tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/surfing-3867/articlesSurfing – The Conversation2023-11-29T16:28:13Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2169402023-11-29T16:28:13Z2023-11-29T16:28:13ZSkateboard at the Design Museum celebrates 60 years of style, culture and cool<p>Skateboards are not complicated design objects. They consist of little more than a simple deck, usually made of wood, which forms the riding surface. The board is completed by a pair of trucks (pivoted metal turning devices) and four polyurethane wheels.</p>
<p>With a few rare exceptions, none of this involves particularly advanced design, fabrication, materials, technology or aesthetics. So why has the Design Museum – London’s prestigious venue for the celebration of contemporary design – decided to mount <a href="https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/skateboard?utm_source=paid%20&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=Skateboard-Max&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAmZGrBhAnEiwAo9qHiRg-ghH95BfTqZqusqdfFfbPOMmxhrtCAGROZiZopaMz-iEasCTABRoCvhUQAvD_BwE">Skateboard</a>, a substantial exhibition devoted to this simple creation?</p>
<p><a href="https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/skateboarding-101-beginner-guide">Skateboarding</a> first emerged in the late 1950s in the US, particularly in California and Florida’s beachside cities. The early pioneers were surfers who used devised skateboards from roller-skates to emulate surfing on asphalt roads and pavements. In the 1970s, their successors enjoyed the benefits of polyurethane wheels and wider boards to explore drained swimming pools, reservoirs, ditches and even new purpose-built skateparks.</p>
<p>By the late 1970s skateboarding was a global phenomenon that represented gritty urban cool, and continued this way into the <a href="https://www.skatedeluxe.com/blog/en/wiki/skateboarding/obstacle-guide/halfpipe/">wooden half-pipe terrains</a> of the 1980s and the urban street settings of the 1990s onwards. With its burgeoning popularity, a distinctive subculture emerged involving fashion, street art, music and rebellious attitudes.</p>
<p>Since the 2010s, skateboarding has morphed again, enjoying <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-outlier-to-olympic-sport-how-skateboarding-made-it-to-the-tokyo-games-165152">Olympic participation</a> in the Tokyo 2020/21 games, extending its reach to more diverse riders in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality and disability. Japan, Brazil, UK and China have joined the US as big skateboarding countries, establishing it as an intrinsic part of urban life worldwide.</p>
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<h2>Evolution and revolution</h2>
<p>The very simplicity of the skateboard belies a more subtle development over the last 60 years than might first be appreciated, so the Design Museum’s chronological presentation of boards, from the late 1950s to the present day makes good sense. And it’s fascinating, too. The earliest homemade devices are astonishingly makeshift, including an example made by nailing a pair of roller skate wheels and trucks to a piece of wood.</p>
<p>The development of skateboards began with the short surfboard-inspired creations of the 1960s. The first “kicktails” (decks with an angled rear to improve leverage) and polyurethane wheels came along in the early 1970s. The late 1970s saw wider boards and trucks and later advances in the 1980s included double-kick decks with angled nose and rear, and smaller wheels and straight-sided boards in the 1990s.</p>
<p>Along the way, creative graphic designs revealing symbols, logos, cartoon figures, abstract patterns and graffiti were added to underside of decks. For older skate aficionados this is a kind of heaven – an opportunity to reminisce, linger and focus on nostalgic details. </p>
<p>For non-skateboarders, it is equally compelling, revealing the rapid change of skateboard styling and the cool culture that came with it. But it is also a chance to appreciate some of the nuanced design changes. Fibreglass, metal, plastic and wooden decks, the size and geometry of trucks, improved bearings for smoother turns, the introduction of grip-tape to add friction to the top of the deck, and the development of concave riding surfaces are all part of the story.</p>
<p>Some of the objects are well known, such as the Roller Derby from the 1960s (the <a href="https://myskatespots.com/event/roller-derby-skate-board-first-mass-produced-skateboard/">first mass-produced skateboard</a>), and the <a href="https://newtons-shred.co.uk/brands/vision-skateboards/">Vision “Mark Gonzales” model</a> from the 1980s, which was made in the hundreds of thousands. Others are much rarer, including a <a href="https://vintagesurfboardcollectoruk.blogspot.com/2009/12/1967-bilbo-skateboard.html">1960s Bilbo</a> – the first ever commercial UK board – and an experimental <a href="https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/project-rpsd">Jason Knight/Project RPSD deck</a> made from recycled plastic.</p>
<p>And while the exhibition is by no means comprehensive, the overall effect is to show how the skateboarding industry has been vibrant and innovative over the years, constantly evolving its products. For example, we see wheels move from the small “clay” compositions of the 1960s, to the larger 60-65mm diameter polyurethane examples of the 1970s, specifically designed for smooth skateparks. But then they went back again to much smaller wheels in the 1990s, which helped with street-based tricks and manoeuvres.</p>
<h2>A bigger story</h2>
<p>Just as football is more than the ball, skateboarding extends far beyond the skateboard itself. Curators <a href="https://www.jonathanolivares.com/viewmaster/73">Jonathan Olivares</a>, himself a skateboarder, and <a href="https://showstudio.com/contributors/tory_turk">Tory Turk</a> have also carefully interspersed displays with numerous magazines, photographs, books, safety gear, cameras, records, video games and other paraphernalia associated with the culture (including a few magazines and pamphlets from my own collection).</p>
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<p>This is not just a fetishist display for skate nerds but rather an exploration of objects which connect to much wider social and cultural phenomena. Many of the boards on display, for example, are scarred with the scrapes and bashes of heavy usage and a few are close to destruction, clearly indicating their active life outside of the museum.</p>
<p>The inclusion of things like Aga Wood’s “<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.636111/full">Right to the City</a>/Ride in the City” board and her social enterprise <a href="https://www.everyoneonboards.com/">Everyone on Boards</a>, alongside women’s skateboard magazines and photographs of older skaters and trans skaters, signals how skateboarding has dramatically extended its political relevance, particularly in the last decade.</p>
<p>These exhibits indicate how skateboarding critiques urban space (including skaters’ right to access to it) and helps build social inclusion. Many of these items, such as the <a href="https://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/in-da-store/ramp-plans-book/">Thrasher ramp-building guide</a> show how the skate scene is infused with a punkish DIY approach to creativity.</p>
<p>There is even a skateable ramp, designed by Olivares with <a href="https://www.betongpark.co.uk/about">Betongpark</a>, bringing real skateboarding into the museum, and animating it with a sense of informality and fun. Another key component is a film by Olivares with skateboarding chroniclers <a href="http://www.sixstairstudio.com/about.html">Six Stair</a>, providing an excellent history of the phenomenon.</p>
<p>As an exhibition Skateboard is not unique – this summer’s <a href="https://www.londoncallingskateboardinguk.com/">London Calling</a> and 2021’s <a href="https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/no-comply">No Comply</a> similarly celebrated the culture of skateboarding. But the Design Museum’s offering is much larger and more ambitious in focus, providing a nuanced look at the complexity of skateboarding and its history, design and objects. Skateboards may be simple, but skateboarding is not.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Iain Borden does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The desire to transfer the thrills of surfing on to dry land created the monumental culture of skateboarding, now vividly documented in a new exhibition.Iain Borden, Professor of Architecture and Urban Culture, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2098042023-07-18T10:25:40Z2023-07-18T10:25:40ZHow a surfing sea otter revealed the dark side of human nature<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537530/original/file-20230714-20-zjsaf2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=21%2C10%2C7167%2C4774&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">We like to think of sea otters as cute but they can be aggressive.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/white-faced-california-sea-otter-floating-718390942">rbrown10/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Surfers often talk about how the sport helps them <a href="https://windy.app/blog/surfing-is-about-connection-with-nature-that-is-something-that-football-doesn-t-have.html">reconnect with nature</a>, but a recent episode involving an <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/sea-otter-stealing-surfboards-california-b1093979.html">otter with a love for surfboards</a> shows just how brittle our love for wildlife really is. </p>
<p>The authorities are trying to capture and remove said otter from her native environment for climbing onto a man’s surfboard in Santa Cruz, California. In a video of the incident published on Twitter, the otter is seen clambering onto the surfer’s board where she appears to play with it. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/12/sea-otter-surfing-santa-cruz-california">Wildlife officials</a> described the otter’s behaviour as aggressive. </p>
<p>People <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sea-otters-steal-surfboards-claims-joining-orca-uprising-2023-7?r=US&IR=T">have joked</a> that the otter has joined the orca uprising, referring to the killer whale attacks on boats off the coast of Spain. A <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/orca-killer-whales-attack-spain-gibralter-sail-yacht-renaud-de-stephanis-b1090349.html">researcher said</a> the orcas are attacking sailboats for an “adrenaline shot”.</p>
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<p>If you watch the video, you will notice that the otter remains at the opposite end of the board to the surfer. But the language used by the media, and the authorities they quote, is far more telling than the otter’s behaviour. </p>
<h2>War on nature</h2>
<p>We often use the language of combat to describe unusual events and to make sense of what seems like an imbalance in the world. Words like “conflict” and “clash” fit into an oppositional narrative, which is a simpler way to tell stories than, say, “unusual interaction”. Often, as storytellers in all fields, we humans describe the world, our local environment and to whom they “belong”, as a kind of fight – for example: “force of nature” and “triumph of civilisation”.</p>
<p>Any number of things could explain the Santa Cruz otter’s behaviour, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3036241">including fear, anxiety</a>, <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/228029109.pdf">protective territorialism</a>, curiosity and perhaps even aggression. People blame the otter, without stopping to think what our use of this space – their home – <a href="https://defenders.org/wildlife/sea-otter">may mean to otters</a>. This particular otter may go through the trauma of being trapped, torn from her home and relocated. Yet it is the otter that is considered the aggressor. </p>
<p>The physicist and ecological philosopher Karen Barad <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/meeting-the-universe-halfway">urges us to rethink</a> our interactions with the ecological world not as one of ownership or dominion, but entanglement. She wrote that existence is not an individual affair and that people don’t exist separately from their interactions with other beings. Individuals of any species live as part of an entangled existence with other living creatures.</p>
<h2>Our connection to the natural world</h2>
<p>Both otters and humans live in this watery coastal space in ways that are unique but intertwined. When our entanglement with nature becomes conflict, there will be casualties, which tend overwhelmingly to be the animals. </p>
<p>We impose human character traits, such as anger, onto animals without applying sensitivity to their motives. We reduce their complex experiences, feelings and cognition to a single action if they don’t behave how we think they should (otters must be cute).</p>
<p>Think of cliches, such as “stubborn as a mule”. Who wouldn’t be stubborn under threat of whipping or while carrying a huge load? We also borrow from nature for insults such as <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/bitch">bitch</a>, <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/cow#:%7E:text=As%20an%20insulting%20or%20degrading,forms%20of%20cow%20(n.)">dozy cow</a> and pig. We’ll use these words to describe human qualities. But we don’t stop to question the motivation behind animals’ behaviour. </p>
<p>If we reverse the language in the news stories about the sea otter we could say the sea otter had her home invaded by a large, aggressive animal. And that animal’s kin now wants to kidnap and incarcerate her.</p>
<p>The language of combat works for neither party. It doesn’t work for the humans who impose it, because when you flip the language you ignore the fact humans are scared too, and confused because this animal they think of as cute and cuddly is turning against them. </p>
<p>People love otters, but western representation of otters has disconnected us from the random and varied complexities of their behaviour in nature.</p>
<p>We need to learn to share the Earth. And for that <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pan3.10205">we need to change both our language</a> and behaviour. Combat metaphors must be replaced with <a href="https://www.oursafetynet.org/2021/03/26/how-language-affects-our-relationship-with-nature/">language about sharing</a> and opening space for the animal. </p>
<p>This story reminds me of the childhood trauma of an entire generation who watched the beautiful film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064893/">Ring of Bright Water</a> (1969), where an otter is the star. This film is an interesting portrayal of the individuality of animals and how that conflicts with the way we reduce them to pests or nuisances. </p>
<p>Films and stories often use a distinctive animal or human character to remind us that each of Earth’s occupants are individuals. Categorising animals as a species or other mass groupings is what makes us feel as though we can <a href="https://student-journals.ucl.ac.uk/pia/article/id/517/">destroy them as “vermin” or “pests”</a>. </p>
<p>Are humans not pests to many animals just trying to thrive? The Evening Standard article ends with this quote from a marine expert: “They’re actually pretty aggressive animals. They’re not as cute and cuddly as people tend to think.” </p>
<p>He could easily have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/21/human-race-just-001-of-all-life-but-has-destroyed-over-80-of-wild-mammals-study">talking about humans</a>.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Patricia MacCormack does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In California, surfers say an otter is hassling them and stealing their surfboards. But does she really deserve recapture and life in captivity?Patricia MacCormack, Professor of Continental Philosophy, Anglia Ruskin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2030942023-05-22T17:13:35Z2023-05-22T17:13:35ZWhy surfing can be beneficial for people with brain injuries<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525093/original/file-20230509-17-idwc3m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6596%2C3298&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Surfing has a range of health benefits. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/unrecognizable-surfer-waling-into-ocean-focul-2274501199">BART SADOWSKI PL/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nothing quite beats riding a wave for the first time. And our research suggests you don’t have to be a pro to benefit from the power of the sea. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0266388">We have found</a> that surfing can help people with brain injuries live more engaged and meaningful lives. </p>
<p>In addition to physical impairments, acquired brain injury can cause difficulties with processing information, regulating emotions and socialising. Many people with brain injuries can struggle to return to work or engage in exercise and can start to feel isolated. Critically, they don’t always have the confidence or connections required to engage with their local communities. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.642093">We have been working</a> with a team of psychologists across different Welsh health boards to help survivors overcome these barriers and have studied the effects. </p>
<p>During our research, we teamed up with <a href="https://surfabilityukcic.org/">Surfability UK</a>, which is a surf school that aims to make the activity as inclusive as possible to disabled people. It offers adapted wetsuits, longer boards, beach buggies and developed the world’s first tandem seated surfboard to support those with mobility issues, including people with acquired brain injuries. </p>
<p>Accessing such opportunities can still be a challenge if you have a brain injury. So, to overcome this, psychologists join patients for a dip in the sea and provide them with therapeutic support in their wetsuits. </p>
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<img alt="Two people stand on a surfboard and ride a small wave." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520525/original/file-20230412-16-o440sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1597%2C1058&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520525/original/file-20230412-16-o440sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520525/original/file-20230412-16-o440sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520525/original/file-20230412-16-o440sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520525/original/file-20230412-16-o440sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520525/original/file-20230412-16-o440sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520525/original/file-20230412-16-o440sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Swansea University</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>We followed up by interviewing 15 patients who have undertaken surfing sessions as part of the neuro-rehabilitation programme run by the Swansea Bay and Hywel Dda university health boards to learn more about their experiences.</p>
<p>We found that providing brain injury survivors with an opportunity to immerse themselves in the dynamic elements of the tide, wind and sea can have a huge impact on their mental health and wellbeing. It enabled participants to reconnect with the outside world and feel respite from the everyday stressors of modern life. </p>
<p>Connecting people to nature <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494419301185?via%3Dihub">has previously been shown</a> to improve wellbeing and promote an appreciation of the environment. But our patients reported some particular benefits to surfing. </p>
<p>In contrast to gardening, for example, one of the participants who shared their experiences described surf therapy as something which “doesn’t stay still”. It’s something which is constantly evolving – falling off the board is a part of the learning process. This can be uncomfortable and distressing at first, but persevering can often lead to feeling a sense of achievement.</p>
<p>Some of our participants reported that surfing had taught them that all types of emotions – whether positive or negative – are an important part of the human experience. Instead of trying to control them, accepting them can help people find meaning in their lives. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-learning-to-surf-can-be-great-for-your-mental-health-according-to-a-psychologist-196946">Why learning to surf can be great for your mental health, according to a psychologist</a>
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<p>Making room for difficult thoughts enabled some of our brain injury survivors to reconnect with their values and hobbies too. Surfing gave them meaning and a “valid reason for being alive”. It also showed them that “despite being a bit broken in some places,” they were still capable people. This helped them to renegotiate their identity.</p>
<p>Connecting with people in similar situations can also be crucial after brain injury. Many report that they don’t feel understood by family and friends. Yet <a href="https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Sense-of-belonging-and-indicators-of-social-and-Hagerty-Williams/ac5ed15e943e8ef0d09905a07e047b96ccf66611">belonging</a> is a basic psychological need. </p>
<p>Being part of a group enabled our brain injury survivors to learn there were other people with similar experiences. They were able to create a network where they could share resources and experiences to help each other.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The seated tandem surfboard allows people who cannot sit unaided to participate in surfing.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The purpose of therapy is to induce sustained and meaningful change after brain injury. Along with immediate improvements in fitness, balance and coordination, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/15/9605">our follow-up research</a> found patients continued engaging in outdoor physical activity for up to ten months later. </p>
<p>Some stuck with surfing, while others took up paddleboarding or cold-water swimming. Research suggetss taking part in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/day103">purposefully designed water-based activities</a> can generate a similar sense of wellbeing as surfing. </p>
<p>Our research underlines how the power of the sea can offer patients benefits which typical clinical settings do not provide.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203094/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew H Kemp receives funding from Health and Care Research Wales. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Zoe Fisher receives funding from Health Care Research Wales </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katie Gibbs does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Brain injury survivors report the sport can give constant opportunities for learning and a way to reevaulate emotions.Katie Gibbs, Research and Innovation Assistant and PhD Student of Psychology at Swansea University, Swansea UniversityAndrew H Kemp, Professor and Personal Chair, Swansea UniversityZoe Fisher, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Swansea UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1969462023-01-19T23:44:36Z2023-01-19T23:44:36ZWhy learning to surf can be great for your mental health, according to a psychologist<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505287/original/file-20230119-20-v3k4oo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C0%2C4815%2C3188&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ferne Millen/Ocean Minds</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nothing clears the mind like going for a surf. With the escapism and simplicity of riding waves, it’s no secret that surfing feels good. </p>
