“They ruled out heart attack, they ruled out
stroke, there were no injuries..."
A mysterious tragedy struck San Francisco’s
Ocean Beach,
days ago. Longtime local, and father of two, Kirby Lee was in the
lineup, enjoying an unseasonably calm day. Light winds, “tiny”
waves according to another local. The meteorologist called it 3 – 5
foot. Next thing anyone knew, Lee was unconscious in the water. A
fellow surfer paddled him to shore where CPR was administered until
the firemen arrived.
Fire Department Capt. Justin Schorr said Lee was “pulseless and
not breathing.” They rushed him to UCSF Medical Center, where he
was put on life support. Yesterday, he was taken off.
Cause of death?
Lee’s sister told SF Gate, “They
ruled out heart attack, they ruled out stroke, there were no
injuries, nothing on the outside of this body that indicated he had
been hit by his board and knocked unconscious, nothing. We asked
the doctors so many times. It sounded like they were very thorough.
It’s a mystery.”
Lee grew up in San Bernardino, teaching himself to surf in
Orange County as a teenager. He did his undergraduate studies at
San Diego State and UC Santa Barbara and got a degree in
biopsychology. Next came a master’s in pharmacology at Boston
University before a received a doctor of pharmacology at UCSF where
he remained an associate professor.
He lived at Ocean Beach, with his family, and loved when it got
big. Friend and fellow surfer Sam Awad said, “I would sit with him
and many times I would go inside to get more of the smaller waves.
He had great patience and would always wait for the larger sets to
come through and pick off some of the biggest, longest and
best-shaped waves. Kirby had no fear and seemed always calm in
heavy surf.”
Lee surfed all around the world but was very much a part of the
tight knit OB community.
The mystery of his death, no visible trauma, no understandable
cause, a baffling puzzle.
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Christ the Redeemer in Taylor Swift thanks to Brazilian
surf fans. Photo: @taylorswiftfansbrazil
Passionate Brazilian surf fans petition Rio
de Janeiro mayor to dress iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in
Taylor Swift shirt!
Gabriel Medina, Filipe Toledo, Italo Ferreira,
Taylor Swift.
If there is anything we know about Brazilian surf
fans, it is that they are passionate. The
descriptor is used as every third word when the World Surf League
rolls into town for its yearly stop. Passionate, passionate,
passionate, passionate. Joe Turpel says “passionate.” Strider
Wasilewski says “passionate.” Chief of Sport Jessi Miley-Dyer says
“passionate.”
Passion is used too.
But it is true. Brazilian surf fans passionately threaten visiting Australian
professionals with death. They passionately declare
the fix is in even though the country has claimed three titles in a
row and four of the last six.
Brazilian surf fans simply do it passionately better.
And so you could imagine the thrill rippling though the
Brazilian surf fan ranks with the imminent arrival of Taylor Swift.
The tour de force will drop into Rio de Janeiro November 17 for her
wildly acclaimed Era’s Tour. Tickets are going for “ridiculously
cheap,” maybe because of the rumored romance between
Swift and Brazilian foil John John Florence.
Still, exciting.
So exciting that one Brazilian surf fan thought it would be only
right for the city’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue to wear a Taylor Swift
t-shirt to greet her. Anthony Roberto Justus, who
counts Gabriel Medina amongst his favorite stars, sent his idea to
the mayor Eduardo Paes. Paes responded, “I’m going to ask dear
Father Omar to see if we can get this honor. He’s the guy who runs
the projections.” Father Omar responded, “We received your comments
with great joy and await contact from the singer’s advisors.”
Hopefully the advisors ok the concept.
Also hopefully the World Surf League is watching.
Which jersey would Christ the Redeemer wear best?
Ethan Ewing’s?
Don’t be racist.
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Shaun Tomson (right) discusses politics with Mick
Jagger. Photo: History
Surf great Shaun Tomson’s robust
apartheid-era defense of “keeping politics out of surfing”
resurfaces in wake of current Israel-Hamas conflict
"Where will it all end? I'll tell you. It will end
with the destruction of pro surfing as we know it."
This climate, man. Hot. And I don’t simply
refer to the global warming trend melting icebergs and flooding
lowlands plus paradisiacal island nations (I kid. Or do I?). I
refer to everything else, but mostly the Israel v Hamas conflict
currently inviting any and all outside the region to pick a
ridiculously hardened side.
Death to the other or worse. If it can be conjured.
College students at Harvard
imagining they know, and stand with, the oppressed. Hollywood
notables thinking that they are victims and those who
disagree must be dispensed with immediately.
The lack of nuanced thinking, wishing complete cancellation on
the other, frankly, mind-bending.
