The panopticon is shut as his patience and tolerance, finally, at last, ran out.
Well, maybe the signals were there if one knew, in hindsight, where to see them: Robbo getting sent in from Longtom’s favorite tour wave at Punta Roca, ironically by a local who was riding one of Robbo’s discarded boards; Trump throwing a hissy and storming off during a Meet the Press interview, when asked to present evidence for continued baseless claims about election interference; no one in the USA giving a shit that the World Cup is about to begin here; BG, avowedly a surf website, or at least surf adjacent, having no 2026 coverage of pro surfing contests.
Tea leaves, I reckon, if one could decipher their innards.
Instead, we get the news sprinkled in the day 3 live chat, from Negs himself.
A ho-hum, don’t look at me now little post, one of his 16,000 or so, that says “By the way, I’m no longer moderator.” Negatron holding his (soft) gun, Badgeboy sheriff’s badge no longer omnipresent. The panopticon is shut, as I guess his patience and tolerance, finally, at last, ran out.
And it turns out, the mea culpa delivered over a 2 hour Zoom with Chas and DR that contained “tears, raging principled arguments, and more tears.”
My immediate response was twofold: (1) what the fuck is there worth discussing over two hours with a plumber from New Zealand, let alone who doesn’t like sheep jokes?, and (2) it sounded eerily similar to a typical day of my marriage, just my marriage doesn’t contain anymore tears, nothing of principle compared to its initial vows, and also completely lacks make-up sex.
Where does BG go from here?
Twelve years of moderating, he said.
Twelve years.
Worthy of crying over, all of us, to think we’ve all wasted so much of this miracle of being alive trying to generate 14-year old level humor everyday below the line, eclipsing at least the effort at 8-year old humor found above it.
They say Bob Weir, that amazing rhythm guitarist from the Grateful Dead who passed earlier this year, most likely played more live music, in front of more humans, than any other human in history. Sixty years of constant touring, side bands, and solo shows.
Similarly, we can deduce Negs has read more anonymous comments on surf discussion boards than any other human in history.
Millions of them, over 12 years, at BG.
The perseverance, the insanity of it all, the sheer stubbornness, to clock in and clock out, daily, Napoleon-like finger hovering over the “delete” button, and to do so for no pay, all in service of trying to nurture some type of culture down below.
I can’t but imagine Colonel Kurtz, deranged in his own post-traumatic darkness, exclaiming “The horror, the horror.” Talk about laying pipe.
There’s a punter I read about on some beach somewhere, who got a little positive press, for putting up a “grab and play” dog box in honor of their own longtime canine friend passing. You know those little free libraries you walk by and grab a book? Similar, but for pooches.
Leave a treat, leave a toy, grab a treat, grab a toy, have fun on the beach while the dog wags its tail and glints a bit of smile.
Seems a person like that is probably a good bloke, who knows how to have some fun and keep a community moving together towards some laughs and appreciating the sunset on a stroll.
Seems Negs was always trying to elicit a few more treats from us, hoping to collectively add to that box.
Hopefully we were up more often than not for the task, eliciting a few more chuckles, a few more occasions to reflect on how lucky we are to stare at sunsets while waiting for that last wave of the session, before heading home to ignore the family and instead comment on BG.
I want to end with a direct comment, that can’t be moderated, to Negs himself: Negs, remember the difference between to and too.
For example, “To the future moderator, should they be dumb enough to also do this for free, fuck you, too.”
I am the captain now
Step off cunt
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They reckon its good with whey powder, especially vanilla!
Deep?
Deep?
Deep ya reckon?
In Australia? Pawleen cuntry? In paula n donnyland? In the wild west? In playin’ surfin’? Hahahahahaha, come on, the whole fuckin’ show is tide’s way out and even the rock pools have dried up shallow!
But lets have a go!
Australia was about as deep as it gets. No one’s really gone deeper anywhere on this globe, than the mob that set up camp here first.
‘Wot!!! Yair, but wuz ver useless cunts cunnecktud ta the farkin’ rivums ov farkin tyme tunnalin’ farkin’ bazz’s, n finz owt tale farkin’… an ver dollfinz…’
The first mob, all 800 distinct Cultural Groups… (‘human beeins’ is the current surfee buzzword… merch on sale… agin’) didn’t even have a word for time. Ala the, ‘laytest quontical’… They had a shared way of being nature. First and foremost, all 800 distinct Cultural Groups were deeply aware that they were/are always totally connected to… all. Even Jeezuz’s sisters… Including nature, and waves and stuff. So all they had to do, was sit or stand, be still, notice, and soak the whole show up. No extra flavourin’ needed. Vanilla was just fine. ‘What a fuckn buzz, just bein’ part of the fam! Who needs a…’
‘Boring!!!’