<p>Now our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1469029222002175#:%7E:text=Surf%20therapy%20is%20an%20acceptable,after%20the%20intervention%20is%20ceased">preliminary study</a> in children and adolescents adds to growing evidence that surfing really is good for your mental health. </p>
<p>But you don’t have to have a mental illness to get the benefits. Here’s how you can use what we’re learning from our research to boost your own mental health.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/big-wednesday-four-decades-between-surfing-and-myth-making-95859">Big Wednesday: four decades between surfing and myth making</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How surfing is good for you</h2>
<p>Evidence showing the <a href="https://www.gjcpp.org/en/article.php?issue=36&article=206">mental health benefits</a> of surfing ranges from <a href="https://www.gjcpp.org/en/article.php?issue=36&article=215">improving self-esteem</a> and <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-78001-003">reducing social isolation</a> to treating depression <a href="https://www.gjcpp.org/en/article.php?issue=36&article=206">and other</a> mental disorders.</p>
<p>Such evidence mainly comes from specific <a href="https://intlsurftherapy.org/">surf therapy programs</a>. These combine supportive surfing instruction with one-to-one or group activities that promote psychosocial wellbeing. </p>
<p>At their core, most of these programs provide participants with the challenge of learning to surf in an <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31216775/">emotionally safe environment</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229921000546">Any benefits</a> to mental health are thought to arise through:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>an increased sense of social connection</p></li>
<li><p>a sense of accomplishment that people can transfer to other activities</p></li>
<li><p>respite from the day-to-day stressors due to the all-encompassing focus required when surfing</p></li>
<li><p>the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14729679.2021.1884104">physiological response</a> when surfing, including the reduction of stress hormones and the release of mood-elevating neurotransmitters</p></li>
<li><p>exercising in a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827321002093">natural environment</a>, in particular “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/heapro/article/35/1/50/5252008">blue spaces</a>” (on or near water).</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505289/original/file-20230119-20-3pzdvg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Beach on Victoria's Surf Coast" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505289/original/file-20230119-20-3pzdvg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505289/original/file-20230119-20-3pzdvg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505289/original/file-20230119-20-3pzdvg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505289/original/file-20230119-20-3pzdvg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505289/original/file-20230119-20-3pzdvg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505289/original/file-20230119-20-3pzdvg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505289/original/file-20230119-20-3pzdvg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Exercising in a natural environment, near water, is part of the appeal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ferne Millen/Ocean Mind</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-going-for-a-swim-in-the-ocean-can-be-good-for-you-and-for-nature-150281">Why going for a swim in the ocean can be good for you, and for nature</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What we did</h2>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1469029222002175#:%7E:text=Surf%20therapy%20is%20an%20acceptable,after%20the%20intervention%20is%20ceased.">pilot study</a> aimed to see whether the <a href="https://www.oceanmind.org.au/">Ocean Mind</a> surf therapy program improved child and adolescent mental health.</p>
<p>We also wanted to see whether participants accepted surfing as a way to address their mental health concerns. </p>
<p>The study involved 36 young people, 8–18 years old, who were seeking help for a mental health concern, such as anxiety, or a neurodevelopmental disorder (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism spectrum disorder). They were referred by their mental health provider, GP or school counsellor.</p>
<p>Participants were allocated at random to the Ocean Mind surf therapy program or were placed on a waitlist for it. Those allocated to surf therapy continued with their usual care, which included case management from a mental health provider. Those on the waitlist (the control group) also continued with their usual care.</p>
<p>The surf therapy program ran for two hours every weekend for six weeks. Young people were partnered one-to-one with a <a href="https://www.oceanmind.org.au/volunteer/">community mentor</a> who received training in mental health literacy and surf instruction. </p>
<p>Each session included supportive surf instruction and group mental health support, all conducted at the beach. Sessions were run by the program coordinator who was also trained in mental health and surf instruction.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Ocean Mind participant holding surfboard with mentor on beach" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505288/original/file-20230119-17-w478x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505288/original/file-20230119-17-w478x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505288/original/file-20230119-17-w478x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505288/original/file-20230119-17-w478x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505288/original/file-20230119-17-w478x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505288/original/file-20230119-17-w478x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505288/original/file-20230119-17-w478x1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young people in the program were partnered with a mentor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ferne Millen/Ocean Mind</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What we found</h2>
<p>By the end of the six-week program, those receiving surf therapy had reductions in depression, anxiety, hyperactivity and inattention symptoms, as well as fewer emotional and peer problems. This was compared with those in the control group, who had increases in these symptoms. </p>
<p>However, any improvements were not sustained six weeks after the program finished. </p>
<p>Those receiving surf therapy also saw it as a suitable, youth-friendly way to manage symptoms of mental ill-health. This was further supported by the high completion rates (87%), particularly when compared with other methods of mental health treatment. For instance, psychotherapy (talk therapy) has been reported to have a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272735813000688?via%3Dihub">28–75% drop-out rate</a> for children and adolescents.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teen-summer-reads-5-novels-to-help-cope-with-adversity-and-alienation-149546">Teen summer reads: 5 novels to help cope with adversity and alienation</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>It’s early days</h2>
<p>These early findings are promising. But given this was a pilot study, more research is needed with larger numbers of participants to confirm these outcomes and see if they generalise to broader populations.</p>
<p>We’d like to identify the best dose of surf therapy in terms of session frequency, duration, and program length.</p>
<p>We also need to understand the factors that maintain these initial positive changes in mental health, so any benefits can be sustained after the program finishes. </p>
<p>The recognition of surfing as a potentially effective and acceptable mental health treatment among young people is also promising. But this finding does not preclude the more conventional clinical treatments, such as talk therapy and medication, which may work better for certain people.</p>
<p>Rather, surf therapy may be seen as an additional form of support alongside these approaches or an alternative for those who do not benefit from more traditional methods.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505291/original/file-20230119-11-yqnz7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Learning to surf on land, in a group" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505291/original/file-20230119-11-yqnz7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505291/original/file-20230119-11-yqnz7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505291/original/file-20230119-11-yqnz7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505291/original/file-20230119-11-yqnz7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505291/original/file-20230119-11-yqnz7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505291/original/file-20230119-11-yqnz7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505291/original/file-20230119-11-yqnz7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Surfers learn on land before heading into the ocean.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ferne Millen/Ocean Mind</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-can-parents-do-about-their-teenagers-mental-health-25066">What can parents do about their teenagers' mental health?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Tempted to try surfing?</h2>
<p>If you think surfing might be for you, remember:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>surfing requires complete focus due to the ever-changing conditions of the ocean, making it a great way to step away from day-to-day life and wipe out the effects of stress</p></li>
<li><p>for some people, surfing may reduce barriers to seeking mental health care</p></li>
<li><p>surfing may not be for everyone, nor can it guarantee to reduce your symptoms. Even the best surfers can suffer from depression and may require external support</p></li>
<li><p>don’t worry if you cannot access the ocean or a surfboard. Other <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827321002093">nature-based activities</a>, such as hiking and gardening, can also benefit your mental health.</p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196946/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lisa Olive receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Government Department of Social Services. She does not work for, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, including Ocean Mind, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond her academic appointment.</span></em></p>You don’t have to have a mental illness to get the benefits. Here’s how you can use what we’re learning from our research to boost your own mental health.Lisa Olive, Senior Research Fellow & Clinical Psychologist, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1934572023-01-02T19:44:56Z2023-01-02T19:44:56ZWhen we swim in the ocean, we enter another animal’s home. Here’s how to keep us all safe<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501731/original/file-20221219-11129-flr0fc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C7%2C5176%2C3453&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every summer, many Australians head to the ocean to swim, surf, sail, kayak, and walk along the beach. </p>
<p>But humans are not alone when we use the ocean. Fish, seals, dolphins, sharks, jellyfish, turtles, stingrays, cuttlefish, and birds often swim alongside us. When we enter the ocean we become part of an entangled web of animal relationships.</p>
<p>Encountering animals when we swim and surf in the ocean is fun and exciting. But sharing the water with animals also <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02614367.2022.2149842">comes with</a> the risk of stings, bites, frights, and injury to us. It can also bring harm to ocean wildlife.</p>
<p>By educating ourselves about marine life, humans can minimise risks to ourselves and the animals who call the ocean home.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/reel/CR5S0o8nMhO/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>We can frighten animals – and they can scare us</h2>
<p>Despite how vulnerable we feel when swimming, our presence in the ocean can frighten or harm an animal. Animals may see us as a predator and alter their behaviour accordingly.</p>
<p>Fish, birds and small stingrays might swim off, and turtles might delay rising to the ocean’s surface to breathe. </p>
<p>Not all animals are frightened of humans. It’s a highlight when curious dolphins swim and play around us. But dolphins can attack humans or other animals if they <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/tme/2020/00000015/f0020003/art00008">feel threatened</a> - for example when feeding or protecting their young.</p>
<p>Humans can also be scared of animals in the water. This fear drives the use of shark nets off beaches or, less commonly, shark culls.</p>
<p>Shark nets are controversial – not least because they can <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-whales-keep-getting-tangled-in-shark-nets-and-what-should-you-do-if-you-see-it-happen-186468">entangle and kill</a> animals including turtles, non-target sharks, stingrays, and whales. </p>
<p>Even more controversial are shark culls, such as those <a href="https://theconversation.com/western-australias-shark-culls-lack-bite-and-science-21371">planned</a> for Western Australia in 2013 after a spate of fatal shark attacks. The plan was later <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/24/wa-abandons-shark-culling-program-but-reserves-right-to-kill-again">abandoned</a>, after it was criticised as cruel and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/04/wa-shark-cull-condemned-by-global-group-of-marine-scientists">lacking</a> scientific basis.</p>
<p>Killing or harming ocean animals so humans can have fun in the water raises all sorts of <a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/asj/vol7/iss1/13/">questions</a> and moral dilemmas. So how else might we keep ourselves safe in the ocean?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/shark-nets-are-destructive-and-dont-keep-you-safe-lets-invest-in-lifeguards-127453">Shark nets are destructive and don't keep you safe – let's invest in lifeguards</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Hammerhead shark caught in net" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501738/original/file-20221219-20-3cltme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501738/original/file-20221219-20-3cltme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501738/original/file-20221219-20-3cltme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501738/original/file-20221219-20-3cltme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501738/original/file-20221219-20-3cltme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501738/original/file-20221219-20-3cltme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501738/original/file-20221219-20-3cltme.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Shark nets can kill non-target species, such as this hammerhead shark trapped off the Gold Coast.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sea Shepherd</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Learn about ocean animals</h2>
<p>Learning about what ocean animals you might encounter – and when – can help keep both people and animals safe.</p>
<p>Some animals are present year-round. But, as whale watchers and fisherman are well aware, many animals are more active in a particular seasons or only appear at certain times of the year. </p>
<p>For example, in cooler months in the waters off northern Australia, <a href="https://australian.museum/learn/animals/fishes/manta-ray-manta-birostris/">manta rays</a> are most active. <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/ielapa.702610524429802">Leopard sharks</a>, meanwhile, appear during warmer months in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales. </p>
<p>And from November until May or June, a variety of <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-31/stinger-season-north-queensland-warning/101597638">marine stingers</a> can be found in the coastal waters of Far North Queensland. These include the potentially lethal box jellyfish. </p>
<p>Informing ourselves means we can take measures to keep safe. For example, people swimming in North Queensland in the warmer months are <a href="https://www.visitcairns.com.au/stingerseasoncairns.htm">advised to</a> swim at netted beaches, and wear wetsuits or stinger suits. Entering the water slowly also gives some marine stingers time to move away.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-avoid-a-bluebottle-sting-heres-how-to-predict-which-beach-theyll-land-on-179947">Want to avoid a bluebottle sting? Here's how to predict which beach they'll land on</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="sign depicting person caught by stinger" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501736/original/file-20221219-11243-gy294k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501736/original/file-20221219-11243-gy294k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501736/original/file-20221219-11243-gy294k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501736/original/file-20221219-11243-gy294k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501736/original/file-20221219-11243-gy294k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501736/original/file-20221219-11243-gy294k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501736/original/file-20221219-11243-gy294k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Ocean-goers in North Queensland should know when marine stingers are about.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>When it comes to sharks, there are <a href="https://theconversation.com/shark-nets-are-destructive-and-dont-keep-you-safe-lets-invest-in-lifeguards-127453">growing calls</a> to adopt non-violent approaches to minimise risks to humans. This could include public education on, for example, links between fish seasons and shark activity. </p>
<p>Educating ourselves about ocean animals also helps us protect them.</p>
<p><a href="https://birdlife.org.au/projects/beach-nesting-birds">Shorebirds</a>, for instance, nest in spring and summer. This is prime beach time for people, too. Shorebird nests are shallow and vulnerable, and birds will often abandon their eggs when humans are around. Dogs and 4WDs pose an even <a href="https://theconversation.com/contested-spaces-saving-nature-when-our-beaches-have-gone-to-the-dogs-72078">bigger threat</a>.</p>
<p>If we know we’re sharing a beach with nesting shorebirds, we can take steps to ensure their safety, such as keeping our dogs on a leash and avoiding using dunes and other common nesting areas.</p>
<p>The annual migration of whales and their calves up and down our coasts is an exciting time to visit the beach and, if you’re lucky, to view a splashy show of breaching or water slapping. </p>
<p>But if you plan to go sailing or kayaking, be aware of rules around interacting with whales. They law states they can approach us, but we <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/marine/publications/australian-national-guidelines-whale-and-dolphin-watching-2017">must not</a> get too close to them.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/this-birds-stamina-is-remarkable-it-flies-non-stop-for-5-days-from-japan-to-australia-but-now-its-habitat-is-under-threat-165964">This bird's stamina is remarkable: it flies non-stop for 5 days from Japan to Australia, but now its habitat is under threat</a>
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<p>If you’re not an experienced ocean user, or don’t know about the animals living in a particular place, talk to someone who is informed. </p>
<p>If you use beaches patrolled by surf lifesavers they can give you information about animals that might be present that day, such as sharks or jellyfish. They can also tell you about ocean conditions such as rips, currents and water quality.</p>
<p>If you do suffer a painful bluebottle or jellyfish sting, surf lifesavers may also provide basic <a href="https://beachsafe.org.au/surf-safety/marine-stingers">treatments</a> such as dousing the sting with hot water or vinegar.</p>
<p>If you’re planning to swim or surf at unpatrolled beaches – especially if they’re remote – pack a basic first aid kit including sunscreen, vinegar and instant ice packs.</p>
<p>And remember, enjoying time in the ocean with other poeple is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0193723520928594">safer than</a> swimming alone.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="boy with boogie board and other swimmers" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501764/original/file-20221219-13-4o0pxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501764/original/file-20221219-13-4o0pxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501764/original/file-20221219-13-4o0pxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501764/original/file-20221219-13-4o0pxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501764/original/file-20221219-13-4o0pxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501764/original/file-20221219-13-4o0pxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501764/original/file-20221219-13-4o0pxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">It’s safer to swim with others than alone.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jason O'Brien/AAP</span></span>
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<h2>Ensuring everyone enjoys the encounter</h2>
<p>Despite the risks, most human encounters with animals in the ocean are <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-going-for-a-swim-in-the-ocean-can-be-good-for-you-and-for-nature-150281">exciting</a> and positive. </p>
<p>Learning about the kinds of animals you might come across, as well as the best ways to interact with them, will help keep you safe – and make sure its a good experience for the animals too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193457/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Olive receives funding from The Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>Swimming and surfing in the ocean is fun and invigorating. But sharing the water with animals comes with risks to us and them.Rebecca Olive, Vice Chancellor's Senior Research Fellow, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1933952022-10-31T19:01:45Z2022-10-31T19:01:45ZSurfers share their waves with sharks, but fear not<p>Surfers have a complex relationship with sharks. Many surfers, either knowingly or not, share their waves with sharks of various shapes and sizes. On rare occasions these interactions can result in bites or close calls.</p>
<p>A highly publicised close call involved Australian surfer Mick Fanning and a white shark during the 2015 World Surf League final at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa. A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4wGSi9FXak">video</a> of this interaction has over 19 million views on YouTube alone. Others tune into Hollywood films such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Surfer_(film)">Soul Surfer</a>, which tells the story of surfer Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm to a tiger shark in Hawaii. </p>
<p>Shark bites on humans are rare. Worldwide, there were 112 confirmed bites in 2021 on the <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/yearly-worldwide-summary/">International Shark Attack File</a>, with nine unprovoked bites resulting in fatalities. When shark bites occur, often surfers are involved because they are frequently in the ocean. Despite this, many surfers appear to accept these interactions as simply a part of surfing. </p>
