Sam George, on the other hand, quietly elated.
One week ago, fans of Anthony Bourdain-styled surf travel series rose up as one in jubilation as their boy Ashton Goggans cracked the extremely prestigious “surf journalists of the century” list (according to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence tool Grok). Goggans, beloved host of Red Bull’s No Destination, was joined by Sean Doherty, Matt Warshaw, Derek Rielly and Steve Pezeman. A murders’ row of talent, looks and style.
Well, in a turn no one saw coming, Sam Altman’s ChatGPT just released its distinguished “Top 20 Surf Journalists (Ranked by Quality” list with Goggans somehow, in some way, disappeared.
1. Nick Carroll: Legendary journalist with deep technical knowledge and decades of experience. His writing combines storytelling and surf expertise.
2. Sean Doherty: Revered for his insightful and heartfelt profiles, as well as his environmental advocacy in surf journalism.
3. Matt Warshaw: Author of The History of Surfing and founder of the Encyclopedia of Surfing. A definitive voice on surf history and culture.
4. Steve Pezman: Founding editor of The Surfer’s Journal, known for elevating surf journalism to a more artful and reflective medium.
5. Sam George: Former Surfer Magazine editor and filmmaker with a talent for blending passion and knowledge in his work.
6. Chas Smith: Controversial and witty, he’s a polarizing but undeniably influential figure in surf media, particularly through BeachGrit.
7. Derek Rielly: Co-founder of Stab and BeachGrit, known for his sharp humor and distinctive voice in surf culture critique.
8. Ben Mondy: A prolific writer for Surfline and other outlets, balancing humor and analysis in his work.
9. Brad Melekian: Known for deep, introspective surf writing that delves into the philosophy and psychology of surfers.
10. Jamie Brisick: Former pro surfer turned writer, bringing a poetic lens to surf storytelling.
11. David Rensin: Co-writer of All for a Few Perfect Waves, capturing Miki Dora’s enigmatic life with literary finesse.
12. Chris Mauro: Longtime editor of Surfer Magazine, known for his polished and authoritative writing style.
13. Al Hunt: World Surf League statistician and historian, providing invaluable context to competitive surfing.
14. Lewis Samuels: Creator of the PostSurf blog, renowned for his unfiltered critiques of surfers and the surf industry.
15. Tim Baker: Author of several surf biographies, including Occy and Bustin’ Down the Door.
16. Marcus Sanders: A senior editor at Surfline, skilled in blending daily surf news with long-form storytelling.
17. Warwick Wright: A South African journalist with a raw, edgy style that brings unique energy to surf reporting.
18. Zach Weisberg: Founder of The Inertia, focused on surf, outdoor, and environmental issues with a modern perspective.
19. Phil Jarratt: A veteran journalist with extensive contributions to surf history and travel writing.
20. Andy Martin: Author of Stealing the Wave, delivering gripping narratives about rivalries in surf culture.
Notes: This ranking is based on versatility, historical impact, and writing style. The exact order is open to debate, as preferences will vary depending on whether you value traditional journalism, humor, or in-depth cultural analysis.
Thoughts?
David Lee and I briefly discussed during today’s bi-weekly chat but spent most of the time on whether or not grocery store customers should bag their own or not?
Thoughts on that?
Listen here.
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The fact that there’s no mention of Drew Kampion really highlights the limits of AI. And I didn’t see him mentioned in the comments either. And I thought I was limited.
Like the President-elect sez; Sad.
Ha ha.. No mention of that little bitch Ben Marcus.
severed bodies in the line-up? dirty job….
Mike Rowe…dir of…the miami hostel~
newton, picasso, stianless steel! https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Skynet is real
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
that whole group is late on rent/
Motel Hell outtakes https://youtu.be/muUGMDRQfLg?si=gLfjpdsVUpGDgjNK
This article is a new post Whoop low
Andy Martin should be ranked higher – much higher.
Steve Shearer didn’t even make the list –
And https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
whatta bout
KVF needs to be slotted in somewhere.
Ha bin mondy. Like reading excrement smeared on the tiles of a foreshore dunny
Anything written on surfline is garbage
What’s the gorilla rankings?
JP Currie should be on that list….and to position Sam George with his shriveled nuts dangling above the BG Dynamic Duo is just disgusting.
disgusting or is anything real anymore??
it’s all a movie and you’re the leading man
yes it’s l;ike a big game….I am the Bleading man?
Well I’m sure quite few Turkey dinner tables could make space for you on this side of the pond. I’d recommend a southern plate specialist!
who knew there were soo many journos?
This has got to be the most round about way of writing an aritcle using AI.
I’ve still never punched a word into any AI platform!
I did for you and you will be happy to know youre just outside the top 10 https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
I did too as an exercise of seeing what Chas’s future legacy will be and it wrote prospective obituary for our favourite correspondent. He will be remembered by the machine as and when etc. Which does lead to the conclusion that amongst all the jobs that will be shortly disappeared the cushy obit writer post will be first among those washed away.
Being remembered by a machine.. Let that sink in..
Let’s get this straight you dumb fuck bot – NONE of them are universally adored with the exception of LongTom who died early. Slain by another would-be surf journalist….. an ugly bunch with few scruples.
In terms of technical proficiency and basic intelligence Chat GPT itself would now have to rank in the top 5.
ChatGPT cannot match Tim Nelson’s prose
what , no Fred Pawle …and did any of the named journalists find and expose Elo??
can someone please post definition of Journalist??
Those who can, do. Those who can’t, write.
rod stewart…bless his mess!
somewhere in that definition the words “surf-bro” to the “surf-ho” is used..
No one has written better surf content since Fred Pawle’s investigation of Paul Sargent.
a wanker on surfer spoke once spoke about wanking on Lahiaina