‘Fake newz bullshite… shut the useless cunts up…’
‘Blow the cuntz up!!! Agin’… yeeehaaarrr!!!’
‘Go farkin’ deepa than farkn 200 udd ven!!! Lyke 2 farkin’ hullowed fouzin!!! Lurn ya ad b farkin c’s!!! Howdya lyke vem appulz!!!’
Domino’s with the lot, including apples!!! Dionz delivered it, ‘cept he farked up!!! Charlee took over, handballed it to the wild west outfit… straight on to the boot, straight through the guts!!!
‘Give uz our trofee… orrr elze!!!’
The rest is a saga of ‘lurve’, of biblical proportions.
‘Fark orf!!! Blazfarkinfemity!!! Ya gorta… ggggoooo ddddeeeeppppeeeerrrr, yyyyyyeeeessss ggggooooo dddddeeeeppppeeeerrrr… gggggooooodddd yyyyooouuuuu aaaaarrrrrreeee gggggeeeeettttiiinnnggggg…’
You win then, how deep, 10,000? 20,000? 30,000? 40,50… 60,000?
Anyway, the last spreader of biblical proportions lurve, that went 60,000 deep, ‘spreddin’ va lurve’, got a harsh, but final lesson on paying for being so fucking shallow. Of not even grasping that fucking no, means fucking no, in any fucking lingo. Even 60,000 odd deep North Sentinelese.
‘Fffffaaarrrkkk stupe’ un va swillnutz wuz write abowt ver shaller, stinkin’ cunt!!! Fake farkin’nuze!!!’
‘Eye tolled yaz… ban ver bullshite fukka…’
‘Blok ver cunt!!!’
‘I new vat kwan cunt sucked… I knowed eeezzze foola…’
‘I need a fast buck… pay ya deposit n I’ll edit va ramblin cunt, fur yaz… mmmmmaaayyyyttteeess…’
Jesus should have had a sister. She would have fucked the loaves n fishes off, and replaced them with an endless box of tissues…
On that note, NEGS, wait up… mmmmaaaayyyytttee… I promise I’ll…
maybe i could bother for mod, no gratis tho… payment in chaturbate tokens…
B ding !
He deleted so I did too. Start afresh
Fresh start now bruz
If the wooss stagnant league would get their act together we wouldn’t be at each others throats so much…maybe
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Hahaha I can only wonder where Andy C is and what he is going to think of all this mate? My mind is boggled haha
His obituary for the mod will be an eye watering read
The lunatics have taken over the asylum, day 2.
Hahahahaha it’s funny as ay. Are you enjoying it so far sir? Dez says its like a new beginning …
More like the asylum has taken over the lunatics
#aurevoirnegatron #libertyforthecunt #chokeformod #banottonow #gimmebadges
Interesting scenario with Japan and bear attacks.
I wanna know what Negatron has to say.
You are one of us now, and we commend your unpaid work.
We all know you are reading this, and ready to unleash
I just never understood the lack of parole. You had all the cards man, the whole time.
It was never a life sentence.
Also, I never got any decent badges
So what im gathering is everything ran smoothly here at BG until SC came around and fucked up the program? 😅
The real issue though is having to read or scroll past all the extra SC comments. I give up at about 75 comments. Basically SC posts 75 solo, so hard to get to others content.
Sorry Mike rained off work today and have just been replying to messages sent to me on here. Hopefully this rain will fuck off tonight, I will be back at work tomorrow and “normal service” will resume. Apologies just had a heap of messages to reply to today. Or you could take the soft cock route and block me and problem solved instantly
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All ya have to do is hit that minus button mate. It’s not that hard
FFS……nearly 500 comments…..negs ….I am amazed at his resilience and also intellect, which time after time was shown to be an influence on all of us.
the Wild days at the beginning, were like the wild west , as everyone was learning about forums and what was acceptable or not to say in public……..it’s pretty obvious that the discussions on BG have become very superficial , and a bit vanilla………so thanx Negs…see ya in da soup?
