Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka.
Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka.

Israeli surfers urged to leave Sri Lanka’s Arugam Bay after US embassy warns of imminent attack

“Those leaving these areas are advised to leave the country or at least to the capital Colombo..."

The United States National Security Council strongly exhorted Israeli surfers in, and around, Sri Lanka’s Arugam Bay to leave the region after receiving what it described as credible threats indicating an imminent attack. “Those leaving these areas are advised to leave the country or at least to the capital Colombo, where there is a high presence of local security forces,” it said in a statement.

Muslim groups in the country have been frustrated during the course of the year-long war in Gaza and increasing Israeli aggression in Lebanon, regularly protesting and drawing in their predominantly Buddhist neighbors as well.

Local police, aware of the potential troubles, declared, “In view of the war situation in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the police together with intelligence agencies are working on a plan to protect tourists and resorts.”

Sri Lanka is a popular destination for Israeli tourists and passionate Israeli surfers with reports stating that over 20,000 visited the South East Asian nation in the first nine months of this year. Arugum Bay, of course, famous for its user-friendly right handers, yoga retreat centers and delicious green jackfruit curries.

This whole unfortunate wrinkle comes mere days after National Geographic threw its hat into the surf tourism ring, publishing “Why Sri Lanka’s south coast should be your next surfing destination” beginning thusly:

“There’s so much machismo and ego in surfing. Let’s change that,” Portuguese surfing coach José Bernado says to our group of a dozen mostly-female rookies, exemplifying the central mission of Soul & Surf, a game-changing brand of boutique surf camps that selected sleepy Ahangama for its second outpost in 2015. We’re donning rash vests and ferrying our beginner’s softboards over to the fleet of colourful tuk-tuks waiting just beyond the open-sided Canteen cafe, the heart of the jungly, beachfront complex. “The beauty of this sport is that we don’t have to be perfect to enjoy it; we do it for the endorphins, for our mental health,” José tells us. “Look out for each other and don’t be afraid to admit you’re learning. Let’s make a tribe in the water.”

That “tribe in the water” likely extremely on edge for the foreseeable future.

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Surfers for Palestine.
Daughter of surf icon Tom Curren says Israel is a genocidal apartheid state.

Surf-academic explains gay support for Islamic violence despite fear bisexual surfer Tyler Wright will be executed in Abu Dhabi

“Queer liberation cannot be achieved within the violence of settler-colonialism.”

That damned old drunk F Scott Fitzgerald got one thing, apart from Tender is the Night and The Beautiful and the Damned that is, right.

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time,” Frankie said, “and still retain the ability to function.” 

And it’s here we must insert the genius cognitive abilities of the modern Queer for their unwavering support of gay-hating religious fanatics who slaughtered and burned progressive families in their homes and hunted gorgeous young men and women dancing for peace, gay and straight, all the while storing weapons caches in kids bedrooms and in hozzies, kindies etc.

For those who’ve swung in late, the World Surf League is under siege for adding a surfing event to the 2025 world tour at a man-made wave park in Abu Dhabi, where Sharia law is incorporated into the legal system. 

Mikey Wright, the older brother of two-time world champ Tyler Wright launched a salvo across the WSL’s bow one week ago writing: 

“You have no business putting on an event at a location where my sister can be sentenced by law with the death penalty. So much for equality and equal rights, only when it’s convenient to WSL. You have supported the LGBTQ flag on her shoulder but now you want to strip it and be hush hush to get her to a location that she’s at risk of this punishment. You have the responsibility to protect your athletes, interested to see how you think you can protect her against the law.” 

Yesterday, Tyler Wright posted her support for the Palestinian cause despite her family’s fear Islamic law will be, to coin a phrase, the death of her.

Contradictory, yes? 

Not, like, even close. 

On Instagram, one surf-academic has deftly explained this tale of two competing narratives inside the one brain. 

The account, which is called @thesectionsurf, celebrated the daughter of surf legend Tom Curren signing a petition that accuses Israel of genocide and apartheid.

One reader wrote in reply,

“But in Palestine I just read if you’re gay its 10 years in prison. How could you support that?”

The manager of the site replied:

“With all due respect, I am not going to spend much time going over tired talking points that have been thoroughly + incisively covered 12 months ago. The weaponisation of queerness in support of an apartheid regime is one such tired talking point. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community who support Palestine do so because they understand intersectionality, in particular that queer liberation cannot be achieved within the violence of settler-colonialism. If you wish to learn more I encourage you to read the extensive work of Dr Angela Davis, a lesbian political scientist + long time activist for Palestine.”