<p>Surfers even refer to certain sharks as “locals” at particular breaks. In many places, surfers use the term “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/07/03/3537702.htm">men in grey suits</a>” when sharks are present. Authors of a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/11/3114">2019 study</a> in California explain this euphemism is used to alert surfers that sharks are present without causing anxiety or stress. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X22003074">new study</a> published in Marine Policy surveyed 391 surfers across 24 different countries (predominantly the United States). The study found 60% of surfers are not afraid of sharks despite 52% having seen sharks while surfing. And 17% said either they or someone they knew had been bitten by a shark. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-shoring-up-drones-with-artificial-intelligence-helps-surf-lifesavers-spot-sharks-at-the-beach-192498">How shoring up drones with artificial intelligence helps surf lifesavers spot sharks at the beach</a>
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<h2>Why aren’t surfers afraid?</h2>
<p>This study of the complex but little-researched relationship between surfers and sharks offers interesting insight into the perception of risk. </p>
<p>In general, most people have no direct experience with sharks, yet overestimate the chance of encountering one and have a strong fear of them. Many surfers have had direct encounters with sharks but perceive the risk to be low and aren’t afraid of them. In fact, 44% of surfers said they would still go into the water if a shark was sighted.</p>
<p>The psychology of cognitive heuristics – or shortcuts in thinking – can help us explain why surfers aren’t afraid of sharks. </p>
<p>The behavioural psychology principle of operant conditioning explains how consequences influence behaviours. For surfers who have encountered a shark but have not been bitten or had a close call, this behaviour of surfing with sharks (and not being afraid) is being reinforced. </p>
<p>Perhaps this lower level of fear is influenced by a consistent personality trait. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08927936.2021.1986260?scroll=top&needAccess=true">Research</a> has found people high in sensation-seeking, which is the tendency for people to pursue thrill-seeking experiences, view the risks of sharks as lower. It is plausible that many surfers are high on sensation-seeking, which may help explain why they perceive the risk of sharks to be low. </p>
<p>Post-rationalisation, or choice-support bias, is the tendency for people to ascribe positive attributes to a decision they have made, essentially to justify the decision. Surfers may downplay their fear of sharks to rationalise their decision to continue to surf, as their desire to surf is greater than their perceived risk of a shark bite.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/shark-bites-are-rare-here-are-8-things-to-avoid-to-make-them-even-rarer-173746">Shark bites are rare. Here are 8 things to avoid to make them even rarer</a>
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<h2>How does this affect shark conservation?</h2>
<p>Globally, it’s estimated humans <a href="https://www.sharkconservation.org.au/">kill 100 million sharks</a> each year. A quarter of all shark species are now threatened with extinction, so actions to protect them are important. </p>
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<p>Given the general public’s fear of sharks is a barrier to shark conservation, understanding surfers’ shark fears (or lack thereof) gives us an important insight into fear and perception of risk. This will further our understanding of these complicated psychological factors.</p>
<p>In the discussion of shark conservation, the many relevant groups include politicians, fishers, the media and scientists. But frequent ocean users such as surfers are often overlooked, despite being more likely to interact with sharks than others. </p>
<p>Giving this cohort a weighted voice in the discussion of shark management and reducing the risks of shark bite will ensure a better, more logical balance between safety and conservation.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sydney-shark-attack-triggers-calls-for-a-cull-but-lets-take-a-deep-breath-and-look-at-the-evidence-177357">Sydney shark attack triggers calls for a cull – but let's take a deep breath and look at the evidence</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193395/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brianna Le Busque does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many surfers have seen sharks while surfing in the ocean. Yet, unlike the general public, 60% are not afraid of sharks. It’s a finding that offers an insight into attitudes to shark conservation.Brianna Le Busque, Lecturer in Psychology, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1881462022-08-17T20:06:03Z2022-08-17T20:06:03ZBosch & Rockit is a sincere and sweet coming of age film, with a kind of simple magic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479246/original/file-20220816-10485-bnp5h7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C0%2C6689%2C4466&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Madman Entertainment</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Review: Bosch & Rockit, written and directed by Tyler Atkins.</em> </p>
<p>Sometimes a film comes along that simply feels right. From the opening shot, it envelops us in its world with a commitment that allows us to forgive any shortcomings. </p>
<p>Bosch & Rockit is such a film. Written and directed by actor Tyler Atkins – his first time helming a feature film – it’s a coming of age story following teen surfie Rockit (played by pro surfer Rasmus King) and the ups and downs of his relationship with his father, heart-of-gold pot farmer Bosch (Luke Hemsworth). </p>
<p>When a fire encroaches on Bosch’s crop, he’s forced to flee the law, including the corrupt cops with whom he’s in business. </p>
<p>With his son in tow, Bosch goes to a postcard perfect Byron Bay, where he has a fling with Deb (Isabel Lucas), daughter of the owner of the Sails Motel where they’re staying. </p>
<p>Meanwhile Rockit, left largely to his own devices, surfs a lot, eats fish and chips, and begins a friendship of his own with waif Ash (Savannah La Rain), also from a broken home. </p>
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<p>As the police close in, Rockit is palmed off on his mother, Liz (Aussie screen stalwart Leeanna Walsman), but she struggles to provide the care Rockit needs – she’s an alcoholic – and she ends up dumping him back with his dad. </p>
<p>Angry with his parents, Rockit takes a job on a prawn trawler, Ash returns to his life, and their relationship blossoms. </p>
<h2>A kind of simple magic</h2>
<p>If it sounds cheesy, it’s because it is. The film is sentimental, formulaic, and unevenly paced – the first two-thirds as they dodge the police feels pleasurably compressed, occurring over a few weeks. The last third seems to merely drift along on the current with several years unfolding.</p>
<p>But it’s also incredibly sweet, with charming characters and stellar performances from the two key actors. The lesser-known Hemsworth is rock solid as the macho but sensitive dad, giving a full-bodied performance that convinces us of the tenderness within the egotistical facade. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479251/original/file-20220816-17669-bvhz1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A dad and son on a bike." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479251/original/file-20220816-17669-bvhz1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479251/original/file-20220816-17669-bvhz1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479251/original/file-20220816-17669-bvhz1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479251/original/file-20220816-17669-bvhz1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479251/original/file-20220816-17669-bvhz1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479251/original/file-20220816-17669-bvhz1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479251/original/file-20220816-17669-bvhz1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Luke Hemsworth is rock solid as the macho but sensitive dad, and Rasmus King is exceptional.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Madman Entertainment</span></span>
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<p>Teenager King is exceptional as the naïve and goofy Rockit. Unsurprisingly, his surfing is superb, and they obviously didn’t need to use a double for him. </p>
<p>One of the highlights of the film is the awesome surf photography, and at times it feels like a surfing video with a plot tacked onto it. The stunning underwater images in the opening sequence alone would make the film worth watching. </p>
<p>Maybe it’s all a bit too perfect, a bit too clean. We’re talking about drug dealers, corrupt cops and neglectful parents, and yet the whole thing is characterised by a kind of dreamy and ethereal quality, replete with amazing drone footage of surfing, slow-motion images of waves breaking, whales, dolphins, and time-lapse galore staging the coastal terrain in all its glory against the elements. Perhaps it’s all a little too Instagrammatic. </p>
<p>And yet, because the film is filtered through the subjectivity of young Rockit, we buy it. As he looks at the ocean with his father and sees a kind of simple magic in it, so does the film look at these characters and scenarios with a simple sensibility.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-why-theres-still-something-about-byron-beyond-insta-influencers-and-beige-linen-159055">Friday essay: why there's still something about Byron, beyond Insta influencers and beige linen</a>
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<h2>Sincere and earnest</h2>
<p>Rife with nostalgia, the film embraces an Australian (east) coast aesthetic from an earlier time unspecified, though we assume it’s the late 1990s or early 2000s – there’s dial-up Internet and don’t seem to be mobile phones. Beach bums can still afford to live near the beach in this world; Byron Bay looks far different from the auctioneer’s paradise it is today. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479248/original/file-20220816-17834-1oxq7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A boy and girl under a sunset." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479248/original/file-20220816-17834-1oxq7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/479248/original/file-20220816-17834-1oxq7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479248/original/file-20220816-17834-1oxq7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479248/original/file-20220816-17834-1oxq7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479248/original/file-20220816-17834-1oxq7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479248/original/file-20220816-17834-1oxq7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/479248/original/file-20220816-17834-1oxq7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">This is Byron Bay in all its instagramable beauty.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Madman Entertainment</span></span>
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<p>Like the most effective coming of age and nostalgia films, Bosch & Rockit taps into the interiority of its protagonist as he looks out at the world, capturing that faintly melancholic moment when a teenager becomes thrilled with big bad life but also realises they’re in it for the most part alone. </p>
<p>Bosch & Rockit is a sincere and earnest coming of age film with an understated quality that makes it better than many of its ilk. Its dreamy images unfold in the context of a genuinely touching relationship between father and son. </p>
<p>If you like gritty films, or clever films, then you probably won’t like this. There’s nothing knowing about Bosch & Rockit. The plot is rudimentary, but the tone is totally compelling, the characters are likeable, and the surf photography first rate. </p>
<p>It’s a film that hits the right notes, even if these aren’t exactly unexpected. </p>
<p><em>Bosch & Rockit is in cinemas from today.</em></p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/surf-music-in-praise-of-strings-sand-and-the-endless-swell-128914">Surf music – in praise of strings, sand and the endless swell</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188146/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ari Mattes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The plot is rudimentary, but the tone is totally compelling, the characters are likable, and the surf photography first rate.Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1768822022-02-11T03:02:42Z2022-02-11T03:02:42ZOld gold: how action sports athletes are challenging age stereotypes and redefining lifelong physical activity<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445818/original/file-20220210-45987-3ubefp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=21%2C0%2C7076%2C4724&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Veteran snowboarder Shaun White in action at the Beijing Winter Olympics.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">GettyImages</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The stereotype of action sports as the domain of the young and the cool is long out of date. The demographics of these sports – surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, climbing, mountain biking – have been expanding to include more <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/978-1-137-45797-4">girls and women</a>, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1103308820945100?casa_token=s-i3HD10rOEAAAAA%3AQg9W8k-zByGkD20n_YhVv4isa8vnB_RfuLkqAbg4WxyPDUPua1sn4s7k9u8Ti4Z6WWBomI0DI0rcfQk">queer and non-binary people</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0038038518776886?casa_token=H4YxM51ZT6wAAAAA%3AUc3bPLzXrRkonCbgMZjSJBzqboE8QcQNcyhOqoy50s0IRjz22jsCe3c3KQZbJoJb1gmZqWwjbHIspvw">older participants</a>. </p>
<p>These demographic and cultural shifts have been highlighted recently by the remarkable achievements and career highlights of some of these sports’ greatest exponents. </p>
<p>In the past week, we’ve seen legendary American surfer Kelly Slater <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/slater-wins-pipeline-30-years-after-his-first-triumph-2022-02-06/">win the prestigious Pipeline</a> contest in Hawaii, just a few days shy of his 50th birthday, beating 24-year-old Hawaiian local Seth Moniz. </p>
<p>This was Slater’s 56th career victory, on top of 11 world titles won over three decades of elite-level surfing. Having claimed his first world title at 20, he routinely competes against athletes three decades his junior.</p>
<p>A few days later, US snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis – at her fourth Winter Olympics – won the snowboard cross gold medal at the age of 36. Jacobellis was publicly criticised at the 2006 Winter Olympics for falling and losing the lead after a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1612197X.2009.9671915">celebratory manoeuvre</a> on the penultimate jump in a speed event – infamously known as the “<a href="https://www.adn.com/sports/national-sports/2022/02/09/snowboarder-lindsey-jacobellis-earns-first-us-gold-medal-in-2022-winter-games/">Lindsey Leap</a>”.</p>
<p>Gold continued to elude her at subsequent Olympics, but Jacobellis overcame a series of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/14/sports/olympics/lindsey-jacobellis-olympics-snowboard.html">psychological challenges</a> to make the comeback of her career in Beijing.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-snowboarding-became-a-marquee-event-at-the-winter-olympics-but-lost-some-of-its-cool-factor-in-the-process-175053">How snowboarding became a marquee event at the Winter Olympics – but lost some of its cool factor in the process</a>
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<p>Meanwhile, the world’s most famous snowboarder, Shaun White, competed in the Beijing halfpipe finals at the age of 35 at his fifth Olympics. He won his first Olympic gold aged 19 in Torino in 2006, and again in Vancouver in 2010 and PyeongChang in 2018. More than 15 years after his first Olympic appearance, White finished just outside the medals but wowed audiences with his huge airs and timeless style.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445825/original/file-20220210-25-4jm5yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445825/original/file-20220210-25-4jm5yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445825/original/file-20220210-25-4jm5yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445825/original/file-20220210-25-4jm5yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445825/original/file-20220210-25-4jm5yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445825/original/file-20220210-25-4jm5yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445825/original/file-20220210-25-4jm5yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445825/original/file-20220210-25-4jm5yr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Kelly Slater on his way to winning the Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii, February 5.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">GettyImages</span></span>
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<h2>The greying of action sports</h2>
<p>Longevity in elite sporting careers can be attributed to advances in training techniques, nutrition and sport science. But the unique cultures and communities of action sports are also important factors.</p>
<p>The action sports industry began noting a trend towards “greying” participants over a decade ago. Those who took up action sports as teenagers in the 1970s and 1980s are still active today. Many have taught their children and grandchildren, sharing these sporting cultures with their families. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/alt-goes-mainstream-how-surfing-skateboarding-bmx-and-sport-climbing-became-olympic-events-164158">Alt goes mainstream: how surfing, skateboarding, BMX and sport climbing became Olympic events</a>
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<p>Researchers have referred to these activities as “<a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Cultural-Politics-of-Lifestyle-Sports/Wheaton/p/book/9780415478588">lifestyle sports</a>” because of their central organising role in people’s lives; their jobs, holidays and consumption revolve around their passion for these sports. The rise of the “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1012690217722522?casa_token=2XKz-x4WnHcAAAAA%3AjiyiZYOUi-2G7xLlGfwidRGm6P8FssKpMi2-FZZQbuPgIqqUmt67PflSfnZ-3v5WXtqNl1D9dSvuLtc">silver surfer</a>”, <a href="https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/103038">middle-aged snowboarder</a> and <a href="https://books.google.co.nz/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Li5AEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT89&dq=skateboarders+older&ots=VhrBxrk9p6&sig=Vaa-7z0Yk5Vd515PfOSwgwk6UHs&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=skateboarders%20older&f=false">older skateboarder</a> is well documented.</p>
<p>With older participants identified as a new niche market, new product lines were developed to target their needs. Many action sport brands proudly include “legends” and “veterans” in their professional teams. </p>
<p>Cultural commitment is highly valued, demonstrating a lifetime of dedication to the sport. Many older action sport participants also give back to the community in a range of ways, from organising events and fundraising to creating <a href="https://www.skateistan.org/a-new-chapter">nonprofits</a> to expand opportunities for others.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445820/original/file-20220210-1970-acu7q9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445820/original/file-20220210-1970-acu7q9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445820/original/file-20220210-1970-acu7q9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445820/original/file-20220210-1970-acu7q9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445820/original/file-20220210-1970-acu7q9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445820/original/file-20220210-1970-acu7q9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445820/original/file-20220210-1970-acu7q9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445820/original/file-20220210-1970-acu7q9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Lindsey Jacobellis celebrates winning gold in the the women’s snowboard cross at the Beijing Winter Olympics.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">GettyImages</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Replacing retirement blues with lifelong passion</h2>
<p>In many traditional organised sports, elite athletes are dropped from teams when they’re injured or simply considered too old. Research has consistently shown the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10413200801998564?casa_token=i-VOZvHkdC8AAAAA%3A5tXEb3gV5wWER3E7BfOEMTaFu94rsIJUFnQWwucwLOVeGndHemTwacmhfhbt2UDveDsiW2_X6a-GGc8">psychological challenges</a> experienced by athletes retiring from competitive sports. </p>
<p>They can experience “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10811449708414411?casa_token=7RuGCFvfLOQAAAAA:T7T-VAZjhjiz0_GBWw2dMgLKVzblq0gbYY4BGhNQtZshSMgqsGGwNpWe0amms_HScvU1H1P7krCqQ38">identity loss</a>”, as well as physical changes, which can lead to depression, anxiety and even <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/i-did-not-have-an-identity-olympic-hopeful-brittany-georges-heartbreaking-words-before-tragic-death/news-story/4dac9a677bc1342137c3ebae4ebefd5e">suicide</a>.</p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-high-speed-physics-of-how-bobsled-luge-and-skeleton-send-humans-hurtling-faster-than-a-car-on-the-highway-175985">The high-speed physics of how bobsled, luge and skeleton send humans hurtling faster than a car on the highway</a>
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<p>By contrast, action sports athletes rarely retire in the conventional sense. Even if they stop competing at the elite level, they typically remain committed to the sport they love because of the pleasure and enjoyment it brings. </p>
<p>Furthermore, the sense of community and identity these sports offer remains important throughout the lives of many passionate participants.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445824/original/file-20220210-40669-rj4j22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445824/original/file-20220210-40669-rj4j22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445824/original/file-20220210-40669-rj4j22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445824/original/file-20220210-40669-rj4j22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445824/original/file-20220210-40669-rj4j22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445824/original/file-20220210-40669-rj4j22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445824/original/file-20220210-40669-rj4j22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445824/original/file-20220210-40669-rj4j22.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Competition and community: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (NZ) celebrates winning the snowboard slopestyle final with silver and bronze winners Julia Marino (USA) and Tess Coady (Australia).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">GettyImages</span></span>
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<h2>Community, progression and fun</h2>