Now, let us reintroduce the Ricky “Bobby” Basnett vs. Shaun
Tomson blood feud. The
business spilt into the public square earlier today when the
former, and beloved, Championship Tour coffee sipper, Basnett
became fired by the 8th greatest surfer ever, Shaun Tomson, after
posting a slide to Instagram reading “From the river to the
sea.”
“From the river to the sea,” in any case, and depending on bent,
either a call for the complete eradication of the Jewish state of
Israel or a mere plea for Palestinian autonomy.
I think it probably actually means the former, though social
media gonna social media and illiteracy gonna illiterate.
In any further case, Tomson fired Basnett, who had begun working
with Insight, in a fiery letter.
Or maybe Basnett quit.
But let us transport to another time in professional surfing
history when South Africa, Tomson’s home country, was ruled by a
government that supported the subjugation of its natural born
inhabitants.
History is important (please subscribe here) and, in
1985, Tomson, the smoothest surfer ever, stood on a Torquay,
Australia stage and declared, “The rumor I’ve heard is about a
South African boycott. Suddenly the surfers have principles.
Suddenly we have political aspirations. I’ve been involved in pro
surfing since it began…”
A powerful opening salvo.
“I don’t like people being killed in South Africa,” he
continued. “No South African does. But do you think not surfing in
an event in South Africa will change anything? Are you not all
trying to get some cheap publicity? What’s the next frontier in
surfing’s newly found political conscience? Maybe we won’t go to
the USA because we object to American involvement in Central
America (etc. etc. ad infinitum). Maybe we don’t go to France in
objection to the socialist government. Maybe we don’t go to Israel
because we object to the treatment of Palestinian refugees…”
England because crackdown on Irish nationalists etc.
“Where will it all end?” he sally forthed. “I’ll tell you. It
will end with the destruction of pro surfing as we know it.”
Tomson went on to state, “If you don’t support South Africa,
then voice your opinions, but support pro surfing. Look after your
livelihood and what you love. I don’t stand here in defense of
South Africa. I stand here as a surfer in defense of pro surfing.
Thank you.”
Mic drop.
Was Shaun Tomson on the right side of history?
Hindsight always a perfect 20/20. Apartheid South Africa an
absolute historical disgrace. Tom Carroll, who rode for Tomson’s
brand Instinct, was threatened with lawsuit if he didn’t travel to
South Africa to surf. He refused then signed a million dollar
contract with Quiksilver becoming an icon twice over.
Making good.
Derek Rielly, in his exceptional biography
of former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke (RIP) covered
the scene, writing:
In 1985, the world champion surfer Tom Carroll refused to
surf in South Africa’s three international surfing events “until
black surfers are allowed on all beaches.” Carroll was sponsored by
the South African company Instinct which threatened him with a
lawsuit if he didn’t compete.
Hawke heard about the threat, called Carroll, and invited
him to Canberra where he told the surfer that if his sponsor went
legal he had the weight of the Australian government behind
him.
“I was really welcomed by Bob. It was a nice feeling to have
that support from him,” says Carroll, who didn’t lean either way
politically and admits he was initially inclined to distrust any
politician courting the youth vote. “I had some strange responses
to my decision. All kinds of people went a bit crazy about it. But
he was genuine, very interested and he asked all these really good
questions about the tour and competing and where I’d been and even
brought up some results. He read his brief very well.”
When Mandela came to Australia, Hawke introduced Carroll to
Mandela.
“I remember Bob telling him, in his frank way, ‘Nelson, this
was the world champion surfer at the time and he made decision to
boycott the events in South Africa. Gave him the whole story.
Mandela turned around to me and said, ‘Thank you very much Tom. I
needed all the help I could get.’ Bob facilitated that. It was a
lovely moment between the three of us. It gives me goosebumps
now.”
At Carroll’s retirement dinner in 1995, Hawke would say,
“His beliefs, his principles, were so strong that he put those in
front of everything else and as I recall there has been no example
in the history of Australian sport where a champion has been
prepared to put principles so manifestly in front of his or her own
interests as Tom Carroll did in 1985.”
Tomson was never pro-apartheid, let it be stated. Let it also be
stated he is not anti-Palestinian, writing most recently, “Yes, I
agree Palestinians have suffered too and that war is dreadful.”
And so.
Surfing and politics?
Where are you currently landing?
Willing to actually challenge your own suppositions, which are,
let’s be frank, elementary unless you are there, studied, open? Or
ready to double down on all that you don’t know?
My goodness. I once thought I knew. Nineteen years old, in
Egypt, traveling to Israel, overland though the now trendy Rafah
crossing for the first time. My positions became absolutely
ludicrous when meeting real people in that Holy Land. Stretched
further in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Somalia.
Maybe Shaun Tomson was right. Maybe he wasn’t. Pro surfing
already destroyed by Dirk Ziff, Erik Logan and co. But lend an ear
to the other side and try to understand, try to feel instead of
popping off.
Pro surfing is dead, sure, but surfing still lives.