Read it again? 

Members of the LGBTQIA+ community who support Palestine do so because they understand intersectionality, in particular that queer liberation cannot be achieved within the violence of settler-colonialism.

See?

Gay oppression in Gaza and co is the fault of the Jew!

Free the people from the yoke of the Israeli jackboot and Gaza and the West Bank will become queer paradises! Delicious uncut cock openly gobbled on Omar Mukhtar Street! Pride parades in Ramallah! 

Or no?

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Powerful advocacy group Surf Equity circulates petition demanding WSL drop Abu Dhabi event over concern for Tyler Wright

"The undersigned inclusive surfing organisations and individuals vehemently oppose this decision."

No social or moral issue, as it relates to gender expansiveness, spectrum affirmation, non-binarism and queerness (if it aligns with ultra-inclusion) plus professional surfing, can said to be truly “in the public square” until Surf Equity has weighed in. The powerful advocacy group has been at the absolute forefront of publicly shaming women who get “uppity” while fighting the good fight on hydra-headed fronts.

It was with bated breath, then, that surf fans around the world waited for Surf Equity’s response to the growing furor over the planned World Surf League Championship Tour Abu Dhabi surf event. Now, you certainly recall when two-time WSL champ Tyler Wright’s brother, Mikey, came swinging in, declaring, “You have no business putting on an event at a location where my sister can be sentenced by law with the death penalty. So much for equality and equal rights, only when it’s convenient to wsl. You have supported the LGBTQ flag on her shoulder but now you want to strip it and be hush hush to get her to a location that she’s at risk of this punishment. You have the responsibility to protect your athletes, interested to see how you think you can protect her against the law.”

Tyler, of course, the only openly gay surfer on tour.

Mikey’s salvo was followed by another from Tyler’s wife Lilli, who added, “Unfortunately homosexuality is illegal at one of the locations and my wife can legally be sentenced to death or imprisonment if she tries to attend. Tyler has competed on this tour for over 14 years and has had the pride flag on her jersey since 2020. Even after winning two world titles she is still not valued enough by the WSL to be considered when they sold this event. Tyler’s queerness should not have to be a burden or an obstacle in her workplace.”

All eyes turning to Surf Equity which, for days, remained silent.

Silent until now. For hours ago, them lent its considerable heft to a petition demanding that Abu Dhabi be removed from tour.

The World Surf League (WSL) have named Abu Dhabi as a stop on their 2025 Championship Tour and Longboard Tour, a location where homosexuality is illegal – punishable by up to 14 years in prison or even the death sentence. Wave Wahines CIC, Queer Surf Club, Surf Equity, and the undersigned inclusive surfing organisations and individuals vehemently oppose this decision. We call on you to join us in supporting the removal of Abu Dhabi as a venue from the WSL’s events calendar until they can guarantee a safe environment for every surfer. So far the amazing surfing community have spoken up and are ready to take action – it’s time we unite and amplify our collective voice. Please share the petition widely – through surf chats, email lists and across your social media.

At time of writing, it has garnered 745 signatures.

Surf Equity, fighting the perpetual good fight for…

All races

All cultures

All sexual orientations

All gender identities

All national origins

All abilities

All socioeconomic backgrounds

All gender expressions

All countries of origin

All ethnicities

All religions

All genders

Except Islamic bastards.

Or uppity women.

More as the story develops.

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Kai Mckenzie returns to surf after losing leg in a Great White attack
With one of his old boards under his arm he jumped in the shorebreak and paddled out. He sat out there alone for a few minutes before his crew followed him into the lineup. Kai even caught a couple of waves laying down. He’s mates with a bunch of the boog crew in Port who were there at North Wall to support him. “They reckon I’ve actually got a pretty good boog style,” he laughs.

Pro surfer Kai Mckenzie who lost leg to Great White just went surfing at the same place he got attacked

“It actually felt a lot like the day it happened. I just stayed really focused on getting straight back out there and shaking it off.”

That old hackneyed cliche of turning citrus fruit into a delicious thirst-quenching drink sure do fit Australian shredder Kai Mckenzie who has emerged from the haze of surgeries and shock of losing a stilt to a Great White shark in brilliant form.

Recently, Kai got himself back in the water, bouncing down the sand on his one remaining leg and stealing into little tubes as a surfboard-riding booger.