I think it’s fair to say things might get lively again now mate. Maybe better off wearing a hard hat and some form of protective clothing in the live chats from now on hahahaha yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew
You have learnt so much.
Don’t be a cunt
Live chat is a free for all brother, only rule is NO FUCKING POLITICAL WANK hahahaha
Fuck that there are no rules.
You are the last guy who should be telling us what the only rule is.
In my opinion, Negs was doing a good job in toning Strayan Cunt down.
Negs was his first ever moderator (Bless his soul, he hated me saying that)
He managed to settle the excited puppy each time.
Time out, over and over would be fair.
Life was not.
I reckon they are both better people now.
and WHY? Negs would you torment yourself like that for FREE?
A 100% Strayan Cunt was simply not compatible for normal people up here.
No country or person was safe, and all the ongoing Politics too.
It was a journey for Strayan, just like Negs. Not being able to say what you want anymore.
If anyone gets offended by the freed “Negapet” these days….
Maybe he will get his bites back, now that barks don’t matter anymore…
Keep it fun
I think the depth of conversations , and subject matter have changed to a more superficial level……..from where before some of us went pretty deep on politics/religion…identity…..now it’s more surface comments…I can remember when I blew up on all the pedo/preists jokes as being inappropriate…because I was in the middle of working out which 53 kids were raped and abused in Ballarat where I spent the first few years of my life….so times have changed…..the conversations have changed…..more vanilla….but that’s only my perspective
Well, open Slather now, and as Derek said, it all happens below the line…
We are all open ears.
but no politics in the live chats
I had one of your boards from the late 90’s. 6 foot knife monster, with thick enough glass to smash open up an ATM.
And it made a wicked Skurfing board too.
yet we live in a political world where surfing is being driven into a downward spiral….but carry on…..
I changed my mind. If it a free for all and if Politics are included, then let that be.
But don’t you think it will just end up smothering all the better things to talk about on a surfing site?
Let the people speak
still good mate.
just talking about the surfboard industry …….we are getting smashed from an economic standpoint……like Japan has shut down some glass shops as there’s no thinners or acetone….or prices are going up big time and consumer confidence for surfboards at the lowest ever seen…hard being on the frontline/canary in the coalmine……as trumps actions are affacting us all very negatively…….so yeah still good…..but spiral downward is on, and nothing will stop it now!
hmm knife monster?
Anyhow…….I don’t do live chats as the comps are too boring to watch live…….but I did enjoy some of the political chats with Otto/HC…..religions with a couple of others……open slather….please expalin,LOL?
Haha that’s what we called it. Got it from Cash Converters for like $180 bucks in 94? Lasted forever and got passed on as a waterlogged yellow cripple from some open dings around 2000. It is where we got most boards before ever being able to buy new.
Memory is a bit hazy, but compared to the thick pig dogs like most other boards we all had, it was very thin, short (at the time) and low volume,and sucked for paddling and pretty much anything else other than crazy beachie closeouts. Fuck it might have even been 6’3 or more. But it was so solid it never broke in the beachie closeouts, and we would share it around. It was a little knife monster, perfect for us teenagers in the heavy closeout beach break and getting towed behind a boat.
Open Slather means, anything goes it seems. Negs has stepped down. Derek is now the Moderator. And now people are posting pictures of their poos to test the new limits
Surfing and moderating are two things that just don’t go hand in hand in my book mate. We all moan about the lack of real characters left so you can’t really go banning cunts who just say whatever on their minds in my personal opinion
Within REASON of course. you have been half trained to comply…
There are lines, and we all know them…
Play ball
and there is no crying in SURFING
Ohh fuck, It seems there is a lot of crying in surfing.
Hunner % but I just reckon it’s better to be regulated like a proper lineup where if you’re acting like a dickhead the locals tell ya to pull your head in cuz you’re acting like a cunt. Way more effective than a lifeguard blowing his whistle and sending ya to the sin bin.
I have so much love and respect for Brutus if he had said cunt knock it offI would have shut up instantly. He may be a cute, cuddly bear now but he was a wild animal unleashed on lineups back in the day who’s mission was to rid the joint of any dickheads and wankers hahaha onyas Mo ya fucking sick cunt
the trouble is what’s on some peoples minds…….with what we got away with as surfers in the 60’s to early 90’s is now considered macho/misogynistic and just not acceptable in todays society….so we bend/change….so for people like me the current status quo of surfing culture is very vanilla……
Agreed mate
Superficial is great.
