Yesterday afternoon found me driving home from Wyoming, mind wandering, thinking about our World Surf League and if it will be able to withstand its latest debacle. No Sunset, no Steamer, fingers crossed for Snapper. The patented Cone of Silence providing no clues but maybe the clue in and of itself?
Jen See had texted earlier, “Prodan’s podcast hasn’t happened at all this month, that Surf Breaks thing with Cote definitely stopped, a couple dudes still seem to be blog-style writing and they syndicated something from The Inertia but otherwise not much.”
Over?
Is it all over?
I became sad thinking that it is all over, feeling like there is more fun to be had.
Made.
I went to bed still sad but woke up to a text from Derek Rielly that buoyed my soul.
“Explosive takes. No subject off limits.”
It featured the following promotional video.
Mick Fanning and Ross Williams.
Mick says, “Trestles is the perfect place.’
Ross says, “Fair point but I’m going to have to disagree.”
Peak WSL.
Much more fun to be made.
Had.
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Protected manatee found swimming Florida waters with word “TRUMP” scrawled into its back: “It’s clear that whoever harmed this defenseless, gentle giant is capable of doing grave violence and needs to be apprehended immediately!”
Let’s have a little real talk, here. What is the most precious thing that you have vandalized? Young, dumb, full of dumb in a museum with an outdoor sculpture garden, confronted with a rotund Gauguin, Sharpie in pocket? Backpacking through Australia’s dead center, to Ayers Rock, sharp stick in hand?
Oh the misguided thoughts of youth. The crooked behaviors but have you ever vandalized a living thing?
Well, a manatee, or sea cow, was recently vandalized, or adorned depending on your perspective, with the word “TRUMP” in Florida over the weekend.
Sailors used to think the large, herbivorous marine animals were mermaids and advocates against voter fraud which may have led to the marking.
Outraged, The Center for Biological Diversity, a conservation charity, is offering $5,000 for information leading to the conviction of those responsible. Director Jaclyn Lopez said, “It’s heartbreaking that this manatee was subjected to this vile, criminal act. It’s clear that whoever harmed this defenceless, gentle giant is capable of doing grave violence and needs to be apprehended immediately.”
But can we be honest? What if the manatee in question is, indeed, a Trump supporter? A rally-attending, MAGA-hat-wearing fan of the President?
Will she be tossed straight into that Basket of Deplorables with the rest?
Real talk.
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Happy VAL.
VAL surfer “confused and shocked” by explosive episode at iconic Byron Bay wave: “I was physically and verbally assaulted in the surf at the Pass by a guy with a dark green mini-mal with dark short cut hair and a moustache in black boardies!”
"He repeatedly tried to fight me by asking if I ‘wanted a go bro’ and rammed his board into mine second time creating a large dent on the bottom of my board the size of a breakfast bowl."
The VAL surfing world has been rocked after an almost-violent episode at The Pass in Byron Baywith insult added to injury when “older white men” made fun of the surfer’s plight on the Instagram account @lordsofbyronbay.
First, the post as it appeared on Facebook via the Byron Bay Community Board
The ocean is for surfing and enjoyment, not for abuse.
I was physically and verbally assaulted in the surf at the pass today around 9am by a guy with a dark green mini mal with dark short cut hair and a moustache in black boardies.
I followed surf etiquette (been surfing since I was 12) and did not hear any ‘yep!’ or other call on the wave definitely couldn’t see anyone else already on it on the inside or outside. The person who was paddling for the wave on the wave ontnhe inside gave up so I went for it. at the last minute this guys came across the front of my board from the outside to block me from a wave crushing my hand. I said ‘wtf dude’ in shock at what had just happened.
He then repeatedly tried to fight me by asking if I ‘wanted a go bro’ and rammed his board into mine second time creating a large dent on the bottom of my board the size of a breakfast bowl. I was extremely confused and in shock. I had no idea where this guy came from or why he hadn’t called the wave as is normal if you can see another in front of you. I apologised even though I really did not think I was the one that had been in the wrong but he was too busy yelling over me to fight him..