Surfing World, that wildly under appreciated surfing magazine run as a labour of love by two of the greats in the game, Sean Doherty and Jon Frank, documented the event beautifully.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Surfing World (@surfingworld)

Best thing ya gonna see today.

A couple of weeks back @kai_mckenzie had his first surf since losing his leg to a white shark at North Wall. Where’d he go? Straight back out to North Wall with a bunch of his mates. We’ve got a story with this legend in the new mag which comes out next week. It’s fucking inspirational stuff.

“But before he gets his prosthetic leg and starts surfing again, Kai has to get back in the water. He knows exactly where he’s going first. “I just want to go paddle back out at North Wall and sit there and get past that shit, then I’ll be sweet.”

Just as this mag went to print, that happened.

On a Monday morning, three months after the attack, Kai returned to North Wall. Three-foot, clean, sunny, nobody around. “It actually felt a lot like the day it happened,” reflects Kai. With him this time was a small group of family and friends who recognised the importance of what Kai was about to do and wanted to be there with him.

“That was the biggest thing for me,” he says. “I wanted to get back into the water. I just stayed really focused on getting straight back out there and shaking it off.”

With one of his old boards under his arm he jumped in the shorebreak and paddled out. He sat out there alone for a few minutes before his crew followed him into the lineup. Kai even caught a couple of waves laying down. He’s mates with a bunch of the boog crew in Port who were there at North Wall to support him. “They reckon I’ve actually got a pretty good boog style,” he laughs. “They gave me a board and I’m going to be on the lid now for a bit, I reckon. It’s good, those guys fire me up.”

“But it’s gone now,” he says of the psychological weight of being back out in the water. “It’s done. Time for the next step.”

Surfer of the year?

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Kelly Slater Abu Dhabi wave pool
"The Surf Abu Dhabi Pro may seem like the smallest of small fry in the sportswashing game, and on paper it is. But the point is to get our eyes on the field, on the players, on the highlight reels and the standings, and away from the torture and detention and state-sponsored killings and whatnot. You don't get all the goodwill when you buy a team – not right away. But stick around long enough and the fans will forget that the team owners know the guys who gave money to the 9/11 terrorists, and later ordered the vivisection suitcase-stuffing hit on Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi."

Surf Abu Dhabi Pro a masterclass in sports washing, “The point is to get our eyes on the field and away from the torture and killings”

What's in it for surfing? WSL gets a cut. Slater, too. The pros have a new CT contest – except nobody wanted it

It took years, nearly a decade in fact, but I finally cycled through all the stages of grief regarding Kelly Slater’s Westworld-lite wavepoolonly to end up, surprisingly, more or less back where I started.

Nonplussed. Cool. Maybe a bit arch.

I could ignore Surf Ranch or laugh at it, whichever suited. Not laugh hahaha, like Raglan Surf Report, but I can eye-roll Surf Ranch and judge it dismissively, as my social media feeds serve up clips of soft-top-riding billionaire-celeb rookie surfers being gently inserted by Raimana Van Bastolaer into those long boring 8-bit Atari tubes, at $500 per wave—or a half-week’s wages for your average nonprofit surf history website Executive Director.

Like I say, no problem. Carry on.

I will fly economy to the southwest corner of Costa Rica next spring, and if Ivanka Trump, Lewis Hamilton, and Prince Harry are going three-up in the barrel that week at Surf Ranch with Raimana riding alongside like a big friendly Polynesian manatee, screaming high-pitched encouragement while crying inside, I will feel that much better for my non-remunerative life choices

But hold on now.

Here comes Slater’s new Middle East pool (Surf Abu Dhabi) on Al Hudayriyat in the United Arab Emirates, an artificial wave next to an artificial mountain range on a huge 25-mile-perimeter artificial island, everything 100% master-planned, dedicated to lux-living and entertainment; the whole gleaming terraformed megaproject built by a government-mandated group called Modon Properties.

And sure as mushrooms spring from cow flop, we quickly get the WSL-backed Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic (held last month), and the upcoming Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, second event on the 2025 WCT schedule—sponsored by Modon Properties.

I tried to remain nonplussed but confess that this video plussed me a bit—Surf Abu Dhabi, and our chipper onscreen tour guide, both look like they belong in a director’s cut of The Truman Show. Then Ben Mondy’s latest “Surf Bugle” newsletter—subject-line: “Why the Fuck is the WSL in the UAE? And Why is No One Talking About it?” —hit my inbox on Thursday and that knocked me right back to the anger and depression stages of wavepool grief.