<p>This obvious camaraderie has intrigued Olympic audiences. Witness the women in the park skateboarding event at the Tokyo Olympics singing, dancing and hugging one another throughout the competition. Or fellow competitors mobbing and hugging Zoi Sadowski-Synnott after she won gold in the women’s slopestyle final last week.</p>
<p>These displays of collegiality and shared joy stand in start contrast to most Olympic sports, which pit nation against nation. Within action sport subcultures, however, the behaviour is accepted as normal. To see a peer persevering and progressing is worthy of celebration.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/your-guide-to-the-best-figure-skating-at-the-beijing-winter-olympics-through-the-eyes-of-a-dancer-176229">Your guide to the best figure skating at the Beijing Winter Olympics – through the eyes of a dancer</a>
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<p>The <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9780230390744">transnational community</a> in action sports distinguishes them from many traditional organised sports, which tend to be nationally based and focused on defeating the opponent, another country. </p>
<p>While action sports have become <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17430437.2018.1440715">increasingly professionalised</a> and the athletes are serious about their careers, they are also part of a community that values progression, self-expression and friendship. Individual and national competitive values are relatively new, driven by such things as <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Action-Sports-and-the-Olympic-Games-Past-Present-Future/Wheaton-Thorpe/p/book/9781138492851">inclusion in the Olympics</a>.</p>
<p>These underpinning values of community, friendship and fun help explain why athletes like Slater, Jacobellis and White continue to train and compete. They’re still there decades later because they love it.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445823/original/file-20220210-63440-fmuglv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445823/original/file-20220210-63440-fmuglv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/445823/original/file-20220210-63440-fmuglv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445823/original/file-20220210-63440-fmuglv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445823/original/file-20220210-63440-fmuglv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445823/original/file-20220210-63440-fmuglv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445823/original/file-20220210-63440-fmuglv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/445823/original/file-20220210-63440-fmuglv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Still nifty at 50: Tony Hawk showing the style that’s made him the world’s most famous skateboarder.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">GettyImages</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Lessons to be learned</h2>
<p>Outside structured competition, middle-aged action sport athletes continue to defy expectations. </p>
<p>In 2018, professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, perhaps the most recognised skateboarder of all time, celebrated his 50th birthday by releasing his “50 tricks at age 50” video. At 57, Steve Caballero continues a professional skateboard career, having overcome a recent broken femur (sustained in a motocross accident in 2019). </p>
<p>As pioneers of the sport, they continue to influence and reshape expectations of what is possible and inspire others to continue, regardless of age.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2021.608593/full">sport</a>, <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/272722/9789241514187-eng.pdf">health</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0261436042000231637?src=recsys">educational</a> organisations around the world seek new strategies and policies to encourage lifelong physical activity, much can be learned from these inter-generational action sports communities, where fun and friendship continue to inspire participants throughout their lives.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/176882/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As the Winter Olympics are showing, the unique cultures of action sports seem to support long careers among the top athletes – something other sports and society in general could learn from.Holly Thorpe, Professor in Sociology of Sport and Physical Culture, University of WaikatoBelinda Wheaton, Professor, School of Sport, Health and Human Performance, University of WaikatoNick Maitland, Lecturer | Pūkenga in Sports Management and Marketing, University of CanterburyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1735022022-01-09T17:33:54Z2022-01-09T17:33:54ZWhat is the value of a wave? How changes to our coastline could wipe out surfing’s benefits<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437922/original/file-20211215-17-2m26pi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C34%2C7753%2C5141&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Before COVID-19, global <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666957921000021">surf tourism spending</a> was estimated at up to A$91 billion per year. And since the start of the pandemic, demand for surfing <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-58552057">has boomed</a> as people increasingly <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-01/surf-industry-buoyed-by-covid19-pandemic-stimulus/12484658">turn to outdoor</a> activities. </p>
<p>But surfing’s benefits to human well-being aren’t often studied in economics terms. This is a major knowledge gap we are now trying to fill. </p>
<p>Such research is important. Changes to the coastline – such as from sea walls and groynes – can dramatically reduce the quality of surfing waves. But the consequences of coastal developments <a href="https://www.savethewaves.org/surf-conservation/">on surfing</a> are often <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/27698334?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">poorly understood</a> and rarely quantified before projects start.</p>
<p>It’s crucial we understand the real value of surfing, before we lose the myriad of benefits they bring – not only to Australia’s <a href="https://issuu.com/surflifesavingaustralia/docs/ncsr_2021">1.2 million active surfers</a>, but to hundreds of coastal towns where surfing underpins the local economy and lifestyle.</p>
<h2>Surfing economics</h2>
<p>There are many <a href="http://www.valueofwaves.org/uploads/1/1/4/2/11420190/100054_raybould_econsocvalbeachesgc_web.pdf">studies</a> on the economic value of Australian beach pastimes such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261517713001611#:%7E:text=%E2%80%A2-,Recreational%20fishing%20in%20Moreton%20Bay,at%20AUD%2420m%2Fyear.&text=Higher%20catch%20rates%20following%20Marine%20Park%20rezoning%20were%20observed.&text=Rezoning%20increased%20recreational%20benefits%20by%205%E2%80%9312%25.">fishing</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0313592616301308">swimming</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11160-017-9486-x">diving</a>. But not for surfing.</p>
<p>Internationally, we know surfing is a major direct contributor to <a href="https://www.savethewaves.org/surfonomics/">the economy of wave-rich places</a>. However, until recently, the value of surfing to human well-being has been largely unaccounted for. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437973/original/file-20211216-27-1h05hdw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437973/original/file-20211216-27-1h05hdw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437973/original/file-20211216-27-1h05hdw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437973/original/file-20211216-27-1h05hdw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437973/original/file-20211216-27-1h05hdw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437973/original/file-20211216-27-1h05hdw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437973/original/file-20211216-27-1h05hdw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437973/original/file-20211216-27-1h05hdw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Surfing is a major direct contributor to many local economies all over the world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is despite recent evidence pointing to surfing’s positive <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0193723520950549?journalCode=jssa">social</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30561661/">health</a> outcomes, including among <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25189537/#:%7E:text=Based%20on%20our%20rigorous%20analysis,veterans%20told%20of%20their%20experiences.">war veterans</a> and children with <a href="https://cahs.health.wa.gov.au/News/2021/06/10/Surfing-lessons-show-promise-as-therapy-for-children-with-chronic-conditions">chronic illnesses</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.surfingeconomics.org/">Surfing Economics</a> is an emerging field of research that documents and quantifies the total economic value of surfing. This can include, for example, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.5367/te.2013.0367">increased house prices</a> near good quality breaks, or social welfare <a href="https://novaresearch.unl.pt/en/publications/the-social-and-economic-value-of-waves-an-analysis-of-costa-de-ca">benefits</a> people derive from visiting surf beaches.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/girls-cant-surf-shows-how-determined-women-battled-sexism-in-their-sport-151919">Girls Can't Surf shows how determined women battled sexism in their sport</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Building on the few previous <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/tme/2008/00000005/f0020002/art00007;jsessionid=677po8d8s1ofp.x-ic-live-02">surfing economics</a> studies in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092180091830435X">Australia</a>, our research aims to calculate the total economic value of surfing. </p>
<p>Our forthcoming study on the Noosa World Surf reserve, so far, demonstrates that the local economic contribution of surfing is in the order of hundreds of millions of dollars. This in terms of surfers’ welfare, as well as direct spending on surf gear and travel. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437960/original/file-20211216-23-12lgqs0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437960/original/file-20211216-23-12lgqs0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437960/original/file-20211216-23-12lgqs0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437960/original/file-20211216-23-12lgqs0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437960/original/file-20211216-23-12lgqs0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437960/original/file-20211216-23-12lgqs0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437960/original/file-20211216-23-12lgqs0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437960/original/file-20211216-23-12lgqs0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Waves forming around rocks in Noosa.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Overseas, the economic contribution is a little clearer. A <a href="https://crawford.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/publication/cama_crawford_anu_edu_au/2017-04/31_2017_mcgregor_wills.pdf">2017 study</a> used satellite imagery to demonstrate that economic activity grows faster near good-quality surf breaks, particularly in developing countries such as Indonesia and Brazil.</p>
<p>In the UK alone, the <a href="https://www.sas.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/SAS-Economic-Impact-of-domestic-surfing-on-the-UK-med-2.pdf">overall annual impact</a> of surfing on the national economy is calculated at up to £5 billion (over A$9 billion). </p>
<h2>How coastal projects make or break waves</h2>
<p>Swell waves are <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/wavesinocean.html">typically formed</a> by winds blowing many kilometres offshore. It’s perhaps easy to think that this natural, <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/marine/knowledge-centre/reference/waves.shtml">distant origin</a> means there’s nothing we can do about the formation of waves. </p>
<p>But the truth is surfing waves are the product of complex interactions between waves, tides, currents, wind and the <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/surfing">shape of the seabed</a>. Shallow coral reefs, headlands and sand banks are responsible for making highly sought-after waves. </p>
<p>By directly or indirectly impacting any of these factors, wave quality has been changed for <a href="https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2021/12/09/the-happenstance-man-made-waves?fbclid=IwAR2LkjDDjIy-HZtQ2QTT4Eqjxysys6o1dr_HBeHGCSMG5FWd9iYH8TsyZEE">better</a> – or for <a href="https://thesourcenews.com/2013/02/21/fight-ongoing-to-restore-kirras-waves/">worse</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437926/original/file-20211215-17-3br5v7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437926/original/file-20211215-17-3br5v7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437926/original/file-20211215-17-3br5v7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437926/original/file-20211215-17-3br5v7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437926/original/file-20211215-17-3br5v7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437926/original/file-20211215-17-3br5v7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437926/original/file-20211215-17-3br5v7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437926/original/file-20211215-17-3br5v7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mundaka in Spain had world-renowned waves, until dredging in a nearby river affected the swells.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The world-renowned Mundaka wave, in northern Spain, temporally disappeared because dredging of the nearby rivermouth <a href="https://www.savethewaves.org/wp-content/uploads/Mundaka_Final_lock.pdf">changed ocean dynamics</a>. This resulted in a <a href="https://crawford.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/publication/cama_crawford_anu_edu_au/2017-04/31_2017_mcgregor_wills.pdf">decline in economic activity</a> and the cancellation of the Billabong Pro World Championship in 2005 and 2006. </p>
<p>In the Portuguese island of Madeira, the construction of a rock-wall severely <a href="https://crawford.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/publication/cama_crawford_anu_edu_au/2017-04/31_2017_mcgregor_wills.pdf">disrupted</a> the formation of the Jardim do Mar wave in 2005, and a fall in local economic growth rates followed. In Peru, the extension of a fishing pier negatively impacted <a href="www.thereefjournal.com/files/Reef_Journal_2012_final_101212.pdf">Cabo Blanco</a>, one of Peru’s best barrelling waves, by shortening its length. </p>
<p>Closer to home, the <a href="https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/publications/tabledpapers.nsf/displaypaper/4012911ca418dc6a0c4f4c3948258451000ab69d/%24file/tp-2911.pdf">Ocean Reef Marina</a>, currently under construction in Perth’s north, will significantly impact three local surf breaks. About 1.5 kilometres of mostly unmodified beaches are being redeveloped into a brand new marina.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-surfing-is-an-antidote-to-the-relentless-march-of-capitalism-165147">Why surfing is an antidote to the relentless march of capitalism</a>
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</em>
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<p>Studies have shown that well planned coastal management interventions can dramatically increase benefits to surfers and non-surfers alike.</p>
<p>One of the most iconic examples is the “Superbank” at Snapper Rocks in the Gold Coast. There, a world class wave forms thanks to river <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721036639">sediment being relocated</a> through the <a href="https://www.tweedsandbypass.nsw.gov.au/">Tweed Sand Bypassing Project</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437925/original/file-20211215-17-7jmd1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437925/original/file-20211215-17-7jmd1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437925/original/file-20211215-17-7jmd1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437925/original/file-20211215-17-7jmd1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437925/original/file-20211215-17-7jmd1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437925/original/file-20211215-17-7jmd1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437925/original/file-20211215-17-7jmd1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437925/original/file-20211215-17-7jmd1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">World-class waves at Snapper Rock in the Gold Coast.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The project is costly to operate and has impacted nearby beaches. But its expenses are outweighed by improvements to surf quality and beach amenity, which underpin the <a href="http://www.valueofwaves.org/uploads/1/1/4/2/11420190/lazarow_2008_final_report_socioeconomic_study_of_recreational_surfing_on_the_gold_coast_lowres.pdf">local economy</a> and the nature-based, active lifestyle the Gold Coast is famous for.</p>
<h2>Giving waves legal protection</h2>
<p>Building on efforts nearly 40 years ago to <a href="https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/150598">protect</a> Victoria’s iconic Bells Beach wave, <a href="https://www.theinertia.com/environment/peru-passes-landmark-new-wave-protection-law/">Peru</a> and <a href="https://www.trc.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Plans-policies/CoastalPlanReview/ProtectionFactSheet-May2017.pdf">New Zealand</a> have granted statutory protection to their surf breaks under environmental protection laws. </p>
<p>In practice, this means threats to surf breaks by coastal activities, such as <a href="https://www.sas.org.uk/">sewage discharges</a> or building offshore structures, must be avoided or mitigated. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-pristine-beaches-have-a-poo-problem-116175">Australia's pristine beaches have a poo problem</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Similar recognition and valuation of surfing resources is necessary and would be highly beneficial for Australia. </p>
<p>A rigorous, science-based evaluation of surfing’s total economic value could serve to inform cost-benefit analysis of coastal management programs. These may include <a href="https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2021/08/18-point-5-million-dollars-for-program-to-fight-erosion-and-protect-coastline-.aspx">fighting erosion</a> to protect the coastline, or building <a href="https://raisedwaterresearch.com/spot/artificial-reef/australia/queensland/palm-beach-reef/">artificial surf reefs</a>. </p>
<p>In these uncertain times of COVID-19, many of us cannot yet travel far away. But with <a href="https://soe.environment.gov.au/theme/coasts">85% of Australians living by the coast</a>, many of us can still catch a wave at our doorstep – and that is priceless.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/white-sharks-can-easily-mistake-swimmers-or-surfers-for-seals-our-research-aims-to-reduce-the-risk-171440">White sharks can easily mistake swimmers or surfers for seals. Our research aims to reduce the risk</a>
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<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173502/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ana Manero is an adjunct research fellow at the University of Western Australia.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>From 2005-2010, Neil Lazarow was part of a team that received funding from Gold Coast City Council to produce the Gold Coast Shoreline Management Plan and various other small grants, such as for the development of the ‘Economic and social values of beach recreation on the Gold Coast’. He is also Member of the Planning Institute of Australia, and was a founding member of the Australian Coastal Society.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alaya Spencer-Cotton and Javier Leon do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Surfing’s benefits to well-being aren’t often studied in economics terms. This is a major gap in our knowledge we’re now trying to fill.Ana Manero, Research Fellow, Australian National UniversityAlaya Spencer-Cotton, Research assistant, The University of Western AustraliaJavier Leon, Senior lecturer, University of the Sunshine CoastNeil Lazarow, Senior Research Consultant, CSIROLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1714402021-11-09T22:13:19Z2021-11-09T22:13:19ZWhite sharks can easily mistake swimmers or surfers for seals. Our research aims to reduce the risk<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/430964/original/file-20211109-21-fpdq3d.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=9%2C199%2C3010%2C2064&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great_White_Shark_(14730796397).jpg">Elias Levy/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-07/search-continues-for-shark-bite-victim-port-beach/100601006">presumed death of 57-year-old Paul Millachip</a> in an apparently fatal shark bite incident near Perth on November 6 is a traumatising reminder that while shark bites are rare, they can have tragic consequences. </p>
<p>Despite the understandably huge media attention these incidents generate, there has been little scientific insight into how and why they happen.</p>
<p>Sharks in general, and white sharks in particular, have long been described as “<a href="https://www.news-press.com/story/news/2015/05/14/great-whites-mindless-killing-machines/27313547/">mindless killers</a>” and “<a href="https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/new-discovery-makes-man-eating-21484244">man-eaters</a>”.</p>
<p>But our <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2021.0533">recent research</a> confirms that some bites on humans may be the result of mistaken identity, whereby the sharks mistake humans for their natural prey based on visual similarities. </p>
<p>Sharks have an impressive array of senses, but vision is thought to be particularly important for prey detection in white sharks. For example, they can attack seal-shaped decoys at the surface of the water even though these decoys lack other sensory cues such as scent. </p>
<p>The visual world of a white shark varies substantially from that of our own. White sharks are likely colourblind and rely on brightness, essentially experiencing their world in shades of grey. Their eyesight is also much less acute than ours – in fact, it’s probably more akin to the blurry images a human would see underwater without a mask or goggles.</p>
<h2>The mistaken identity theory</h2>
<p>Bites on surfers have often been explained by the fact that, seen from underneath, a paddling surfer looks a lot like a seal. But this presumed similarity has only previously been assessed based on human vision, using underwater photographs to compare their silhouettes. </p>
<p>Recent developments in our understanding of sharks’ vision have now made it possible to examine the mistaken identity theory from the shark’s perspective, using a virtual system that generates “shark’s-eye” images.</p>
