Fireworks.

Last week, or maybe two weeks ago, the Associated Press brought up surfing’s grand Olympic debut and the fact that it is a cultural appropriated art that benefits white devils at the expense of native Hawaiians. Days ago, The Washington Post doubled down, arguing that surfing was part of America’s evil soft power used to subjugate and abuse.

This narrative is standard, now, but social commentator Bill Mahr ain’t having it.

In his most recent episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, the host blasts the “woke Olympics” and singles out our surfing as a prime example of silliness. The piece begins around the three minute mark.

Maher gets upset at the “cultural appropriation” line, says there are only two native Hawaiians left on earth and doubts that they birthed surfing pointing to the twenty-odd thousand islands in the Pacific. “How do we know that they were the first to stand on a board on water? It seems like its something that any person near any ocean would eventually do.”

Unsaid was, “Like Peruvians. Buy here.”

Maher continued, “But let’s say a Hawaiian did invent surfing. Should he or she have kept it to themselves? The best part of human history is sharing, which is sort of the point of the Olympics.”

Well?

What do you think about that?

Offended?

Flirting with danger.

In a shocking turn of events, Business Insider is reporting that Tik Tok users have set a “thirst trap” for Japan-by-way-of-Huntington-Beach’s Kanoa Igarashi after his silver medal winning performance at the Tokyo Olympics and that he has fallen directly in.

@fatasswhitegirl took to the popular social media platform and wrote, “Thank you japan for putting surfing in the olympics,” before cutting to images of Igarashi holding his surfboard, with his silver medal etc.

Igarashi, very excited, responded to @fatasswhitegirl by reposting her video as a “duet” adding his own self saying, “Hey that guy looks familiar,” and also, “Just doing my morning scroll on tik tok and found myself,” including a laughing emoji and a crying laughing emoji.

Not knowing what a “duet,” I asked my eight-year-old daughter who told me, “It’s a video but you press duet and then it splits the two videos from yours and the other person’s. Like someone does a dance then a dance then a dance then a dance but that’s not a duet, that’s a chain.”

Like this…

“Thirst traps,” in any case may be deadly but also could maybe lead to true love. BeachGrit will be diligent in keeping up with the progress of Igarashi and @fatasswhitegirl’s relationship.

More as the story develops.

Coq au vin!

I remember, as a very young surfer, hearing that the great Tom Curren had packed his bags and moved to France. It confused me greatly, as greatly as hearing, years later, that the great Gerry Lopez had packed his bags and moved to Bend, Oregon. I wondered about France, wondered if it had waves and if they were big, small, bad or good.

Many years later, I was able to go to Biarritz, Hossegor, et. al. and my goodness, if it ain’t a stretch of the world’s sexiest coast what with its dripping French accent, coq au vin, oui, oui, oui and thumping beach break.

How did it all come to be?

A new documentary, The Biarritz Surf Gang, tells the fabulous story.

Per the press release:

“Biarritz Surf Gang” is a documentary by Pierre Denoyel and Nathan Curren. The film reveals the true story of six lunatic surfers who set fire to their surfboards at Biarritz’ Grande Plage, in the 1980s. The local crew, inspired by the punk movement, had a thirst for trouble and breaking the law. This is their story, and how they achieved greatness, experience decadence, and eventually fall.

It is streaming many places, including Apple and Amazon, and very much worth a spin.

Oui.

Oui.

Oui.