Youth in our time.

Yesterday found the surf world glued to phone screens, pondering their own vitality as big wave stud Shane Dorian announced that he was headed to Tijuana, Mexico in order to receive a week’s long stem-cell treatment program. The surf legend declared he was going to have the life-giving noodles injected into his sore bits, shoulders, knees, neck etc. after a career or taking heaps of water on the head.

Ever the educator, Dorian said he would take the health-curious along on the ride and, true to his word, answered many frequently asked questions. On day one, he spent “two-plus hours” in an MRI tube getting his body ready for the flood. It was loud and claustrophobic but he was brave and survived. Scans coming back clear.

After meeting with doctors, having a delicious dinner, Dorian got down to the FAQs. You must follow along on his Instagram stories for full details. The boiled down pertinent bits below.

Why Mexico?

Here in Mexico they can do things with stem-cells, like duplicating cells, that is not allowed in United States. A whole lot more stem-cells into each treatment than the U.S.

Why nervous?

Couple pals had a lot of pain. Woke up from treatments in a lot of pain. Pain is from volume of stem-cells. Doesn’t like pain. Doesn’t like pain meds.

Feel safe in TJ?

A lot of people have assumptions, I had those same concerns but now that I’m here I don’t feel unsafe at all. Really incredible restaurants, bone marrow tacos. Seems super chill. No fentanyl zombies like in California.

How much?

Impossible to answer. Varies a ton. Stem-cell treatments, in general, are expensive. It’s just part of the deal.

Where do the stem-cells come from?

There are a lot of different type of stem-cells, the type that I’m getting her are stem-cells from umbilical cords. Harvested and “expanded.” Only one healthy mother out of 1000 meets the requirement for CPI. Wanted to make sure that donor mother was unvaxxed. Pre-Covid stem-cells.

And there we have it.

Are you sold?

Booking passage to Tijuana presently or taking a “wait-and-see” attitude?

Smart.

The "momentum of professional surfing" looking less and less real.

It has, by any measure, been a rough year for our World Surf League. Small waves cursed the tour from the very beginning, its CEO Erik Logan got up to some “monkey business” in Brazil leading to his unceremonious firing and, to cap it all off, its once-proud Santa Monica headquarters placed on the market, forcing the “global home of surfing” to share space with injured animals.

Eight, or such, years ago there were only wide open vistas for the WSL. Future so bright. It had a billionaire funding and a bullish chief, Paul Speaker, who vowed to soon outgrown the powerful National Football League.

Alas, bummer upon bummer upon bummer until today where we have the NFL’s Miami Dolphins straight robbing the WSL, officially being dubbed “The Greatest Show on Surf.”

There is speed for days with Tyreek Hill, De’Von Achane, Raheem Mostert being fed the skin by Hawaii’s Tuanigamanuolepola Tagovailoa, and the team is pressing every advantage.

The Dolphins were honored with the tag after amassing 2568 total yards of offense in the first five games of the season, surpassing the 2000 St. Louis Rams team’s 2527 yards.

Those Rams were “The Greatest Show on Turf.”

“The Greatest Show on Surf” much cooler.

But there is certainly scrambling in the new WSL headquarters today. Chief of Sport Jessi Miley-Dyer scrambling around, trying to call various newspapermen in order to share viewership numbers from the most recent “Finals Day” at Lower Trestles.

Smashing into veterinarians along the way.

Weeping “the momentum of professional surfing is REAL!”

Is it though?

More as the story develops.

A ray of light in a sea of doom.

These are, without doubt, dark days. Gaza is burning, Ukraine and Russia still entirely tangled, China dreaming of eating soup dumplings across the straight. Inflation, climate change, no waves in Southern California for, like, a long time. But even in the murk, a light shines. For have you noticed? Have you perceived?

BeachGrit’s comment section is fixed!

In days’ past, it was completely random where good People™ who wanted to share ideas with other good People™ would end up. Say someone wanted to add a note to a story about surf feminist Lucy Small. Well, he or Jen See might end up leaving it underneath a story about the transgendered trailblazer Sasha Jane Lowerson.

Confusing as all heck.

But now fixed!

I think credit due our tireless back end saint who sorted… something out.

A miracle, in any case, either of the will or from above.

Revel in the pure joy before dipping back into the doom.

Happy days here again