<p>In our study, <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2021.0533">published last month</a>, we and our colleagues in Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom compared video footage of seals and of humans swimming and paddling surfboards, to predict what a young white shark sees when looking up from below. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431041/original/file-20211109-15-746s0s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Shark's-eye images of surfer and seal" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431041/original/file-20211109-15-746s0s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431041/original/file-20211109-15-746s0s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=330&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431041/original/file-20211109-15-746s0s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=330&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431041/original/file-20211109-15-746s0s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=330&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431041/original/file-20211109-15-746s0s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431041/original/file-20211109-15-746s0s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431041/original/file-20211109-15-746s0s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=414&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Shark’s-eye view’ of a paddling surfer and seal, suggesting white sharks may struggle to differentiate the two.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We specifically studied juvenile white sharks – between of 2m and 2.5m in length – because <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.00268/full#B6">data</a> from New South Wales <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jmb/2016/9539010/">suggests</a> they are more common in the surf zone and are disproportionately involved in bites on humans. This might be because juvenile sharks are more likely to make mistakes as they switch to hunting larger prey such as seals.</p>
<p>Our results showed it was impossible for the virtual visual system to distinguish swimming or paddling humans from seals. This suggests both activities pose a risk, and that the <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/MF10181">greater occurrence of bites on surfers</a> might be linked to the times and locations of when and where people surf.</p>
<p>Our analysis suggests the “mistaken identity” theory is indeed plausible, from a visual perspective at least. But sharks can also detect prey using other sensory systems, such as smell, sound, touch and detection of electrical fields.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-shark-bites-seem-to-be-more-deadly-in-australia-than-elsewhere-85986">Why do shark bites seem to be more deadly in Australia than elsewhere?</a>
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<p>While it seems unlikely every bite on a human by a white shark is a case of mistaken identity, it is certainly a possibility in cases where the human is on the surface and the shark approaches from below.</p>
<p>However, the mistaken identity theory cannot explain all shark bites and other factors, such as curiosity, hunger or aggression are likely to also explains some shark bites.</p>
<h2>Can this knowledge help protect us?</h2>
<p>As summer arrives and COVID restrictions lift, more Australians will head to the beach over the coming months, increasing the chances they might come into close proximity with a shark. Often, people may not even realise a shark is close by. But the past weekend gave us a reminder that shark encounters can also tragically result in serious injury or death. </p>
<p>Understanding why shark bites happen is a good first step towards helping reduce the risk. Our research has inspired the design of non-invasive, vision-based shark mitigation devices that are currently being tested, and which change the shape of the silhouette.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fatal-shark-attacks-are-at-a-record-high-deterrent-devices-can-help-but-some-may-be-nothing-but-snake-oil-150845">Fatal shark attacks are at a record high. 'Deterrent' devices can help, but some may be nothing but snake oil</a>
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<p>We still have a lot to learn about how sharks experience their world, and therefore what measures will most effectively reduce the risks of a shark bite. There is a plethora of devices being developed or commercially available, but only a few of them have been scientifically tested, and even fewer – such as the devices made by <a href="https://ocean-guardian.com.au/">Ocean Guardian</a> that create an electrical field to ward off sharks – have been <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/5554/">found</a> to genuinely reduce the risk of being bitten.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171440/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Ryan receives funding from State and Federal government agencies and non-governmental organisations. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Charlie Huveneers receives funding from State and Federal government agencies, private donors, and non-governmental organisations. </span></em></p>The death of 57-year-old Paul Millachip at Fremantle’s Port Beach is a reminder that shark bites, though rare, can be tragic. New research aims to reduce the risk by understanding sharks’ vision.Laura Ryan, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie UniversityCharlie Huveneers, Associate professor, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1651472021-09-14T21:51:28Z2021-09-14T21:51:28ZWhy surfing is an antidote to the relentless march of capitalism<p>Surfing is as cool as it ever was. More people are competing in more contests and seeking higher waves, supported by a booming <a href="https://www.theinertia.com/surf/how-the-surfing-industry-has-experienced-both-boom-and-bust-during-the-pandemic/">industry</a>, even amid a pandemic.</p>
<p>Dramas and documentaries about surfing have bloomed since the 1960s, and companies such as Quicksilver, Billabong and Roxy have developed entire markets around the surf lifestyle. The recent decision to include surfing in the Tokyo Olympic Games marked the zenith of the global popularity of this sport.</p>
<p>Even though surfing is an extreme sport, most of it consists of the gentle art of waiting. Ask any passionate surfer, and they will probably tell you that surfing is, first and foremost, a contemplative practice.</p>
<p>“Surfing is a kind of stoic philosophy – it means accepting that we don’t have power over things,” writes novelist <a href="https://www.franceculture.fr/emissions/lecriture-est-un-sport-comme-les-autres/sigolene-vinson-et-le-surf">Sigolène Vinson</a>.</p>
<p>To understand why, we must go back in history. Surfing was originally a spiritual activity rooted in the religion and culture of different islands in the Pacific Ocean, especially Hawaii. It represented the celebration of Lonos, the god of fertility. At the time, only the tribe’s high-ranking figures could undertake it.</p>
<p>Today, some surfers still follow this original mindset of communion with nature. “We call them soul surfers,” writes Lodewijk Allaert in <a href="http://www.transboreal.fr/librairie.php?code=TRAPPGLI">his ode to surfing</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“They explore the imperceptible side of the discipline, dreaming of the precious balance between man and the elements, which pushed the Hawaiian pioneer of surfing, Duke Kahanamoku, to throw himself into colossal walls of water equipped with an antique acacia board. For them, surfing wasn’t a way to show off or a series of spectacular moves, but a lifestyle, a philosophy.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These few utopian surfers base their entire lives around surfing, going against the flow of our society where capitalism is relentlessly expanding toward new areas, the alienation caused by technology always intensifying and freedom increasingly compromised.</p>
<h2>Soul surfers vs capitalists sharks</h2>
<p>The feeling of being fully present in what we are actually doing has become rare – except perhaps in the case of those who practice extreme sports (it’s difficult to think about work when you have to focus on not being crushed by a two-metre wave).</p>
<p>Surfing is an escape; an act of freedom. This is why it can be linked to the ideal of <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo3773600.html">the American counterculture of the 1960s</a> based on the “freewheeling spirit of the hippies” and modern forms of Bohemianism, largely inspired by the Beat Generation.</p>
<p>Like many other <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0001839221993475">countercultures</a>, from skateboarding and yoga to meditation and hip-hop, surf has to an extent been absorbed by capitalism. Look at the proliferation of surf schools, magazines, competitions, films, music, and surf wear, each representing an attempt by businesses to make money out of the sport. Like a prey splashing in the water, surfing has attracted the attention of capitalist sharks, and became a victim of its own success.</p>
<p>Yet, with surfing, unlike some of these other countercultures, something still resists. Capitalism cannot seem to capture the unique and solitary moment when the surfer must put aside everything he or she knows to avoid getting swept away, to ride the wave and feel a sense of communion with the powerful and untameable elements.</p>
<p>Surfing is the ultimate in unpredictability. Even the best weather apps cannot predict whether or not it will be possible to surf a particular swell.</p>
<p>The ocean puts human beings in their rightful place – not above nature but inside of it. I dare even René Descartes to try to become a “master and possessor of nature” in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/aug/02/nazare-in-portugal-is-the-home-to-the-worlds-biggest-waves-and-bravest-surfers">building-sized waves</a> of Nazaré in Portugal, the largest in the world.</p>
<h2>The ocean as the last frontier</h2>
<p>In a world where transhumanists seek to use technology to save humanity, and even to even <a href="https://time.com/574/google-vs-death/">to defeat death</a>, surfing reminds humans of our staggering insignificance before the irresistible force of the ocean – and nature in general.</p>
<p>In the context of an increasingly tech-based and dehumanized approach to <a href="https://www.college-de-france.fr/site/anne-fagot-largeault/inaugural-lecture-2001-03-01.htm">medicine</a>, surfing can appear as a particularly efficient cure for the soul. While some hospitals have introduced secular meditation programmes to alleviate the pain of patients suffering from chronic illnesses or depression, others have used surfing for therapeutic purposes to help cure people like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8W1yvrPA-U">veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder</a>.</p>
<p>Now, a pandemic has caused many to question their lifestyles – moving, changing jobs or getting divorced. New rules implemented by the government to limit the spread of the virus have also had a major impact on individual freedoms. Not only directly when being mandated to wear masks, respecting curfews, and in some regions, forbidding access to the beach, but also in a more diffuse manner with the proliferation of applications intended to control citizens’ movements. Some have even gone so far as to place such measures within the realm of <a href="https://www.franceculture.fr/oeuvre/lage-du-capitalisme-de-surveillance">surveillance capitalism</a>.</p>
<p>While <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo3773600.html">American counterculture</a> originally conceived technology as a way to free individuals from the establishment, they are increasingly criticized today. Surfing may be able to make this dream of pure freedom come true even for a short time by providing its practitioners with moments off the radar.</p>
<p>“Surfers are often portrayed as conquerors who travel on a whim, with new waves to discover, fleeing the trials and tribulations of modern life,” writes sociologist <a href="https://www.arkhe-editions.com/livre/histoire-du-surf/">Jérémy Lemarié</a>. “Today, the ocean is their only escape in the overpopulation and compartmentalisation of modern life. The ocean is their last frontier.”</p>
<p>In a 1945 presentation to the US government, Vannevar Bush presented science as <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nsf50/vbush1945.htm">the new frontier to be conquered</a>. It would now seem that his wish has been fulfilled. Today, technology promises to take over both time, for <a href="https://www.calicolabs.com/">those who dream of killing death</a>, and space, with the billionaire race to conquer new planets. And yet, grab a board and head to the sea and you will soon realise that nature is still far from conquered. In this context, the ocean be seen as the last frontier likely to comfort mankind when facing disenchantment with modern life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165147/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yaëlle Amsallem a reçu des financements de ESCP Business School. </span></em></p>In a world where transhumanists seek to use technology to save humanity, and even to defeat death, surfing reminds humans of our staggering insignificance.Yaëlle Amsallem, Doctorante en sciences de gestion, ESCP Business SchoolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1658332021-08-09T15:53:08Z2021-08-09T15:53:08ZOlympics: why not all new sports will return at Paris 2024 – but breakdancing will make its debut<p>Never in the history of modern Olympics has so many new sports made their debut than in Tokyo 2020. Skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing and karate have now got their maiden Olympic champions, while softball and baseball returned to the Games since they were last seen in 2008. </p>
<p>Five years ago, the decision to include these sports was made by the International Olympics Committee (IOC) to <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-new-sports-announced-for-tokyo-2020-but-where-does-the-future-of-the-olympics-lie-63026">appeal to the youth</a>. For the host nation, Japan, these sports were also highly relevant to them. Baseball is Japan’s biggest sport, karate is a traditional favourite and skateboarding is popular among young people.</p>
<p>Some of the new additions will return at Paris 2024. While most of them were hits with audiences watching as well as the athletes competing in them, others still have kinks that need to be sorted out before they return. </p>
<h2>Skateboarding stood out</h2>
<p>Having researched <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/SBM-10-2017-0052/full/html">skateboarding and its bumpy road to the Olympics</a> for many years, I am certainly a bit biased, but I thought it attracted the most attention out of the five new sports for several reasons. First of which was the participants’ age. </p>
<p>No doubt many Olympic viewers were fascinated to see the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/57967633">youngest ever Olympic podium</a> with the average age of 14 years. For a group of teenagers, there was amazing sportsmanship and maturity on display. Sky Brown, a 13-year-old sensation from the Team GB, was first to run over to her competitor, Sakura Yosozumi, after she won skateboarding’s park contest. This played out across the competition with competitors cheering each other on and congratulating winners from other teams. </p>
<p>Skateboarding also made its debut in style. From <a href="https://skateboarding.transworld.net/news/team-usa-olympic-skateboarding-uniforms/">90s-inspired multi-coloured uniforms</a> of the US skaters to <a href="https://twitter.com/Olympics/status/1419497162371645440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1419497162371645440%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.motherjones.com%2Fmojo-wire%2F2021%2F07%2Fbrazils-13-year-old-skateboard-phenom-rayssa-leal-is-hands-down-the-best-part-of-the-olympics-so-far%2F">Brazilian Rayssa Leal’s</a> tan-coloured cargo pants held up by a black skater belt to Japan’s Aori Nishimura’s all-white uniform and platinum blonde hair, <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/skateboarding-olympic-uniforms">Olympic skateboarding outfits were unanimously praised</a>. </p>
<p>Bryce Wettstein, a 16-year-old skater from California, even brought her ukulele to take the edge off the Women’s Skateboard Park Finals a bit. Olympics are known to be the high-pressure environment, and it was very refreshing to see at least skateboarding part of the Games feeling like a gathering of teenagers having fun and cheering for each other.</p>
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<h2>Tough questions in sport climbing</h2>
<p>While the novelty of skateboarding received all round praise, sport climbing left some fans split on whether Olympic climbing <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d9580411-e65f-4fc0-a923-6133ed2d4bf1">made sense at all</a>.</p>
<p>Sports climbing is a unique sport in the Olympic programme (there is nothing similar to it) and was a hit in Tokyo for those who had never seen it before. </p>
<p>The controversy originated when the IOC decided to allocate <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/05/sports/olympics/sport-rock-climbing-bouldering-lead-speed.html">only one medal set</a> for sport climbing instead of three. As a result, the governing body of sport came up with the “combined” format of three key types of climbing: bouldering, lead and speed climbing. The latter plays well on television, but in fact it has always been considered a fringe discipline among the core climbers and the most different from the other two.</p>
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<p>Climbers normally specialise in a single discipline and given the different skill sets needed for each, the combined Olympic format can be compared to asking swimmers to do a diving competition too, or asking <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/05/climbing-scoring-tokyo-2020-olympics-adam-ondra">Novak Djokovic to compete in table tennis for the first set</a>. It looks like the fears of climbing community were true, as Adam Ondra, who <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/06/sports/olympics/olympics-climbing-adam-ondra.html">many see</a> as the best climber in the world, had to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/sports/olympics/adam-ondra-climbing.html">spend last year training specifically for the speed part</a> and still did not make the Olympic finals. </p>
<p>It feels unfair perhaps, looking at established Olympic sports like swimming or cycling where the same athletes are able to compete for numerous medals in separate disciplines or relays. There has been a lot of politics behind <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Action-Sports-and-the-Olympic-Games-Past-Present-Future/Wheaton-Thorpe/p/book/9781138492851">the IOC relationships with action sports</a>, but it does look like they should have listened to the sport community.</p>
<h2>What Paris 2024 will have in store</h2>
<p>With the 2020 Olympics delayed for a year by the pandemic, the next summer Games are now only three years away. The Paris 2024 preview video that played during Tokyo’s closing ceremony had a very urban and artistic vibe to it, and we can expect <a href="https://www.paris2024.org/en/the-paris-2024-olympic-sports-programme/">the “modernisation” of the Games to continue</a>. Part of this modernisation comes with the addition of another new sport in 2024: breakdancing. </p>
<p>It might have been unthinkable to see it in the Olympics ten years ago (and yes, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/02/09/break-dancing-olympic-sport-paris-2024/">it is a sport</a>), but the was true for skateboarding. Karate, baseball and softball worked great for Japanese viewers and athletes but will be dropped as, presumably, they are not that relevant to France, where breakdancing is a huge part of youth culture.</p>
<p>Surfing, skateboarding and <a href="https://www.paris2024.org/en/sport/sport-climbing/">sport climbing (with more medals thankfullt</a>) are there to stay and strengthen the IOC standard for youth-centred and more <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-statement-on-gender-equality-in-the-olympic-movement">gender-balanced Games</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315714264-39/snowboarding-skateboarding-mikhail-batuev-sarah-zipp-leigh-robinson">Research</a> I took part in a few years ago showed that action sports tended to keep women and minorities to the margins of the sports. While commercially men’s actions sports are still miles ahead, it was heartening to see that Tokyo 2020 indicated a shift from that exclusivity – with female athletes like skater Sky Brown and surfer <a href="https://www.teamusa.org/usa-surfing/athletes/Carissa-Moore">Carissa Moore</a> becoming icons in sports traditionally dominated by men. </p>
<p>In coming years, expect to see more girls in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/aug/06/sky-brown-helps-ramp-up-uk-girls-interest-skateboarding">skateparks</a>, surfing spots and climbing gyms. And hopefully, governing bodies will give them the same amount of support so the best of them might become the next generation of Olympians.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165833/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mikhail Batuev does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>From skateboarding and climbing to baseball, the new Olympic events had varying degrees of success.Mikhail Batuev, Lecturer in Sport Management, Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1646902021-07-23T12:15:09Z2021-07-23T12:15:09ZSurfing makes its Olympic debut – and the waves should be world-class thanks to wind, sand and a typhoon or two<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412283/original/file-20210720-21-1gy3edx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=523%2C0%2C2726%2C2418&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Hawaiian surfer John John Florence, seen here competing in Portugal, is one of the favorites to win surfing's first Olympic gold. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/PortugalSurf/28db9b5fff044e9186c7db8caa8d855f/photo?Query=surfing%20john%20florence&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=18&currentItemNo=0">AP Photo/Francisco Seco</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For the first time, <a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/sports/surfing/">surfing is on the Olympic stage</a>. </p>
<p>The surfing event will last for three days and has to run within the dates <a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/sports/surfing/">from July 25 to August 1</a>. The reason for this window? Not all waves are created equal, and organizers and surfers will wait for the best day full of the best waves to hold the competition.</p>
<p>As a recreational surfer and <a href="https://www.brandeis.edu/facultyguide/person.html?emplid=6cf46554ff6936fa51d9e22d0414e63798a5c4a1">physical oceanographer</a>, I spend a lot of time thinking about waves. But for many people, this year’s Olympics will be their first time watching the sport. They might be wondering: </p>
<p>What generates the waves that surfers will ride at the Olympics? Where do the waves come from? And why will the new Olympians be surfing at Tsurigasaki Beach?</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412285/original/file-20210720-13-zkr21h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Lines of waves out to sea with a surfer in the foreground." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412285/original/file-20210720-13-zkr21h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412285/original/file-20210720-13-zkr21h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412285/original/file-20210720-13-zkr21h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412285/original/file-20210720-13-zkr21h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412285/original/file-20210720-13-zkr21h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412285/original/file-20210720-13-zkr21h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412285/original/file-20210720-13-zkr21h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Winds create waves that organize into an evenly spaced swell before breaking on shore.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/localsurfer/466383547/in/photolist-bFG8Wn-bqWsc-nYKNvM-qkQpqu-7zJw3K-NHDsdt-2kH5rnb-En7DLm-7zPz51-9oqKbr-adansm-ad7y6H-adamqf-dbdGGh-HdkzD-ad7x9r-2icyHFN-dd2HhH-TTfUEC-dbdNFC-dd2He2-dd2HKd-dbdKMn-adan9d-2kybhqL-fqxGi3-2kvamns-77s3b3-dbdKCZ-fjaWba-dbdNLQ-EFEm8-ztEds-5wsctT-6iVhC7-vCNim-zy8vx">Jon Bowen/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Wind creates waves</h2>
