The death of fierce independence.
Almost one year ago, to the day, surf fans were shocked after surf adjacent website The Inertia was sold to publishing giant AllGear Digitals for a deal worth reported millions.
“Building The Inertia has been one of the most rewarding journeys I can imagine,” founder Zach Weisberg, a Virginia Beach surfer who was inspired to launch what would become the template for the vulnerable adult learner tsunami, said at the time. “Since day one, we’ve committed to forging great relationships, sharing valuable stories from unique perspectives in a culture we love, and challenging ourselves to embrace new opportunities.”
The aforementioned surf fans, though, worried if “corporate culture” would invade the fierce independence for which The Inertia was known.
It now appears those fears were justified.
Days ago, the “definitive voice of the outdoors” posted the think piece “Surf Fan Who Wanted Important Contest Held at Big Barreling Left Angry It’s Being Held at Big Barreling Left” wherein “die hard surf fan” Nick Ramos was quoted reacting to the World Surf League moving Finals Day from Lower Trestles to Cloudbreak.
“If I didn’t find a way to be unhappy with the current circumstance then I’d have to sit and enjoy them,” he said. “Sure, they met my personal demands. And I do feel entitled to having my exact view of what’s best for professional surfing validated. But what these corporate kooks don’t get is that a surf fan’s job — the job of a true core surfer — is to live in a state of discontent no matter what.”
While The Inertia’s involuntarily celibate readership enjoyed the scathing wit to which they’d become accustomed, they were left gasping for air at the end when arriving at a disclaimer.
Editor’s Note: If you didn’t figure out this was satire within the first few sentences, shoot us a note and we’ll immediately reply with a response making fun of you.
While also flashing a devil-may-care ethos, it does present a very slippery slope and might hint at AllGear’s meddling. Of course, The Inertia is scandal prone but that’s what makes it so savage.
Dark days, in any case, for a free press.
Neil hates this record. I love it.
D minus paper? teacher?
federales got him…
wooden nickels in the slots tonight…oui. neil is on!
still lookin for my cinnamon girl…tic toc…old man blues.
the clock is running out!
rubbed two wooden nickels to play this…was bullied.
In the rack between the nurses uniforms and the housemaids lingerie
A truthful, but abhorrent history…Before There Were Leashes…
A deep study into wetsuits…
From the begiinning…
Home spun trunks made by the women folk and usually from 100 % cotton. With a draw string…
Only bodily protection thru late 60s thru mid 70s. Cold MB mornings and cooler evening blow outs…
While on long boards, the key was not to get wet hair; paddle on knees and develop bumbs from etching skin across paraffin wax, sometimes candle drippings…no sex wax then. Surfcheck spray caused blood. Skin becomes flanks steaks.
Stolen long boards!
A series of adventures along the core shops on PCH…boys on bike looked from the store front for many a moon.
Surf mag ads showed some WSA 3-4 A listers wearing Dive ’n Surf spring suits. Yep that’s the ticket. Years later, may have bought one. Don’t remember.
But after several ever distancing bike rides we explored the RB Breakwater on the biggest days (after cruising down first street) met with fellow riders and went up the hill…southbound to the PV peninsula.
And on the glide home passed a dive shop and peeked into windows…and somehow found the 4-yard trash bin. Bingo.
A young veteran of pier fishing became adept at tying knots with 20-30 # test. Scraps of discarded dive suits could become the custom-designed shorty, long, sleeves…even gloves. No high fashion, but then…no one was watching. Some 25 plus years later…I bought my first high fashion 4/3 from the O’neill shop in VTA…for my teenage daughter…$750. I told her to wear it well, meet a nice surfer and get married. “This wetsuit will be your wedding dress.” Don’t ever remember buying a suit for myself. Early surfing tested our core strength. And there was no way I would caught wearing a ‘monkey suit.” insert England emoji here…https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne…
chase me down?
it begins and ends with: “do we snap up the beaver tail under the groin, let if flow in the wind, or simply scissor dat ting off?”
Spent some time on Defector this AM. Thx!
Well said again.
Well put.
Scandal prone?
I don’t know. I don’t think so.
“Lack of integrity” prone?
I would say definitely—a big, YES.
Will they bend an article to meet their needs or to sell a product?
I would say definitely, a big YES also.
No scruples at the Inertia I believes.
I believe $$ is the driving force for them.
Hope someone in the beach parking lot steals their soft-tops and waxes their windows.
Outer prone
More like, “stuff you could otherwise get for $10 at Goodwill” chic
https://www.scandalitaly.co…
The inertia has a unique perspective equivalent to the flavor of vanilla and I pray their “vulnerable adult learner tsunami” swell refracts hard AF…
otto in MTA…beware ‘colored only pools”…bison eat beavers. film @11…
Nerds
the Nerd-tia.