I’ve never experienced this level of aggression or violence in or out of the surf ever.. and I grew up on the beach! Usually there are grumpy remarks and some apologies but it’s water off a ducks back and people would rather enjoy surfing. Threatening another with violence is a crime and just sad way to be human. That anyone would consider that a way to interact with a stranger in any circumstances is fucked.
If anyone has had similar experiences at the pass I’d like to here from you. I’ll be making a police report because my property was damaged (board) and I was assaulted. I would suggest anyone who is assaulted make a police report so that the police are in a better position to act on this recurring crime.
UPDATE: in 20 mins you can clearly see from the comments and thier likes that some older white men are justifying or normalising the behavior. Women and parents have been sharing their experiences and mostly condemning the behavior.
And, as presented on @lordsofbyronbay along with the hashtag #gobacktothevalley,
The event is best summarised, I think, in this exchange.
redwinelibby
What is wrong with some people on here? Majority are trolling someone sharing an experience that isn’t acceptable. Support this person- don’t take your daily frustrations out on them via judgements and poor humour.
lordsofbyronbay @redwinelibby I think it’s because the original poster firstly dropped in… then was aggressive with his swearing at the person he dropped in on… and then played the victim in a public forum when he was the one in the wrong by his account of what happened.
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Ochs (left) pictured in the Capitol.
Founder of Hawaii’s Proud Boys chapter arrested after touching down in Honolulu: “Hello from the Capital lol.”
Of all the places with a chapter of Proud Boys, Hawaii is maybe the most surprising but it has been a surprising week, all told. The group, described by Southern Poverty Law Center as “western chauvinists” who spread an “anti-white guilt agenda,” burst onto the national scene during the summer of unrest and made international news when President Donald J. Trump ordered them to “stand back and stand by” in his first debate with then candidate Joseph R. Biden.
Hawaii, famous for Kill Haole Day, does not seem a chill place for Proud Boys to prosper but everything is extremely topsy-turvy and, days ago, the Hawaii Proud Boy chapter founder was arrested for unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol building in Washington D.C. last week when he touched down at Honolulu International Airport.
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Nicholas Ochs appeared via telephone today before the judge and replied “I think so, your honor” when asked if he understood the charge against him.
He is not allowed to leave Oahu until he is flown back to D.C. to stand trial.
A deep dive down Ochs’ Twitter account (not suspended at time of writing) makes it seem like he does not surf though there is a video of him urinating into an active lava fissure.
Close enough.
In an earlier interview with CNN he said, “We didn’t have to break in (to the Capitol), I just walked in and filmed. There were thousands of people in there — they had no control of the situation. I didn’t get stopped or questioned.”
The charge he faces is a misdemeanor.
I suppose what confuses me most is why, in Hawaii, the group is not called Da Proud Boys.
It would make me more comfortable.
It would also make me more comfortable if they served Spam Musubi at their meetings.
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Kids, boats and rocks. | Photo: @connorgardephoto
Harrowing footage: Surfers save flotilla of junior sailors in Santa Cruz after giant Mavericks swell “smashes boats and throws children into water!”
"It was a big set and it broke so wide it wiped out, like, six of the boats, twelve kids in total."
A flotilla of twelve-year-old wanna be sailors is lucky to be alive after almost being washed into rocks at Santa Cruz harbour late yesterday. The group, part of a sail training school, entered the harbour mouth just as a clean-up set swept through the lineup, overturning the boats and throwing the kids into the water.
“They came in at the very worst time,” Connor told BeachGrit during a break from school. “It was a big set and it broke so wide it wiped out, like, six of the boats, twelve kids in total.”
On the beach, Connor says chuckles quickly turned to panic with the alarm raised, 911 called etc.
Before help via jetskis arrived, surfers in the lineup had scooped up the kids and got ’em to safety.
“We’ve had days like this where we end up with nine, ten people on our boat that are being rescued simultaneously, so it’s not just one person getting rescued because they got in over their heads. It’s half the people in the water sometimes,” Assistant Santa Cruz Harbor Master, Sean Rothwell, told KSBW.