<p>Think for a few seconds about what happens when you throw a stone into a serene pond. It creates a ring of waves – depressions and elevations of the water’s surface – that spread out from the center.</p>
<p>Waves in the ocean act similarly by propagating outward from where they are generated. The key difference is that the vast majority of ocean waves are formed by wind. As the wind blows over the surface of the water, some of the energy of the wind is transferred into the water, creating waves. The biggest and most powerful wind-generated waves are produced by <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00361">strong storms</a> that blow for a sustained period of time over a large area of the ocean. </p>
<p>The waves within a storm are usually messy and chaotic, but as they move away from the storm they grow more organized as faster waves outrun slower waves. This <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1948.0005">organization of the waves</a> creates “swell,” or regularly spaced lines of waves. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412288/original/file-20210720-15-1ja01o1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A sunrise over a beach with a Japanese arch in the foreground." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412288/original/file-20210720-15-1ja01o1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412288/original/file-20210720-15-1ja01o1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412288/original/file-20210720-15-1ja01o1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412288/original/file-20210720-15-1ja01o1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412288/original/file-20210720-15-1ja01o1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412288/original/file-20210720-15-1ja01o1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412288/original/file-20210720-15-1ja01o1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Surfers will be competing at Tsurigasaki Beach on the east coast of Japan, where the waves break on sandbars.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E9%87%A3%E3%83%B6%E5%B4%8E%E6%B5%B7%E5%B2%B8%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89%E6%9C%9B%E3%82%80%E6%9D%B1%E6%B5%AA%E8%A6%8B%E3%81%AE%E9%B3%A5%E5%B1%85.jpg#/media/File:%E9%87%A3%E3%83%B6%E5%B4%8E%E6%B5%B7%E5%B2%B8%E3%81%8B%E3%82%89%E6%9C%9B%E3%82%80%E6%9D%B1%E6%B5%AA%E8%A6%8B%E3%81%AE%E9%B3%A5%E5%B1%85.jpg">Pullwell/WikimediaCommons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Seafloors break waves</h2>
<p>As waves travel across the ocean, they don’t actually bring water with them – a wave from a storm 1,000 miles away isn’t made of water from 1,000 miles away. Waves are actually just energy moving from water molecule to water molecule. This energy doesn’t just move through the top layer of the ocean, either. Ocean waves extend far below the surface, sometimes as deep as 500 feet. When waves move into shallower water close to shore, they start to “feel” the seafloor as it pulls and drags on them, slowing them down. As seafloor gets shallower, it pushes upwards against the bottoms of waves, but the energy has to go somewhere, so the waves grow taller.</p>
<p>As the waves move toward shore, the water gets ever more shallow and the waves keep growing until, eventually, they <a href="https://youtu.be/5nCcE-jABSo">become unstable and the wave “breaks”</a> as the crest spills over toward shore.</p>
<p>It is only here, after a wave has traveled perhaps thousands of miles, that the surfing starts. To catch a wave, a surfer paddles toward shore until their speed matches that of the wave. As soon as the wave starts to break, the surfer stands up quickly and maneuvers the surf board with their feet and weight to ride the wave just ahead of the crashing lip. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412269/original/file-20210720-17-osib4j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A map of the Earth showing blue to red lines with a dense red area south of Japan and east of China." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412269/original/file-20210720-17-osib4j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/412269/original/file-20210720-17-osib4j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412269/original/file-20210720-17-osib4j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412269/original/file-20210720-17-osib4j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412269/original/file-20210720-17-osib4j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412269/original/file-20210720-17-osib4j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/412269/original/file-20210720-17-osib4j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This map shows the tracks of all the tropical storms, typhoons and hurricanes that formed from 1945 to 2006. Note the hot spot of frequent, powerful storms south of Japan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tropical_cyclones_1945_2006_wikicolor.png#/media/File:Tropical_cyclones_1945_2006_wikicolor.png">Citynoise/WikimediaCommons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Waves at the Olympics</h2>
<p>The waves that surfers ride at Tsurigasaki Beach for the Olympics will be generated from one of two different types of wind: trade winds and typhoons. </p>
<p>Trade winds consistently blow around 11 to 15 mph (18 to 24 kph) in a band that stretches across the Pacific Ocean from approximately Mexico to the Philippines. These winds generate small “trade swells” that propagate northward toward the east coast of Japan and are usually <a href="https://magicseaweed.com/Shidashita-Surf-Report/2802/Historic/">a few feet tall when they arrive</a>.</p>
<p>But if the surfers and spectators are lucky, a typhoon with wind speeds greater than 74 mph (119 kph) will be supplying powerful waves for the event. Typhoons are what hurricanes are called in much of Asia and are common near Japan and China during summer and fall. Winds in a typhoon are much stronger than the trade winds. Therefore, they generate much bigger waves. Olympic surfers obviously do not want a typhoon to hit Japan. What they want is for a typhoon to form about 500 to 1,500 miles (800 to 2,400 km) to the southeast of Japan and generate big waves that will hit the coast of Japan after traveling across the ocean for one to three days.</p>
<p>Based on the current weather and surf forecasts, it looks like just such a situation will happen. As of July 22, 2021, weather models are predicting that a tropical cyclone or typhoon will <a href="https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/surf-forecast-tokyo-2020-olympics-tropical-cyclone-swell/126332">almost certainly develop</a> to the southeast of Japan over the next few days, and the winds from this storm will send a powerful swell to the Olympics. Currently, models are predicting that the waves <a href="https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/surf-forecast-tokyo-2020-olympics-tropical-cyclone-swell/126332">could be 7 feet (2.1 m) at Tsurigasaki Beach</a>, just in time for the surfing event to start.</p>
<p>Once the swell from the trade winds or a far-off typhoon reaches Tsurigasaki Beach, it is the seafloor that will determine where the waves break. Tsurigasaki Beach is a “beach break,” which means that the seafloor is sand, rather than rocks or coral reef. There are a series of human-made rock walls, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/groins-and-jetties.htm">called groins</a>, sticking out perpendicularly from the beach. These have been engineered to prevent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784400890.097">sand from moving along the beach</a> and are meant to slow erosion. These groins <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sepm/jsedres/article/42/2/401/96528/Coastal-processes-and-nearshore-sand-bars">create shallow sandbars a few hundred yards from shore</a> that incoming waves will break on. This is where the athletes will surf.</p>
<p>When you tune in to watch the surfing competition at the Olympics, marvel at the amazing skills of elite surfers, but remember too the far-off storms and the underwater sandbars that come together to create the beautiful waves.</p>
<p><em>Portions of this article originally appeared in an <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-makes-the-worlds-biggest-surfable-waves-150600">article</a> published on Dec. 3, 2020.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164690/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sally Warner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Olympic surfers are coming from around the world to compete in surfing’s Olympic debut. But where will the waves come from?Sally Warner, Assistant Professor of Climate Science, Brandeis UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1641582021-07-18T20:04:02Z2021-07-18T20:04:02ZAlt goes mainstream: how surfing, skateboarding, BMX and sport climbing became Olympic events<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411345/original/file-20210714-25-1kh5r9a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=3%2C0%2C1274%2C846&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">US surfer Carissa Moore will be part of a new-look Olympic sports schedule in Tokyo.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Tokyo Olympics will be novel in more ways than one. Aside from the challenges of mounting the games during a pandemic, there will also be a range of <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-executive-board-supports-tokyo-2020-package-of-new-sports-for-ioc-session">new sports</a> competing for fans’ attention.</p>
<p>As well as baseball/softball (being reintroduced after a 12-year hiatus), karate, and <a href="https://fiba3x3.com/en/vision.html">basketball 3x3</a>, four youth-focused action sports will debut: surfing, skateboarding, <a href="https://olympics.com/en/sports/sport-climbing/">sport climbing</a> and <a href="https://olympics.com/en/sports/cycling-bmx-freestyle/">BMX freestyle</a>.</p>
<p>According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the inclusion of these new events is “the most comprehensive evolution of the Olympic program in modern history”. </p>
<p>For many fans, however, the addition of action sports raises big questions: are they really Olympic sports, and do they deserve to take the place of more established events? </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Akiyo Noguchi climbing in a competition" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411346/original/file-20210715-19-1umrtg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411346/original/file-20210715-19-1umrtg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411346/original/file-20210715-19-1umrtg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411346/original/file-20210715-19-1umrtg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411346/original/file-20210715-19-1umrtg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411346/original/file-20210715-19-1umrtg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411346/original/file-20210715-19-1umrtg9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Akiyo Noguchi of Japan is a star of the sport climbing world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">GettyImages</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Competition for younger fans</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.routledge.com/Action-Sports-and-the-Olympic-Games-Past-Present-Future/Wheaton-Thorpe/p/book/9781138492851">Our research</a> shows the process and politics behind this decision go back over 20 years, part of the IOC’s big goal of making the Olympics more attractive to younger spectators. </p>
<p>While the Summer Olympics are considered the most-watched sporting spectacle in the world, the numbers of young viewers have been declining for decades. <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/136096/olympics-lost-millennials">The median age</a> of the US TV audience for the 2016 Rio Games was 53.</p>
<p>Aware of this, the IOC has tried to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0038038511413427">attract younger audiences</a> by incorporating newer action sports in both the summer (windsurfing, mountain biking, BMX racing) and winter (<a href="https://www.ski-cross.it/en/skicross">ski cross</a>, <a href="https://www.powder.com/stories/news/big-air-skiing-will-make-olympic-debut-2022/">big air</a>) Olympic programs. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-the-olympics-in-search-of-the-x-factor-48565">Why are the Olympics in search of the X-factor?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Since its controversial inclusion in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09523367.2020.1828361?casa_token=J6agMqZXTS0AAAAA%3A-FcSwccZWap7aDVQAC-h8Uwmr5c1a3s57da04uMbuAxgCrXpldFKbI75NIyvs5vRQO3MkxDGlLLtVA">snowboarding</a> has become the darling of the winter games. With <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315680521-17/games-holly-thorpe-belinda-wheaton">X Games-inspired</a> presentation and youth cultural icons such as Shaun White and Torah Bright, snowboarding was credited with a 48% increase in 18– to 24-year-old viewers at the 2010 Winter Olympics. </p>
<p>Since then, a new generation of young, cool snowboarders such as Chloe Kim have continued to inspire and attract global audiences.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Olympic champion snowboarder Chloe Kim with US flag" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411350/original/file-20210715-13-njqqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411350/original/file-20210715-13-njqqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411350/original/file-20210715-13-njqqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411350/original/file-20210715-13-njqqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411350/original/file-20210715-13-njqqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411350/original/file-20210715-13-njqqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411350/original/file-20210715-13-njqqhv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Snowboarder Chloe Kim, helping make the Winter Olympics a ratings hit.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That success is driving the inclusion of more action sports at the Summer Games. But the IOC has also pursued other <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/-a-glimpse-into-the-future-lausanne-2020-highlights-sustainable-approach-to-games">key initiatives</a>, such as the Youth Olympic Games and an Olympics YouTube channel. </p>
<p>Since 2010, the Youth Olympics have been an important testing ground for new sports, social media innovation and concepts like the Sports Lab in Nanjing in 2014, and the <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/skateboarding-and-bmx-superstars-to-heat-up-buenos-aires-urban-park">Urban Park</a> in Buenos Aires in 2018. Not everything makes it past the trial stage, but much does.</p>
<h2>Agenda 2020 and the new vision</h2>
<p>The arrival of IOC President Thomas Bach in 2013 and introduction of the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17430437.2015.1119960?casa_token=giA-SI3Azv8AAAAA:ITfpNMvQLADjK6zw17MjChW3-VMMKB9CdT-V31r7Xr5epyPetiHstSEZUoD8Nap9cMuCMQrIr7yIyQ">Agenda 2020 policy</a> accelerated the modernising process. </p>
<p>In 2015, the IOC worked with the Tokyo Organising Committee to <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-approves-five-new-sports-for-olympic-games-tokyo-2020">shortlist five new sports</a> – karate, baseball/softball, surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing – for possible inclusion in the 2020 games. When all five were confirmed for Tokyo, Bach proclaimed:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We want to take sport to the youth […] With the many options that young people have, we cannot expect any more that they will come automatically to us — we have to go to them. </p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/holding-the-tokyo-olympics-without-spectators-during-covid-19-emergency-puts-the-iocs-supreme-authority-on-full-display-163702">Holding the Tokyo Olympics without spectators during COVID-19 emergency puts the IOC’s ‘supreme authority’ on full display</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Following a review to measure the overall performance of all sports, various international federations developed strategies to become more youth-friendly. The International Cycling Union approved <a href="https://olympics.com/en/featured-news/olympic-bmx-freestyle-tokyo-2020-games-2021-five-things-preview">BMX freestyle</a>, and the International Basketball Federation added <a href="https://fiba3x3.com/en/olympics/intro.html">basketball 3x3</a> for Tokyo. </p>
<p>This pressure to attract younger fans has had a knock-on effect, with other sporting bodies wanting to bring new events into the fold. The <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1073216/parkour-earth-criticise-ioc-for-failing-to-intervene-in-dispute-with-fig">current battle</a> over the possible Olympic inclusion of <a href="https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=freerunning">freerunning</a> (also known as <a href="https://parkour.uk/what-we-do/what-is-parkour/">parkour</a>) is a case in point.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2gaGEDtHWeA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">BMX freestyle competitors are scored according to difficulty, originality, execution, height and creativity.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Nostalgia and progress</h2>
<p>With the action sport economy plateauing, many in the industry have actively supported Olympic inclusion. But the countercultural heritage of many of these sports has led to tensions.</p>
<p>Many participants view them nostalgically as <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Cultural-Politics-of-Lifestyle-Sports/Wheaton/p/book/9780415478588">alternative lifestyles</a> rather than conventional sports. The associated value systems they celebrate – self-expression, creativity, fun – are often considered at odds with the disciplinary, hierarchical, nationalistic Olympic ethos.</p>
<p>This saw the initial proposals to include <a href="https://www.theinertia.com/surf/opinion-surfing-should-not-be-in-the-olympics/">surfing</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/06/15/skateboarders-wonder-whether-olympics-will-change-sports-renegade-image/">skateboarding</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17430437.2018.1440998">sport climbing</a> in Tokyo
<a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1030894/petition-unveiled-campaigning-against-skateboarding-being-added-to-olympic-programme">hotly contested</a> by many within the wider action sporting cultures, worried about the loss of autonomy and control of “their” sports. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/condoms-vaccines-and-sport-how-the-tokyo-olympics-is-sending-mixed-messages-about-covid-19-safety-163361">Condoms, vaccines and sport: how the Tokyo Olympics is sending mixed messages about COVID-19 safety</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>While the Olympic athletes are enthusiastic ambassadors for their sports (and likely to see significant economic and cultural rewards), there are those within the action sport worlds who view Olympic inclusion as just another money-making stunt — part of a longer process of “selling out” with little benefit for their sports.</p>
<p>Our research shows it has been mostly older male “core” participants who’ve been most opposed to the inclusion of action sports. </p>
<p>However, an <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2167479518780410">international survey</a> showed younger participants and women were much more enthusiastic. Those under 19 were most supportive, with 80% agreeing with the statement: “I think this is a great idea and I would likely watch more of the Olympics”.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CKJ8aTp9-OY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">British skateboarder Sky Brown will be just 13 when she competes in Tokyo.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A showcase for female athletes</h2>
<p>The new-look games have also had their logistical challenges. Action sports organising bodies have had to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19406940.2019.1569548">navigate complex new terrain</a>, including determining <a href="https://www.climbing.com/competition/opinion-the-olympic-qualification-process-has-been-one-big-mess/">how athletes will qualify</a>, competition formats, equipment, <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2020/02/05/nike-designs-first-ever-olympic-skateboarding-uniforms-for-tokyo-2020/">uniforms</a>, <a href="https://www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/397640/wsl-and-isa-reach-landmark-agreement">drug testing</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/20/small-and-funky-waves-a-concern-for-surfings-olympics-debut-in-tokyo">venue suitability</a> — all complicated by the pandemic.</p>
<p>But, the inclusion of the new sports (with equal male and female representation) has also helped the Tokyo Olympics come the closest ever to the IOC’s gender equality targets, with female athletes making up 49% of all Olympians. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/banned-from-the-tokyo-olympics-for-pot-let-the-athletes-decide-what-drugs-should-be-allowed-163619">Banned from the Tokyo Olympics for pot? Let the athletes decide what drugs should be allowed</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>For women in action sports, the Olympics are creating more opportunities <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0193723518781230">for athletes and leaders</a> in activities <a href="https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781137457967">long dominated by men</a>. </p>
<p>The phenomenal talents of female athletes showcased in Tokyo – including 13-year-old skateboarder <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/01/skateboarder-sky-brown-to-become-youngest-british-summer-olympian">Sky Brown</a> (Great Britain), surfer <a href="https://olympics.com/en/featured-news/carissa-moore-surfing-2021-tokyo-2020-gold-medal-contender">Carissa Moore</a> (US) and climber <a href="https://www.climbing.com/competition/olympics/tokyo-olympics-will-be-akiyo-noguchis-first-last/">Akiyo Noguchi</a> (Japan) – may well see the gender dynamics shifting in these sports post-Olympics.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Breakdancer competing" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411349/original/file-20210715-15-1ex5bi6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411349/original/file-20210715-15-1ex5bi6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411349/original/file-20210715-15-1ex5bi6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411349/original/file-20210715-15-1ex5bi6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411349/original/file-20210715-15-1ex5bi6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411349/original/file-20210715-15-1ex5bi6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411349/original/file-20210715-15-1ex5bi6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Competitive breakdancing, coming soon to the Olympics.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A changing Olympic landscape</h2>
