos as demonstrated in your reply to help me pull my head out. And here I’ve been thinking I’m wasting too much time on this site! Thinking does not seem to be my forte.
That’s my favorite flavour
Heisenberg blueberry ice!
Yogi Java n Vanilla Tobacco.
Dessert Lady BlackBerry Tart n Lemon Tart
Loaded Glazed DoNut
Vapetasia killa Kustard
And others in rotation
Or mix em up
Its pretty fuken good!
Still illegal here
What a joke.
Yea mate. Seriously.
Don’t underestimate the Big Tobacco lobby.
Pole pruner? Would you pull the trigger with toes? Success at such a feat is worth living for to celebrate
Comedy deaths you know, it’s all the rage.
There’s an illustrated book that adorned a friends coffee table for many years called “The Bunny Suicides” or something similar.
It was a series of cartoons of rabbits committing suicide in very creative, comedic, or over-complicated ways, sometimes en-masse.
Sounds mildly amusing, but I’m guessing that it will become a sort of training manual for us all soon as the ecosystem and thus society, goes pear-shaped.