I retired my Bernie Sanders Signature Model EOS political soapbox some years ago, but have dusted it off. Don’t worry. This will be quick—my righteous-cause stamina, like this faltering iPhone 12 Mini I’m still using, no longer holds much of a charge.

We start with the Emirates human rights scorecard, which is less-bad than it was five years ago, but still dismal. Don’t be gay or female in the UAE, for starters. Check your democracy at the door.

Leading us to sportswashing, which is the emirs and sheiks extending a friendly hand, saying, tell you what, let’s just do sports, everybody, all of us, East and West, Muslim, Christian, Jew—you guys have the teams and the players, we have the money, let’s put our heads together and make it work for everybody.

Saudi Arabia remains the undefeated champion of Middle East sportswashing, but other Arab petrostate powers are closing the gap, with the UAE washing harder than anybody these past few years. Football, Formula 1, tennis, and of course golf—Arab investment in these and other sports is huge and still skyrocketing. (I no longer bleed Laker blue like I did in my NBA-loving youth, but was relieved nonetheless to find out that the dreaded Celtics are the ones scheduling preseason games in Abu Dhabi.)

The Surf Abu Dhabi Pro may seem like the smallest of small fry in the sportswashing game, and on paper it is. But the point is to get our eyes on the field, on the players, on the highlight reels and the standings, and away from the torture and detention and state-sponsored killings and whatnot. You don’t get all the goodwill when you buy a team – not right away.

But stick around long enough and the fans will forget that the team owners know the guys who gave money to the 9/11 terrorists, and later ordered the vivisection suitcase-stuffing hit on Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi.

Like I say, surfing, by the numbers, is nothing compared to soccer or the NBA or Formula 1.

But surfing still looks cooler, more Western, more mysterious, than anything else out there. My take is we lost our hipness cred back when Fonzie was jump-starting the jukebox with his fist, but the rest of the world doesn’t know that, and if I was sitting on the fourth-largest economy in the Middle East and trying to throw an invisibility blanket over various and sundry civil rights abuses, sure, absolutely, build a pool and take a million from the petty-cash drawer for prize money for a CT event and Bashar’s your uncle, when’s the first heat?

That’s a good deal from the Emir’s side, in other words.

But what about us? What’s in it for surfing? WSL gets a cut, I suppose. Slater, too. The pros have a new CT contest – except nobody wanted it; the Surf Ranch Pro was everybody’s least-favorite tour event by a mile, and moving it from Lemoore to the UAE is not going to bump up its popularity.

There are probably some young blue-blood UAE scions who will get stoked enough by the new pool to break out to chase real waves, so count that as a small win, I guess. The sport meanwhile chisels off another piece of what’s left of its briny soul, and some tiny few among us take a seat, like Succession extras, on the world’s most elite lounges and verandahs.

But we’re not actually in the club. We are and always will be decorative. When the emir gets up, Slater follows along holding the umbrella.

Nothing will change or alter the direction we’re on. Wavepools are here to stay, the sport has not self-funded for decades, and surfing’s marquee names will continue to conform, emulate, obey. I’m writing this to make myself feel a little better, is all; some of you, maybe most of you, are with me on most of this, but you all know that we’re basically standing on the jetty, flipping off the cruise ship as it leaves the harbor.

Ben Mondy shamed me into this Joint, just by speaking out first, and I’m grateful. In fact, here is the exact bit in Ben’s piece that got me writing this morning, it comes right at the beginning:

“Isn’t it time we talked about the ethics of surfing in Abu Dhabi, cause no one else is?”

That was a pitch to a number of the major surf publications I did a month ago.

“I’m there right now, so let’s leave it alone, ha, ha!” was one Editor’s response. 



No prize for guessing the name of “major surf publication” (hint: it’s a website, not a publication). I was going to do a longer bit on what it means to no longer have an independent non-satirical surf media, but we’re out of space. 

So there is my bitter little report on the state of play here in 2024, in terms of our our place in the culture at large. We get bigger and duller at the same time.

On the bright side, I suppose none of this means much in the end. We surf to escape all kinds of things. We can therefore surf to escape from surfing.

(You like this? Matt Warshaw delivers a surf essay every Sunday, PST. Maybe time to subscribe to Warshaw’s Encyclopedia of Surfing, yeah? Fifty bucks a year.)

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