Shaun Tomson and Ricky Basnett, pals no more. "Once
again the actions of an old white man have fucked it all up,"
writes Ricky in his resignation letter.
Surfing great Shaun Tomson says “I didn’t
fire Ricky Basnett, he quit!”
Ricky Badass’ IG post calling, if you use the
Hamas interpretation, the destruction of the Jewish
state.
I am a Jew and found it incredibly offensive and anti-semitic.
Surfers I know have already been murdered in this conflict.
I could have just let it slide since it had only one comment but
for me there is a question of morality, 1,200 murders, rapes and
dismemberment. Two hundred and forty hostages.
Yes, I agree Palestinians have suffered too and that war is
dreadful.
I do not want a team member who supports the extinction of Jews
and the Jewish state but I never fired Ricky Basnett or asked him
to be fired. He cut ties on his own.
Read his resignation letter.
After his employer asked him to take down the post at my
request, this is what I and his employer received.
Morning S.. (employer with me cc’d)
Before I say anything else, I want you to know that I have
the utmost respect for you and am super grateful for the
opportunity you gave me with Instinct.
The events that transpired over the weekend however have
left a disgusting taste in my mouth, and it’s honestly a gigantic
red flag for me.
I will NEVER be censored for my beliefs, and unfortunately
cannot be aligned with a company whose founder openly supports
genocide and oppression.
As you already know, Shaun’s statements over the last month
have been hurting the brand locally, and it baffles my mind that as
a human who grew up in apartheid South Africa, he can’t see what he
is doing. Our own South African government is Pro
Palestine.
Instinct IS Shaun and his public opinions reflect on the
brand. He may have left SA, but the legacy of apartheid hasn’t, and
while I’m trying to help build HIS company into an inclusive,
diverse South African brand, he clearly sees his personal views as
more important than all of that work.
On top of that, I have zero respect for anyone who can’t
voice their issues directly to me. Going behind my back to you is
cowardly. The only thing I’ve been sent directly from him is some
random propaganda clip full of proven inaccuracies, and I’ll be
honest I am fucking livid with the situation. He’s also been
deleting opposing comments on his posts, and this, along with the
immediate attempted censoring of my views, has shown me his true
colours.
I need to protect my own brand here, and with no paycheck
coming in from Instinct, you can understand my need to step
away.
At the end of the day I’m just really sad it’s gone this
way. Once again the actions of an old white man have fucked it all
up. I am also unfortunately going to have to make a public
statement regarding my decision. In no way do I want to hurt the
brand locally, but again, I need to protect myself and explain why
this relationship has ended so suddenly.
I really do wish you all the best, and I am truly sorry for
this mail.
Ricky
After his letter, I sent along this letter….
Shaun Tomson
To:Ricky Badness,S..
Mon, Nov 13 at 5:16 PM (note time stamps)
Ricky
You can support Hamas and the kidnapping murder rape and
dismemberment of babies all you want. You are parroting the same
old anti semitic tropes I have heard all my life. The same old Jew
hatred that has been around before you and will be around
after.
Support Hamas and be proud of your choice. Initially I
thought you were simply ignorant but now I know that is not the
case. I will not be aligned and support an anti semite, someone who
calls for the destruction of Israel. Certain things in life like values and human decency are more
important than business.
Genocide – do you even know what they word means. 6 million
Jews died in the 1940s. That was genocide.
"I do not stand for genocide," says the former tour
surfer.
The American conservative hero Candace Owens threw herself
under a bus a couple of days ago when she claimed Muslims were
being corralled inside Jerusalem, oowee, slave-like etc.
On her own podcast, Candace Owens said Jerusalem’s “Muslim
quarters (sic)” gave her chills, ‘cause her grand-daddy grew up
when the US’s South was segregated.
“When I’m walking through Jerusalem, and you see, and they say
‘these are the Muslim quarters, this is where the Muslims are
allowed to live,’ that doesn’t feel like a bastion of freedom to
me,” Candace Owens said.
It took Candace Owens’ guest, Jewish comic Ami Kozak, to explain
that there were four-quarters in the Old City, Armenian, Christian,
Jewish and Muslim, and that the Muslim part of town wasn’t a
barracks for enslaved Mohammedans.
The podcast came after a tweet, viewed eleven million times,
where Candace Owens wrote,
“No government anywhere has a right to commit a genocide, ever.
There is no justification for a genocide.”
Now, I ain’t no military man, new Saint Laurent combat boots
aside, happy birthday to me etc, but the Jews got nukes, almost
three-mill citizens trained to fight (Israel allows the openly gay
to serve, take that newly created Instagram
account Queers In Palestine), 581 planes, including a couple
hundred F-16s and thirty-six of the awesome F-35, seven warships,
six subs etc.
If Israel really wanted genocide, well, difficult takes a day,
genocide takes a week.