<p>Without spectators, alas, Tokyo won’t be the <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1084661/tokyo-2020-urban-fest-olympics-relevant">urban festival</a> envisioned pre-COVID, with live music, art and a youth-friendly vibe at the urban and beach locations. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, the action sports central to that concept aren’t going away. Paris in 2024 will see the addition of kiteboarding and breaking/break-dancing, part of a trend that will continue at the Los Angeles games in 2028. </p>
<p>Traditional ideas about which events are (or aren’t) legitimate sports will also shift over coming years as the IOC stakes its claim in an increasingly competitive sports and leisure market.</p>
<p>With the survival of the games so dependent on viewers and sponsorship dollars, the IOC will only fight harder to stay relevant to the next generations of Olympic fans. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sex-testing-at-the-olympics-should-be-abolished-once-and-for-all-132956">Sex testing at the Olympics should be abolished once and for all</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164158/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Holly Thorpe received funding from the Advanced Olympic Programme Research Grant 2015/2016.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Belinda Wheaton received funding from the Advanced Olympic Programme Research Grant 2015/2016. </span></em></p>The inclusion of new action sports can offend Olympic traditionalists and outsiders alike. But it’s part of a long-term strategy to keep the games relevant and appealing to younger fans.Holly Thorpe, Professor in Sociology of Sport and Physical Culture, University of WaikatoBelinda Wheaton, Professor, University of WaikatoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1590552021-05-20T19:54:28Z2021-05-20T19:54:28ZFriday essay: why there’s still something about Byron, beyond Insta influencers and beige linen<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401778/original/file-20210520-23-175ewz7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=55%2C24%2C4065%2C2726&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1458594656687-226e7d3300e3?ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=2252&q=80">Unsplash/Delphine Ducaruge</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When town planners mapped Byron Bay in 1884 they mistakenly believed Captain James Cook had named Cape Byron <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Byron">after the English poet</a> Lord Byron — when in fact it was named after the poet’s grandfather, a navy admiral. </p>
<p>From that mistaken belief, say <a href="http://byronbayhistoricalsociety.org.au/development-of-byron-bay/early-settlement/">local historians</a>, many of Byron’s streets were given the names of famous English poets or literary figures such as Wordsworth, Browning, Milton, Marvel, Jonson, Kingsley, Carlyle Tennyson and Keats. </p>
<p>“It is more than a little ironic,” they note, “that the streets of Byron Bay, a very industrial seaport town until the 1970’s, were named after men who were far from working class”.</p>
<p>Now, with television turning its lens on Byron Bay, we can add another layer of irony to this story. A town mistakenly thought to be named after a rich European poet and his contemporaries is today synonymous with a new breed of image-conscious wordsmiths — the influencers.</p>
<p>From streets in the 19th century to cyberspace in the 21st, the point is not whether the connection to Byron (the man or the town) is true, but that the conjuring is enough to fire imaginations — for the purposes of colonisation then and chasing profit today. </p>
<p>Because hype doesn’t stand in for the real, there is still something very special about Byron Bay. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401787/original/file-20210520-17-kshphw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="lighthouse on coast" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401787/original/file-20210520-17-kshphw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401787/original/file-20210520-17-kshphw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401787/original/file-20210520-17-kshphw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401787/original/file-20210520-17-kshphw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401787/original/file-20210520-17-kshphw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401787/original/file-20210520-17-kshphw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401787/original/file-20210520-17-kshphw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Cape Byron lighthouse at sunset.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1581132885085-02e91cf6e0cc?ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=2250&q=80">Unsplash/Shubham Sharma</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ten-great-australian-beach-reads-set-at-the-beach-108083">Ten great Australian beach reads set at the beach</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>By the baes</h2>
<p>When streaming giant Netflix issued a press release in early April announcing production was imminent on the doco-soap Byron Baes, negative reaction from the local community was fast and fierce. </p>
<p>Surfers <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9489369/Celebrities-join-locals-protest-stop-Netflixs-Byron-Baes-reality-show.html">paddled out to protest</a> and locals brandished handmade signs reading: “Give Netflix the Flick” and “Byron’s Soul is not for Sale”. Meanwhile famous neo-locals, actor Chris Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky, threw a “<a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/celebrity-photos/chris-hemsworth-and-elsa-pataky-throw-allwhite-party-with-a-host-of-alisters/news-story/01c0dbfc364de67886b39f49f85baf2b">white party</a>” with A-list friends including Matt Damon (visiting from Hollywood) and some musos (visiting from Melbourne). </p>
<p>Netflix’s Byron Baes press release promised a bevy of “hot instagrammers living their best lives, being their best selves, creating the best drama content #no filter guaranteed”. </p>
<p>The tone was vacuous: “This is our love letter to Byron Bay, this is not just Chris and Zac’s backyard, it’s the playground of more celebrity-adjacent-adjacent influencers, than you can poke a selfie-stick at”. </p>
<p>In any other town this misreading of place and lack of community consultation might have gone unnoticed. But not in Byron. This is a community that <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/not-in-byrons-backyard-20030816-gdh9aw.html">ran Club Med out of town</a> in the early 1990s (though a luxury “place sensitive” resort has since <a href="https://www.traveller.com.au/checkin-hot-elementary-my-dear-byron-gmwcmw">opened on the proposed site,</a>). This is a town that has consistently <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/byron-bay-turns-its-nose-up-at-kfc-20121205-2avud.html">fought off McDonalds, KFC</a> and other mega-franchises. The building limit is two storeys in the township and the local council has <a href="https://greensoncouncil.org.au/byron/">three Greens representatives</a>, including the mayor. </p>
<p>In 1994 the Arakwal people, one of the tribes of the Bundjalung nation, lodged the first of three native title claims over the region. On 28th December 2000 the Arakwal signed the <a href="https://arakwal.com.au/native-title-indigenous-land-use-agreements/">first Indigenous Land Use Agreement</a> in the country, which stands internationally as a benchmark for Indigenous communities negotiating Native Title. </p>
<p>But the Bay is still bruised from a <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/07/the-coast-of-utopia-surfer-moms-instagram-influencers">2019 Vanity Fair</a> article on local “murfers” (mum surfers) and Instagram stars. Many readers took pleasure in the way it skewered a group of privileged, linen-clad influencers with revelations about sponsorship and duplicity. Others felt the piece was <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/live-and-let-live-on-the-coast-of-utopia-aka-byron-bay-20190709-p525ms.html">a nasty smear job</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401785/original/file-20210520-19-1vbw50u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="clothing boutique." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401785/original/file-20210520-19-1vbw50u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401785/original/file-20210520-19-1vbw50u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401785/original/file-20210520-19-1vbw50u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401785/original/file-20210520-19-1vbw50u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=462&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401785/original/file-20210520-19-1vbw50u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401785/original/file-20210520-19-1vbw50u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401785/original/file-20210520-19-1vbw50u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Boho chic and beige linen at a local store.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1581863681588-0e332753a3cc?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1350&q=80">Unsplash/Noemi Macavei Katocz</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So, Byron Baes was always going to be divisive. At the recent protests, filmmaker Tess Hall summed up local sentiment saying, “Trash TV equals trash town”. Many have suggested this ruckus was all part of Netflix’s plan — that the continuing coverage will only serve to provide free publicity. Despite a 9500-strong petition and an emergency motion from council, filming has <a href="https://www.echo.net.au/2021/05/filming-of-byron-baes-begins-with-no-indigenous-consultation/#:%7E:text=Filming%20of%20the%20Netflix%20series,Indigenous%20groups%20or%20Byron%20Council.">reportedly commenced</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-thrills-booze-and-athleisure-gear-writing-on-the-road-124278">Friday essay: thrills, booze and athleisure gear - writing on the road</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Mind the gap</h2>
<p>What’s happening in Byron Bay highlights the gap between constructed content and reality, between what happens on “the Gram” and people’s actual lives. </p>
<p>I want to see if recent events have dented the spirit of the Byron I know — whether, despite its battles, it still retains its restorative powers. I spend my first night with a friend in a treehouse-style whiskey bar, trying to reactivate my Insta account after a break of several years. We request and wait — my university firewall not playing ball. My friend, much younger than me, keeps refreshing my email as if this delay is an affront to humanity. </p>
<p>It turns out our national broadcaster has already beaten Netflix to the punch and interviewed Byron Bay influencers for an upcoming Compass program <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/religion/watch/compass/instagram-utopia/13311220">Byron Bay: Australia’s Instagram Utopia</a>. I chat with a couple of those featured during my visit.</p>
<p>When I tell Sarah Royall, adventurer and travel influencer with an eco-agenda that I’m not on Insta she looks at me like I’m an alien. But her bright-eyed positivity about the network potential of Instagram, what she categorises as a “new and emerging industry” is convincing. When travel restrictions ease, she plans to hold a sustainability retreat in French Polynesia involving coral reef and shark experts, scientists and marine biologists from around the world, all connected by social media. </p>
<p>Like the other women featured on the ABC program, Sarah deviates from the blatant objectification and product placement usually rife on Instagram. There’s Angel Phoenix, a self-described radical astrologist who lives in a caravan. Jade Couldwell and Sophie Pearce, two friends and mummy influencers, who pose in various relaxed tree and sand tableaux with their golden-haired husbands and children. Emica Penklis, an ex-model who now runs a successful organic chocolate company and Bunjalung woman Ella Noah Bancroft, a queer activist. Still, this is Instagram. They are all beautiful.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401779/original/file-20210520-17-1str9zw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="gorgeous young woman with hands in hair" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401779/original/file-20210520-17-1str9zw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401779/original/file-20210520-17-1str9zw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401779/original/file-20210520-17-1str9zw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401779/original/file-20210520-17-1str9zw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=432&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401779/original/file-20210520-17-1str9zw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401779/original/file-20210520-17-1str9zw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401779/original/file-20210520-17-1str9zw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=543&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ella Noah Bancroft harnesses her beauty for influence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">ABC TV</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-going-for-a-swim-in-the-ocean-can-be-good-for-you-and-for-nature-150281">Why going for a swim in the ocean can be good for you, and for nature</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Colour and movement</h2>
<p>Because Instagram demands beauty in whatever form it comes, beauty is the unspoken currency. Ella Noah Bancroft is uncomfortable about this aspect, smiling wryly when she says her words are linked to, “an often pretty egotistical photo … but it’s not about the photo for me, it’s about the caption”. </p>
<p>She recognises the power the platform provides her, but earns more money from her various roles in the community than she does from her social media presence — though the two are vitally interconnected. Instagram appears to operate in this way for many — a nexus around which other opportunities, entrepreneurial ventures and side hustles occur. People becoming brands with faces and voices. What’s contained in the messaging is key. </p>
<p>The women talk about the importance of cultivating “relationships” with their “communities”, steering talk away from the machinations of the monetary value of influence. Progressive narratives underpin or offset the images and commercialism — mental health, environmentalism, feminism, LGBTQI rights. While none of this could be read as altruistic, surely the ethical lean is positive. </p>
<p>That said, Penklis’ view is pragmatic. Her product is organic with a high price point. So her social media feed is designed to attract a particular clientele, rather than highlight an agenda. She’s also refreshingly honest and tapped into the essential fact of Instagram influence: envy sells. </p>
<p>While Byron Bay might offer the promise of this enviable work life balance — pristine surf beaches, spa and wellness retreats, national parks — the business of influence can be hard work and switching off isn’t easy. </p>
<p>Royall has suffered from burnout and Bancroft is conscious about cultivating time away from technology. In the Compass program we see her working with other women in a communal garden. She tells me she often visits her mother on their nearby ancestral lands but does not document it.</p>
<p>“How many people can say that — that they can sit and talk with their mother for hours without looking at their phone?”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401786/original/file-20210520-21-yq2p0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="houses by the coast" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401786/original/file-20210520-21-yq2p0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401786/original/file-20210520-21-yq2p0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401786/original/file-20210520-21-yq2p0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401786/original/file-20210520-21-yq2p0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401786/original/file-20210520-21-yq2p0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401786/original/file-20210520-21-yq2p0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401786/original/file-20210520-21-yq2p0n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some say Byron is the site of a spiritual energy vortex. Others see development opportunities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1605269515950-2b26e3201305?ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&ixlib=rb-1.2.1&auto=format&fit=crop&w=2250&q=80">Unsplash/Patrick Mcgregor</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Being there</h2>
<p>Byron Bay is a strange attractor — the Insta-driven celebrity wave, just the latest to roll in after the colonialists, whalers, hippies and the wealthy. </p>
<p>Sure, some young wannabes are lining up at sunset at the redeveloped Beach Hotel hoping to run into a Hemsworth brother and real estate is skyrocketing. But the roll call of visitors and locals remains eclectic. There are still old rockers holding up the bar at The Rails, glitter fairies busking on stilts in the main street while the well-heeled stroll by in their boat shoes. </p>
<p>Some spiritualists believe Byron and the surrounding area is a portal or <a href="https://crystalsbyronbay.com/2020/09/11/energy-infusion-byron-bay-energy-heart-of-the-bay-crystals/">energy vortex</a>. The Arakwal believe it is a healing place where Indigenous women would birth in the ti-tree lakes. There’s definitely something in the water. Wave after wave, the same “cheer up, slow down, chill out” vibe washes over everyone. </p>
<p>On my final morning in Byron I head up to the Pass where another paddle out protest is scheduled — not against Byron Baes but <a href="https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2021/05/08/hundreds-attend-pep-11-protest-at-byron-bay/">PEP11</a>, a major oil and gas venture threatening the precious marine ecosystem on the east coast. The bright blue day and the gathered crowd are impressive.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401781/original/file-20210520-15-ihfwrk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="surfers with signs" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401781/original/file-20210520-15-ihfwrk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401781/original/file-20210520-15-ihfwrk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401781/original/file-20210520-15-ihfwrk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401781/original/file-20210520-15-ihfwrk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401781/original/file-20210520-15-ihfwrk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401781/original/file-20210520-15-ihfwrk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401781/original/file-20210520-15-ihfwrk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Locals at the paddle out protest, this time against an offshore gas venture rather than a reality television series.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I don’t see any influencers or famous Hollywood actors, or even many people on their phones. Everyone radiates casual ease and community, standing about, or pooled under the eucalypts, boards strewn all over the place. Jaded radio hosts like Mick Molloy may have <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/triple-m-national-drive/why-cant-mick-be-a-byron-bay-influencer">paid out on the Byron community</a> for going surfing as a form of protest (he suggests burning a wicker Hemsworth effigy instead). But when you’re here the gesture is powerful and symbiotic with a lifestyle tuned in to consciousness raising. </p>
<p>Musician Billy Otto, a guy Byron Baes’s producers reportedly <a href="https://www.victorharbortimes.com.au/story/7249689/the-boy-who-gave-netflix-and-byron-baes-the-flick/?cs=2808">tried to recruit</a> for the reality show, takes to the microphone. After his song and the speeches, the crowd flows down to the beach, surf warriors paddling out a model of a giant gas rig which they dismantle and bring back to shore. </p>
<p>Beyond them, further out to sea, my eye is drawn to Nguthungulli (Julian Rocks) where the Arakwal people say, their grandfather creator is resting. As the surfers form a circle, I’d wager it’s not the influencers, but Nguthungulli who draws so many people to Byron Bay. The most easterly point of the country. A place originally named <a href="https://arakwal.com.au/cavanbah/">Cavanbah</a>, the “meeting place”. </p>
<p>On the way home my phone dies. I guess refreshing my Instagram self is going to have to wait. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oxVl8z77do8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘He rests in the rocks out there today.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/one-of-australias-most-famous-beaches-is-disappearing-and-storms-arent-to-blame-so-whats-the-problem-150179">One of Australia's most famous beaches is disappearing, and storms aren't to blame. So what's the problem?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/159055/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sally Breen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>How does the spirit of Byron Byron endure wave after wave of seekers and lately, Instagram influencers? Sally Breen took a road trip and found a something deeper in the beachy township.Sally Breen, Senior Lecturer in Writing and Publishing, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1519192021-01-07T19:23:15Z2021-01-07T19:23:15ZGirls Can’t Surf shows how determined women battled sexism in their sport<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377294/original/file-20210106-19-5kcqqb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=28%2C28%2C1489%2C997&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Don King</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Review: Girls Can’t Surf, directed by Christopher Nelius</em></p>
<p>The documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9005244/?ref_=tt_mv_close">Girls Can’t Surf</a> spans the 1980s and early 1990s as women surfers battled in and out of the ocean. It has the predictable surf movie elements — a countercultural vibe and lots of fluoro fashion — but its power comes from the untold stories of brave, tenacious and funny women who fought to be taken seriously in their sport.</p>
<p>In the 1980s, a fierce international group of determined women surfers decided enough was enough in the battle against sexism and unequal pay. The film highlights the fight on and off the waves that contributed to women surfers’ eventual <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/09/07/645558534/equal-pay-for-equal-shreds-world-surf-league-will-award-same-prizes-to-men-and-w">2019 equal pay deal with the World Surf League</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rBjcbZla2cA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/womens-surfing-riding-wave-towards-gender-equity-103299">Women’s surfing riding wave towards gender equity</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Christopher Nelius (director, writer and producer) and Julie Anne De Ruvo (co-writer) have sourced an unbelievable series of clips, likely dug out of garages the world over, combining previously unseen footage with brutally honest interviews.</p>