You know what they say about religion and politics, and truth is they were mostly unproductive and depressive.
Arguing about contest venues much more relevant….
yep…and that’s the world we now live in……religion and politics is what actually controls our lives and futures…..and yep reality is a depressive bitch……and religion , here, unproductive except for a few…so I totally get superficial is great!
I have prompted almost pleaded for some decent board commentaty during recent comps , but other than you Brutus most of the BG flock cant seem to think much deeper than a 5,10 squash tail three finner.
Or a plastic “pipeliner” single fin
Or a stupid twin fish thingy
I remember that time Dave Parmenter took a mal out against dog marsh. Don’t think a single fin is gonna do much chop. What have you got in mind? A twinnie? 6’2″ X 19 1/4″ v bottom thruster from 1990?
I have no idea im just trying to stimulate some board talk
This whole thing is interesting because it’s early 2000’s forum drama happening in 2026.
I think it is kinda crazy we can even swear and say the crap we do on here.
Enjoy it while it lasts
Is this lame donkey of a Conny going to run tomorrow Jack?
Only if you sleep in.
Anyone got any jokes or something they’d like to share or get off their chests? I just finished watching the Wacko Jacko Doco on Netflix, any of you cunts seen that?
Apparently he loved young boys sleeping in his bed but never touched their prongs so all good nothing to see here. How much money did you have again Mr Jackson
Oh shit.
I only just got back on after a long weeked away from the PC.
Damn.
A salute to you, Negs. Love you, brother.
Drop me an email or something.
We shall all light a candle.
Something stinks about this whole fiasco.
This neg, bronzed ocker worshipper, suddenly shows up in the swillnut club/waltons on roids/wsl fusion mens shed. He’s virtually unmoderated, running amuck, running the dimwit show in no time.
I mention swillnuts, and the bronzed ocker onesie, jump suit flares debacle here, and this negs goes off his rocker. Supposedly demanding that swillnut kumbaya club mens shed shite be kept in the swillnut club house. Nuttle announces that the onesie, jump suit flares outfits are up for grabs… again… to the highest bidder.
Some one fully on to shite throws it out there that this longy/free/tom tom character is the same person… possibly AI…
Negs goes MIA. Or MAI. Next minute, gritters are swillnut does waltons kumbaya, teary eyed, rainbows chanting about how united they suddenly all are, and even ala swillnuts ho, suddenly providing supposed evidence that even ‘wimmen fokes’ are welcomed to…
Its obvious. Negs is either benny ‘the rug’ mats with hair extensions, or stupe’ nuttle in elevators. The swillnuts have bought beachgrit out from under your noses.
And longy knows way more than he’s letting on.
Out of nowhere, the Starling sisters are prancing around El Salvador in those ala kango and PT, zips wide open, onesie, flared jump suits, same gritter/swillnut kumbaya waltons on roids rainbows tearfest.
The Starling sisters have shafted flick, literally given her the flick, and bought the WSL.
And here, there and everywhere longy knows way more than he’s letting on.
I’m just sayin’…
Now this is Grtty !
Great news about phlick if true….
We need you to write a book
And Podcast too!
You love swill nuts.
I takes me several reads of your posts, but I get new comprehension everytime.
It is fuckn Genius
Hahahahaha same but I’ve got it now and its the funniest thing I’ve read in ages
On planes all day and now alone in a hotel room on a work trip trying to focus on job stuff- decide to take a break and meander over here to see what’s up. And wtf, the gritters are just running an old school chat room w/ no supervision
as you were
What is the worst that could happen?
I think we have to keep our eyes on Phils Wart, seems a little suss to me and we should also keep our eyes open for any other “suspicious newcomers!”
Chas is on smoko, and DR is busy being all creative, and stuff. If any of you has more than an ounce of writing talent then please wake up tomorrow and knock out a couple hundred words of some surf related content and email it of to Dez for processing and publishing. Stoke the embers, so that we can burn brightly once again upon the ‘morrow.
Lord knows we won’t likely be watching any pro surfing.
I plan on doing contest wrap ups below the line in 50 words or less, and then a longer post cottest wrap up on why everyone is out of their minds.
Should be about 18 grams worth.
I know that @derek_hynd_s_missing_fins:disqus must be quite proud, yet again, of the continued success of his penmanship skills. He would never have thought that his touching eulogy would inspire 400 comments, and such unity within the community. I pray he takes another swing of the hammer when inspiration next strikes him.