“We failed to inspire the next generation.”
It was only seven months ago that a landmark study from Bond University revealed what anyone who spent any time in the water knew, that surfing ain’t the plaything of kids anymore.
Craig Sims, a former South African pro surfer turned magazine publisher and university academic, said the peak participation age for men is 45-to-49 and 35-to-44 for gals.
A few weeks before Sim’s report, I went to the premiere of The Greatest Surf Movie in the Universe, the most significant thing to happen culturally in Australian surfing since Kai Neville’s films, and the cinema was a sea of polished skulls and silver manes, paunches harnessed by Quiksilver tees, overblown hams in Billabong denim.
So many wizened winter apples. The median age would’ve been sixty.
In lineups, there’s a few kids here and there, mostly tweenies getting pushed into waves by their daddies, but the absence of teens marauding the surf is stark.
In a new post from Matt Biolos, who is currently at some sorta trade show, he writes about the dramatic ageing of a sport that was once hailed as rebellious and something a decent parent must fear.
There’s not much youth to take the torch and run with it. It’s rare to see someone under 40 walking the aisles. When we got going, in the early ‘90’s, it seemed like every brand was a start-up, run by guys in their 20’s. Brands like ours, Volcom, Counter Culture, World Jungle, Ezekiel…and so on. Just to name a few. Making it up as we went along. No white beards.
The old guard legacy brands, like Quik and Billabong, Reef, etc, were run by “old” guys in their 30’s…maybe ‘40’s.
Today’s “new” brands are headed up by guys in their 50’s n 60’s! It’s like we’ve failed to inspire another generation. No wonder there’s no rambunctious groms, young pros or pretty bikini girls, running throughthe aisles anymore. No loud music. No skate ramps, no bricks of firecrackers or surf pool parties with punk rock bands and girls gone wild.
Matt Biolos’ fans, all of ‘em over thirty-five, most over fifty, and with a few middle-aged former pro’s including Taj Burrow and Jake Paterson thrown in, supported the premise.
A culture of comfort and conformity. The far left and far right are so repulsive that the intelligent middle ground is too frightened. Groomed by AYSO participation merit mentality, our feeder group has become enamored by the safety of mediocrity…
Here’s to the pursuit of inspiring! You have this 60 year old Grom’s attention!
Absolutely right Matt, some of us started when we were 20 years old with a lot of passion for skateboarding or surfing, hunger to achieve and grow and travel, meet and many crazy parties! But now the world or the youth is asleep, only phones and social networks, without words, I don’t want to say what I think! Lucky to lived!
Ay Mayhem don’t feel bad, skateboardin is in the shitter too!!!! When the people who are in charge DONT SHReD. That’s all that’s happening. People who don’t shred are in charge. Everywhere. It’s a world problem right now
Where do you stand on this demographic shift?Do you like the lack of urgency in the lineup and the sedate conversations with hat-wearing Gen Xers?
Or did the fighting and fury and sting of trying to muscle a wave off a kid keep you young etc?
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perhaps they don’t see the appeal of paddling into crowded lineups full of aggro old fucks on mid-lengths and logs taking every decent wave.
A lack of people is not going to be a problem for anything. Its too many people…surfing broadened its demographic….beaches are crowded and more regulated than ever. Coming back to oz after a decade or so away, i cannot believe the increase in the amount of people…everywhere. Houses, cars and all seem to have enough to buy 2 cars over a 100g, a massive house and boat etc etc. Where did all these cunts come from? In any case, your an optimist or ignorant to even consider jumping on the missus…. pumping out more corporate slaves. Surfing needs space, room to move, all the activities that need space will fade.
back then, we was underground. revolution. longboards? we could not afford nor continue to ride…what number? da board/I’ll ask Bing…
Pro Surfing has always been the back alley trans hooker desperate to suck any corporation cock. The dollars never came only the corporations pen pushers made it out the back, paddling inside you.
Reality check.
I’m a Huntington Beach native. My parents bought their house near RJs for $32,000. Growing up, many of my friends’ families were working class, as was the overall vibe of HB. It didn’t call itself Surf City proudly, then. It was, at best, Newport Beach’s trailer trash uncle.
Despite the bronze sculpture along PCH, surfers were treated like borderline criminals. I was immediately rejected for a teenage job at McDonald’s. I could tell it was prejudice, because of the color of my skin: dark tan from a sharp line halfway up my neck and mid bicep, and sunbleached tousled hair. I looked around at who worked there and it was blatantly obvious. Surfers need not apply.
Now, my family home is worth $1.5 million. My mom still lives there, but anyone moving into the neighborhood now, is wealthy. How could they not be?
And no, Mayhem, surfing isn’t about brands. The surf companies turned fashion companies are exactly what changed the outlaw sport. Well, also, the City Council finally figured out that the surfing image meant money, so they backed off on making us the outlaws we once were.