But here we are, surfers, looking at our little telephones,
saying big boy words like “genocide” and parroting the Islamic
war-cry “From the river to the sea”
(Yeah, there are different interpretations but in the current
context it is what it is) without knowing what they mean.
“I want to make you all fucking very aware of something. I will
never fucking stand for oppression, hatred, discrimination,” says
Ricky, shaking with righteous fury. “ I will never fucking back
down from my beliefs. I don’t give a fuck who you are, I will never
stand for hate.”
So far so good! I’m with
Ricky!
But,
“In saying that, I want you to know that this is about
eradicating hate…I do not stand for genocide.”
Oh Ricky!
Listen.
Nine years ago, after a lesser Hamas incursion into Israel,
rockets, a few Israeli kids slaughtered, I wrote a piece for the
slightly to the left mainstream press in Australia.
With your permission (or not) I publish below.
In February, five months before the Gazan conflict, I asked
the question, Are We Anti-Semitic? The response was as predictable
as it was proof of the column’s premise.
“Boycott Israel until they mend their evil ways!”
“I have no time for a country that steals another country’s
land and then then shoots people who throw stones at them. Reap
what you sow!”
“Try getting a smile or a hello or ANY communication from
the majority of jewish people around here and you’ll be
snubbed!”
“The Israeli hard-right would give Hitler a run for his
money if they were to compete for who was the most abhorrent human
being!”
And a lone voice: “As a rabbi I have been escorted home by
security, my 7-year-old child went to therapy being scared to leave
the house as once he was walking and a group of youths [18 year
olds] threatened to beat him up. I have needed to evacuate my house
[4 children] at the advice of the AFP at 10:30pm at night as a man
threatened to come and harm us. I ask why, I am 5 generations
Australian, have relatives that died as ANZACs, donate of my time
to the general public, sing the anthem with pride, why should I
have people yelling at my family when I walk in the
street?”
Around the same time as I wrote the column an Australian
woman I knew started talking, entirely out of context, about the
security detail around the various synagogues, schools and
childcare centres.
“The Jews bring their hate into our communities,” she
said.
And then, four weeks ago. Israel responded to Hamas rockets
and tunnels into their country and the murder of three Israeli
kids, by fighting back. We see terrible footage of children torn to
shreds. Of houses and apparently neutral shelters destroyed. A body
count supplied by Hamas ticks over into the thousands. American and
European correspondents from Gaza city tell of endless Israeli
atrocities.
Is it Dahiya, Lebanon, redux, the military strategy of
ruining civilian infrastructure as a deterrent? Or are we buying
the Hamas line, with reporters naively believing their terrorist
handlers? I don’t know; and neither do you.
What I do know is I’d rather be living alongside members of
the IDF than Hamas. Does anyone remember the Hamas v Fatah power
struggle in Gaza back in 2007? When Human Rights Watch reported of
public executions, the targeting and killing of civilians, throwing
prisoners out of high-rise buildings, fighting from hospitals and
shooting from jeeps marked with “TV”? Familiar refrain isn’t
it.
Another exercise is to Google “Hamas children” and then
“Israeli children” and you’ll get what I mean.
But the level of anti-Jewish, and not just anti-Israeli,
fever runs high.
Yesterday a school bus in my neighbourhood was attacked by
drunken teenagers, obviously fuelled by the one-sided reporting,
screeching Nazi slogans.
A child calls her mother. “Hey Mummy, please help us, there
are strange men who have been let on to a school bus and they are
screaming ‘Heil Hitler! Kill the Jews!’ they want to cut out our
throats’”
Even as a agnostic Australian I was shocked by Glen Le
Lievre cartoon in the SMH (since withdrawn) featuring a fat,
hook-nosed Israeli sitting in an armchair marked with the star of
David pushing a remote control to set off munitions. I wouldn’t
have been surprised to see a copy of that old fake The Protocols of
the Elders of Zion in the corner of the frame.
Meanwhile, in France, Jews flee for Israel (2200 this year
compared to 600 last year) as riots envelope the country. Shops are
looted. Slogans daubed. Franзois Pupponi, the mayor of Sarcelles,
the site of rioting, said: “We have never seen such an outpouring
of hatred and violence in Sarcelles. This morning people are
stunned, and the Jewish community is afraid.”
I receive emails from Israeli friends and they say they are
wounded by the anti-Semitism.
“You know,” wrote one. “So many people are in shock about
the anti-Semitism. My wife really wanted to move to the States and
I kept telling her, this is our home. And now she understands. It’s
not safe for us anywhere. Only here. Nothing has changed since the
Holocaust. The hate is alive and strong.”
But, he says, “I talked with some of my friends in Gaza
yesterday and I feel so sorry for them. Many of them are against
Hamas but terrified to death to raise their voice.”
