"A prize asshole..."
David Lee Scales and I are almost at the 50 podcast mark. 48 to be precise and 48 podcasts is a lot. Oh not for me, I just sit there with David Lee and jabber into a microphone but a lot for you. That is 48 podcasts, roughly 80 hours, of me jabbering into a glennmicrohall, David Lee jabbering too and sometimes Derek Rielly. We generally swerve from this topic to that but surfing is what drives our passions.
It’s what informs our lives.
I’ve written almost every time that it is our best episode but number 48 might well truly be for today I learned that Drew Kampion, legendary surf journalist, founder of a radical tone, respected, venerated loved by all is not dead. Furthermore he specifically hates me and what I do.
How epic is that?
How truly epic?
For me it is, marking a heretofore never even dreamed achievement and not only never dreamed because I thought he was dead.
I won’t spoil my reaction here, you must listen, but we also discuss narcissism and the very real possibility that Meryl Streep is a serial killer.
Again, this may possibly honestly be The Grit!‘s high-water mark. Don’t believe? Tell me why. Unlike Kelly Slater I crave negative feedback.
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Oh I’m dead, okay. I died the moment some dork named Chas Smith misquoted me. I don’t know who the fuck Chas Schmidt is.
cold!
This definition of racism things kills me every time I hear it. IMO Haile Selassie said is quite succinctly (and Bob Marley sang it well)
‘Racism is the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior’ – seems pretty simple to me…but then again, I grew up with it all around me.
Chas often comes off like an enormous douche. (He named his daughter Hemingway for Christ’s sake) And I am quite struck sometimes with how little he really knows about surf history. And his analysis of the surfing done on tour is usually pretty off in my opinion. But the thing is he’s a fucking brilliant writer. Just a truly hilarious piss-taking provocateur of the highest order who makes me laugh my ass off on a daily basis. “Welcome To Paradise….”is maybe the best book ever written about pro surfing and anyone who is offended or takes him seriously should just fuck off. It’s just surfing.
I was in Luchenbach Texas once and said the only country singer I knew was Kinky Friedman, loved his books, thought his songs were entertaining from a lyrical perspective – collectively everyone else thought he was a shit stirrer and an odd character. Maybe that is what Drew actually meant to say? I just don’t think you’re that powerful to denigrate a “culture” hahahahah a fucken culture.
That’s my damned point.
DLS knows a lot about wine!!
Keep Paddling, Chazzy! (Points for whoever remembers what I’m goofing on here. Hint, DK would be sick to his stomach prolly if he saw this).
Hey Sean,
Hang in there and keep checking in here.
Thanks buddy. I appreciate it.
Ok, since nobody said so, I was being blasphemous about Drew Kampion’s (really cool) 1978 article about the death of Eddie Aikau. Called “Keep Paddling, Eddie!” I was a young kid and Surfer was our bible. But I’ll crack wise about anything. And I always like shit-stirrers, (like Chas) sooo, there you go.
He wrote some very good stuff!!
I have no fun in life, apart from commenting on BG. So listening to the two of you jabbering bullshit is a relief.
I can understand that people with actual freedoms to surf, explore, create might find it too inane to suffer.
Cue the violins…
I know right?
Nah. I ain’t asking for sympathy. Just telling it like it is, and why I can look forward to another ‘Grit.
Should we hug it out?
Sure, just don’t jab me too hard with your right wing.
Not right wing
Just straight up
Back in the office now. listening to the show.
You can straight-up come on Jaddy, and I’ll talk to you later.
Apparently Seattle is where old surfers go to die.
He lives on Whidbey Island I think. I heard it gets ok. I think hes into windsurfing now.
https://www.tripadvisor.com…
Yea it does, ONE spot that works a few days a year. Either way, seems like when surfing is no longer the dream, go to Washington.
He does. My family has lived there since the 1800’s. In “real life” he’s an egotistical prick like many Cali transplants on the island. Never seen him at the beach. People don’t move there to surf. They move there for an affordable cutesy “escape” and then realize there’s a novelty wave.
A onetime Whidbey resident worth celebrating is Wil Jobson, who actually contributed something to surfing besides printed words. An unassuming mad-scientist type guy who would take the time to explain the nuances of his evolving designs and his thoughts on hydrodynamics. He spent a decade or so there taking care of his elderly parents.
That photo is great but incredibly misleading since it gets like that maybe once a decade and if there’s a whisper of a swell it has 20 people on it from Vancouver to Seattle with the obligatory locals who learn to vibe before they can turn.
Interview is interesting. You might change your opinion of him, or not. He just rides a bike now on the island. I always liked his writing for the mags though. I posted that pic cause it reminded me of backside rincon, which only gets that way every 20 years….I like to dream about other places. The reality of them? Yeah…I know.
You are only as heroic as the your nemesis – this criticism is high praise! Can’t wait to listen.
I only like the bad ones
… mission accomplished.
More importantly, what’s with this new fangdangled Advertiser Questionnaire locking/unlocking of articles trite?
They need to keep things funded –
Derek explained in a post – better than a paywall
Derek can go choke on his gag ball.
But I’d give him a fiver every month
… cheers John. I seemed to have missed that memo.
True. Although, not quite sure I’d be too reluctant to a paywall… ?
Considering the alternative: endless Tom Waterhouse (cunt) and ‘Contrepreneur’ “Secrets to Wealth Creation” (cunts) WebAds. – it’s a petty inconvenience.
You take a critic the same way Trump does, like a child.
High praise indeed!
Not dead!
impressive.
Is the “high water mark” the same kind of thing that I’ve found in my bathtub?
Well done Chas.
Maybe ask Kelly if you can borrow his nanny to help you with positive thoughts.
I’m in the process of writing a….. not trilogy but what’s 10 called? A decology?
I think it’s called a “semi”.
Speaking of books, I read your “Contact Beachgrit” page and “Smear us with guacamole or pat us with sour cream.” popped out at me. So I did. I sent you a long and epic surf adventure rant and didn’t get even a cursory, “Fuck off, you wanker” in reply. So, you suck pretty hard in my book if that helps…….
I’m not good with email. Or very much fun else.
Forms are for capturing emails, not personally responding to them.
“And then the next day i decided to mix things up…and at 9.30am I had a Vodka with lemon instead of Lime. And so the day went on.” You can use that if you want.
😂
Using now.
Well at least Ben Marcus loves you
Quote of the Day Award! ^^^