But more than anything, it’s about the demographic that can afford to live near the waves today. It skews older and cleaner. You just don’t get a lot of gritty punk rock types living in 7 figure tract homes or the nicer places that are 8 figures now.
The surf brands won. They sold our image. Guys got rich and the outlaws ultimately faded away. This is the result.
That said… It’s nice to go into the …lost shop in San Clemente and get good information about a board that looks intriguing, and generally to be treated civilly. Thanks, Matt. You were among the first to tell your shop staff not to be bullshit-spewing dicks to customers. That used to be the norm.
So there’s an upside to upscale. 🙂
Surf Industry is Nepo-Canabalist Pedos promoting Fame and Fortune on Natty lite budget with EBT incentives….
A …lost concept for sure!
If Rock music is no longer cool, how did we think that surfing still is?
the latest blogs and our comments? a who’s who of ‘glittering generaltitties…’ define Rock? the music we liked in the 60s, 70s, 80s. Define surfing? the waves we liked in the 60s, 70s, 80s…both are losing steam IMO. but titties never get old? “The old grey mares ain’t what they used to be…ain’t what they used to be…”
The Internet killed surfing. At least here in South Florida I can just travel less than a mile from the surf line camera break that’s usually mobbed, and essentially have the same waves with 1/10 the people.
IDK, maybe the guys who ran those brands in their 30’s-40’s are the very same 50-60 yo’s of today? Just a hunch. And Lost sold out or ‘licensed’ to a VC group, so spare us all the whining please.
Everyone wants to cash out, that’s the fucking goal.
This is great news. Lineups are so busy now. Imagine the nightmare if on top pf the current crowd we had tones of youngsters….
Lets hope kids stay on their phones, while we surf
In what universe were trade shows ever cool?
Never went to one but from what I saw it looked like one big circle jerk.
Nic Cage in Leaving Las Vegas…Sean Connery in Goldfinger…Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter…all drinkers…each got laid!
ASR San Diego was like a Safe Zone for Debauchery! Hedi times for 18yr old buyer! Imagine setting up your skateboard ramp in the Convention Center with a band and All your friends dressed like Cavemen and Women with Kegs and no one saying No to Anything! Coolest Shit Ever! Probably feels like a Retirement party now. Let’s not stay to late, I don’t wanna be stuck in traffic…
It’s the Olympics! Or at least the dream of the olympics. It did the same thing to snowboarding. It’s working on doing it to skate. Cool needs to be underground never mainstream.
At least in the USA, it’s a different world. Parents can’t (don’t?) just drop groms at the beach for the day to hang out and surf whenever the tide/winds look good. Everything planned out now, regimented world, an environment that just sucks the soul out of riding waves. No more pre-school dawn patrols w/ your buddy, just trying to squeeze in a couple waves and going to first period sandy. Has to fit the schedule.
Poor families used to use the beach as a babysitter. Surf towns don’t have poor families any more.
Lol lets ass kiss biolos again (words best shaper) as he’s the only guy who might do a podcast with us.
I think Pyzel is open to these sorta things too. And Britt Merrick. Oh! And Maurice!
What better time than now for another MC podcast?
Cashed up kids buying $2000 ebikes everywhere- not a factor.
Ever noticed how the kids all hang in pairs? They never go anywhere without their buddy. I think three was the optimal number for the one-upmanship to kick-in, which is the lifeblood of surf. You hardly ever see groups of three. And four is just two pairs where each pair becomes one.
Sorry, forgot the ‘nowadays.’
Mmmmm I shall start watching Children more closely. Maybe park outside the local schools?
Mine are more gym age. The pre driving demographic is too influenced by their circumstance to be considered here.
gymboree?
And fucken don’t act all like your town has more than one school
I’ll schedule them all in. Newman told me so Officer.
It’s normally a 3-piece now. Mom on the beach with the camera, dad out in the Surf pushing grom into waves.
You can always buy an old shooter for one-fifty. Kids find cash easy enough for a PS5.
It’s so so good less kids taking up surfing less parents taking kids surfing less surf schools less less boardrider clubs less WSL less surf brand mentality all equals good times for core surfers.
How many parents of young kids can afford to live near the beach in California, Hawaii, or Australia? No big mystery why there’s less kids in the water.
Yeah, I don’t think that’s it.
Rich people also breed.
most expensive real estate here bought by post-breeding Boomers.
Grandkids coming to stay over the Summer holidays? The record amount of shitters for me in a holiday “batch” was 5. The word batch has taken on a new life from the old days of fibro batches with a outside shitter.
Poverty makes you horny. Rich people don’t breed anywhere near as much.
Yeah but they breed gay cunts.
Xox
I agree.
Working class kids with fukall else to do was the lifeblood.
All the tech bros and wealthy boomers buying up coastal real estate don’t surf- or else surf babyfood.
Wait til you see who bought Jamie O’Brien’s childhood home!
Who?
Please tell – we know you love good real estate story