<p>The women interviewed include Australians Jodie Cooper, Pam Burridge and Layne Beachley; South African Wendy Botha and Americans Frieda Zamba, Lisa Andersen and Jorga and Jolene Smith. They speak frankly of the fight for equality in a chauvinistic time, their struggles in the surf and their own coming of age. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376903/original/file-20210103-15-1clne5i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376903/original/file-20210103-15-1clne5i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376903/original/file-20210103-15-1clne5i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376903/original/file-20210103-15-1clne5i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376903/original/file-20210103-15-1clne5i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376903/original/file-20210103-15-1clne5i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376903/original/file-20210103-15-1clne5i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376903/original/file-20210103-15-1clne5i.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">South African Wendy Botha surfing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Girls Can't Surf, Madman Entertainment</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the early years of competitive surfing, the sentiment of these women could be summarised as <em>we will succeed despite</em>. As the film tells, pioneering women surfers earned a tenth of the prize money and were at times relegated to holding contests during the men’s lunch breaks.</p>
<h2>Inferior waves</h2>
<p>The film highlights how much of the sport’s early focus was on how women looked. Speaking of women surfers in the 1980s, Damien Hardman, former surfing world champion, said, “I think they just need to look like women. Look feminine, attractive and dress well.”</p>
<p>Pam Burridge, the world champion in 1990, observes: “I got some flack that you girls need to lose weight or else the whole sport would fail.”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377295/original/file-20210106-13-l9pd5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377295/original/file-20210106-13-l9pd5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377295/original/file-20210106-13-l9pd5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377295/original/file-20210106-13-l9pd5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377295/original/file-20210106-13-l9pd5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377295/original/file-20210106-13-l9pd5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377295/original/file-20210106-13-l9pd5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377295/original/file-20210106-13-l9pd5g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pam Burridge, 1990 women’s world champion, in Paris.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Girls Can't Surf, Madman Entertainment</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It was hard for competing women to get the chance to even surf proper waves. Jorja Smith, former pro surfer and rookie of the year in 1985-86, describes men surfing the best waves while women were left with “this shitty, hell-hole, scum pit [part] of the ocean” with <a href="https://magicseaweed.com/news/onshore-vs-offshore/9050/">onshore</a> winds.</p>
<p>The surf conditions provided to these women were part of the bigger picture of respect and equality, or lack of it at the time. Although <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/09/i-thought-the-main-issue-in-womens-sports-was-equal-pay-i-was-wrong">pay</a> is the most visible topic in discussions of sports equality, broader respect for women’s competitions and <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/14/9/article-p1157.xml">the provision of support services</a> are just as important.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377293/original/file-20210106-13-1vz9kml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377293/original/file-20210106-13-1vz9kml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377293/original/file-20210106-13-1vz9kml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377293/original/file-20210106-13-1vz9kml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377293/original/file-20210106-13-1vz9kml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377293/original/file-20210106-13-1vz9kml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377293/original/file-20210106-13-1vz9kml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377293/original/file-20210106-13-1vz9kml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=506&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Pam Burridge with a prize-winning cheque in 1990.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Girls Can't Surf, Madman Entertainment</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>You can’t help but cringe as the film flashes back to 1989, when organisers of the Huntington Beach OP Pro in California decided to drop the women’s event to provide more prize money to the top 30 male surfers. (But, of course, keep the bikini contest). After an outcry led by the Smith twins, the OP relented, reinstating the women’s event.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hidden-women-of-history-isabel-letham-daring-australian-surfing-pioneer-111530">Hidden women of history: Isabel Letham, daring Australian surfing pioneer</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>‘Lacking permission’ but the tides will change</h2>
<p>An oft-stated argument at the time was that women surfers didn’t bring in the money through sponsorships from companies such as clothing brands — they didn’t sell bikinis the way male surfers sold board shorts.</p>
<p>But in 1993, Quicksilver discovered there was a shortage of the smallest size of boardshorts — because women were buying and wearing the men’s gear. It started a dedicated women’s surf wear brand called Roxy, which turned over US$600 million in just four years. </p>
<p>This film shows how women in surfing faced sexism and social backlash as they advocated for their rights, better pay, visibility and sponsorship deals.</p>
<p>As surf writer Nick Carroll observes:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The girls who got into pro-surfing in the early 1980s were pretty much exactly the same as the boys. They had the same dreams, the same visions but they didn’t have the permission of the surf culture. </p>
</blockquote>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377297/original/file-20210106-17-1gub5aq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377297/original/file-20210106-17-1gub5aq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377297/original/file-20210106-17-1gub5aq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377297/original/file-20210106-17-1gub5aq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377297/original/file-20210106-17-1gub5aq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=403&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377297/original/file-20210106-17-1gub5aq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377297/original/file-20210106-17-1gub5aq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377297/original/file-20210106-17-1gub5aq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jodie Cooper was known for her ability to surf big waves.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Girls Can't Surf, Madman Entertainment</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Girls Can’t Surf cements the idea that sport is a microcosm for society. The 1980s was a time of stark contrast: of bikini contests on the beach versus the “power suit”. For women surfers, the swimsuit was at the centre of their battle.</p>
<p>The skimpy bikinis they were required to wear in contests tended to go awry while competing, ending in “an enema so bad, I thought I was going to die”, in the unforgettable words of Jodie Cooper, an ex pro-surfer from West Australia, known for her ability to surf big waves. (Sadly, big waves were in short supply for women competing at that time).</p>
<p>Girls Can’t Surf has an ebb and flow, like the ocean’s tides. There is, at times, a sense of two steps forward, one step back. In 1999, for instance, at Jeffrey’s Bay in South Africa, women surfers were sent out to compete in a heat when there were no waves. They refused to paddle out — instead, collectively sitting at the water’s edge. This moment was regarded as a turning point.</p>
<p>Yet as these women show, a few passionate and dedicated people can be the start of a movement that changes history. At this year’s Tokyo Olympics, surfing events for both men and women will make their debut.</p>
<p><em>Girls Can’t Surf will premiere at the <a href="https://www.perthfestival.com.au/events/girls-can-t-surf/">Perth Festival on January 11</a>, at <a href="https://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/events/girls-cant-surf">Sydney Film Festival on January 17</a> and be released in Australian cinemas nationally in March, 2021. The Sydney screening screening will be attended by special guests Layne Beachley, Jodie Cooper, Pam Burridge, Pauline Menczer, and Christopher Nelius.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151919/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sophia Nimphius does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A new documentary is an extraordinary window into the second-class treatment once endured by female surfers.Sophia Nimphius, Professor of Human Performance, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1506002020-12-03T13:32:18Z2020-12-03T13:32:18ZWhat makes the world’s biggest surfable waves?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372324/original/file-20201201-19-dqsty5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C54%2C4482%2C2952&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some places, like Nazaré Canyon in Portugal, produce freakishly huge waves.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/PortugalBigWaveSurf/829564e6d6db420694b27898150d22c2/photo?Query=nazare%20surf%20maya&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=9&currentItemNo=1">AP Photo/Armando Franca</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Feb. 11, 2020, Brazilian <a href="https://youtu.be/fTuqJE03aH4">Maya Gabeira surfed a wave off the coast of Nazaré, Portugal,</a> that was 73.5 feet tall. Not only was this the biggest wave ever surfed by a woman, but it also turned out to be the biggest wave surfed by anyone in the 2019-2020 winter surfing season – the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/22/sports/biggest-wave-surfed-nazare-maya-gabeira.html">first time a woman has ridden the biggest wave of the year</a>.</p>
<p>As a female surfer myself – though of dubious abilities – this news made me really excited. I love it when female athletes accomplish things that typically garner headlines for men. But I am also a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=kAGkuGgAAAAJ">physical oceanographer and climate scientist</a> at Brandeis University. Gabeira’s feat got me thinking about the waves themselves in addition to the surfers who ride them. </p>
<p>What makes some waves so big? </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372331/original/file-20201201-21-y63erf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A satellite image of Hurricane Epsilon in the North Atlantic." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372331/original/file-20201201-21-y63erf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372331/original/file-20201201-21-y63erf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372331/original/file-20201201-21-y63erf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372331/original/file-20201201-21-y63erf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=713&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372331/original/file-20201201-21-y63erf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372331/original/file-20201201-21-y63erf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372331/original/file-20201201-21-y63erf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">After Hurricane Epsilon moved into the North Atlantic in late October, it sent a huge swell to Europe, including at Nazaré.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Atlantic_hurricane_season#/media/File:Epsilon_2020-10-21_2000Z.png">NOAA via Wikimedia Commons</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Waves start with a storm</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372326/original/file-20201201-13-ywe1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A pond with circular ripples against a mountain backdrop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372326/original/file-20201201-13-ywe1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372326/original/file-20201201-13-ywe1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372326/original/file-20201201-13-ywe1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372326/original/file-20201201-13-ywe1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372326/original/file-20201201-13-ywe1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372326/original/file-20201201-13-ywe1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372326/original/file-20201201-13-ywe1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Just like ripples in a pond, waves in the ocean propagate outward from the storm that generated them.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/rXVFCA3fQ4I">Garrett Sears via Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Think for a few seconds about what happens when you throw a stone into a serene pond. It creates a ring of waves – depressions and elevations of the water’s surface – that spread out from the center.</p>
<p>Waves in the ocean act similarly. On rare occasions earthquakes and landslides can generate waves, but usually waves are created by wind. Generally, the biggest and most powerful wind-generated waves are produced by <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00361">strong storms</a> that blow for a sustained period over a large area.</p>
<p>The waves that surfers ride originate in distant storms far across the ocean. For instance, the wave that Gabeira surfed at Nazaré was likely generated by a storm somewhere between Greenland and Newfoundland a few days earlier. The waves within a storm are usually messy and chaotic, but they grow more organized as they propagate away from the storm and faster waves outrun slower waves.</p>
<p>This <a href="https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.1948.0005">organization of the waves</a> creates “swell,” or regularly spaced lines of waves. When describing a swell, oceanographers and surfers generally care about three attributes. First, the height – how tall a wave is from the bottom to the top. Then the wavelength – the distance between the top of one wave and the top of the wave behind it. And finally the period – the time it takes for two consecutive waves to reach a fixed location.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372335/original/file-20201201-13-14sjc3q.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A graphic showing waves getting closer together and taller as seafloor gets shallow." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372335/original/file-20201201-13-14sjc3q.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372335/original/file-20201201-13-14sjc3q.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372335/original/file-20201201-13-14sjc3q.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372335/original/file-20201201-13-14sjc3q.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=315&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372335/original/file-20201201-13-14sjc3q.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372335/original/file-20201201-13-14sjc3q.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372335/original/file-20201201-13-14sjc3q.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">As the seafloor gets shallow, it starts to affect waves moving toward shore.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave_shoaling#/media/File:Propagation_du_tsunami_en_profondeur_variable.gif">Régis Lachaume via Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Seafloors control the waves</h2>
<p>Waves are not just sitting on top of the ocean. Their energy extends far below the surface, sometimes as deep as 500 feet. When waves move into shallower water close to shore, they start to “feel” the ocean’s bottom. When the bottom pulls and drags on the waves, they slow down, get closer together and grow taller.</p>
<p>As the waves move toward shore, the water gets ever more shallow and the waves keep growing until, eventually, they <a href="https://youtu.be/5nCcE-jABSo">become unstable and the wave “breaks”</a> as the crest spills over toward shore.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372337/original/file-20201201-19-amvsbd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A map showing the a large canyon extending off Nazaré." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372337/original/file-20201201-19-amvsbd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/372337/original/file-20201201-19-amvsbd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372337/original/file-20201201-19-amvsbd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372337/original/file-20201201-19-amvsbd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372337/original/file-20201201-19-amvsbd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372337/original/file-20201201-19-amvsbd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/372337/original/file-20201201-19-amvsbd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Nazaré Canyon, the dark winding depression extending horizontally across this aerial map, funnels and focuses wave energy toward one spot on the Portuguese coast, producing some of the biggest waves on Earth.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canh%C3%A3o_da_Nazar%C3%A9_mapa_batim%C3%A9trico.png">Rúdisicyon via Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When a swell is traveling through the ocean, the waves are all more or less the same size. But when swells run into a coastline, waves at one beach can be many times bigger than waves at another beach a mere mile away. So why don’t we find large waves breaking on all shores? Why are there some spots like Nazaré in Portugal, Mavericks in California and Jaws in Maui that are notorious for having big waves? </p>
<p>It comes down to what’s at the bottom of the ocean. </p>
<p>Most coasts do not have a smooth, evenly sloping bottom extending from the deep ocean to shore. There are reefs, sand banks and canyons that shape the underwater terrain. The shape and depth of the ocean floor is called the bathymetry.</p>
<p>[<em>The Conversation’s science, health and technology editors pick their favorite stories.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/science-editors-picks-71/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=science-favorite">Weekly on Wednesdays</a>.]</p>
<p>Just as light waves and sound waves will bend when they hit something or change speed – a process called refraction – so do ocean waves. When shallow bathymetry slows down a part of a wave, this causes the waves to refract. Similar to the way a magnifying glass can bend light to focus it into one bright spot, reefs, sand banks and canyons can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apor.2011.08.004">focus wave energy toward a single point of the coast</a>.</p>
<p>This is what <a href="https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/mechanics-nazare-portugual-biggest-waves-xl-surf/38658">happens at Nazaré to create giant waves</a>. Extending out to sea from the shore is an underwater canyon that was etched out by an ancient river when past sea level was much lower than it is today. As waves propagate toward shore over this canyon, it acts like a magnifying glass and refracts the waves toward the center of the canyon. This focusing of waves by the Nazaré Canyon helps make the largest surfable waves on the planet. </p>
<p>The next time you hear about someone like Maya Gabeira surfing a record-breaking wave at Nazaré, think about the faraway storms and the unique underwater bathymetry that are essential for generating such big waves. The wave she rode had been on a long journey, and at its crashing end, it was memorialized as she took off from its crest and rode down its huge, steep face.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150600/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sally Warner has received funding from National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.</span></em></p>Some beaches in the world tend to consistently produce huge waves. Places like Nazaré Canyon in Portugal and Mavericks in California are famous for their waves because of the shape of the seafloor.Sally Warner, Assistant Professor of Climate Science, Brandeis UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1284582020-01-06T18:54:26Z2020-01-06T18:54:26ZThe story of a wave: from wind-blown ripples to breaking on the beach<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307332/original/file-20191217-123983-1kerwmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C5439%2C3051&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">By the time a wave reaches shore, it may have travelled tens of thousands of kilometres.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ian Mitchinson / Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s a cliché, but <a href="https://youtu.be/j77S5hQPYBg">Aussies love the beach</a>. And little wonder: with 36,000 kilometres of coastline, Australia is blessed with some of the best beaches in the world. </p>
<p>Around 20 million Australians live within 50 kilometres of the coast. As summer temperatures soar, we flock to the ocean to splash, swim, surf, paddle, and plunge in the waves. </p>
<p>But where do those waves come from? How do they form, and why do they break? As it turns out, what we see at the shore is just the last few moments of an epic journey. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hidden-women-of-history-isabel-letham-daring-australian-surfing-pioneer-111530">Hidden women of history: Isabel Letham, daring Australian surfing pioneer</a>
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<h2>Great waves from tiny ripples grow</h2>
<p>The waves we see crashing on the beach can begin their lives tens of thousands of kilometres away. <em>Surface waves</em>, as they are known, are born when the wind blows over the ocean, amplifying small ripples and transferring momentum from the atmosphere to the water. </p>
<p>The height of the wave depends on how long the wind is blowing and the distance – or <em>fetch</em> – over which it blows. The largest waves are created by distant storms, which churn up the surface of the ocean and radiate waves outwards like ripples in a pond. </p>
<p>Surface waves don’t move the water itself very far – each water molecule travels forward and back in a circle a few meters across and ends up back at its starting point. </p>
<p>As the wave crest rises, water molecules gather gravitational potential energy that is released as kinetic energy when the water descends into the trough of the wave. This energy is then passed onto the next crest in a see-saw of kinetic and potential energy that can propagate across an entire ocean basin. </p>
<h2>The mounting wave</h2>
<p>Once a wave leaves the open ocean and approaches land, the sea floor begins to exert its influence. Surface waves transmit their energy more slowly in shallow water than in deep water. This causes energy to pile up near the shore. Waves start to <em>shoal</em>, becoming taller, steeper, and more closely spaced. </p>
<p>Once a wave grows too steep to hold together, it breaks. Breaking waves come in different varieties. </p>
<p><em>Spilling breakers</em>, which crumble gently into white water, occur when the sea floor rises relatively slowly. </p>
<p>By contrast, <em>plunging breakers</em> – the classic rolling waves favoured by surfers – form when the sea floor rises sharply, particularly near reefs and rocky headlands. </p>
<p>Finally, <em>surging waves</em> occur when the shore is almost vertical. These waves don’t produce breakers but rather a rhythmic rise and fall of the sea surface. </p>
<h2>Bend it like bathymetry</h2>
<p>The shape or topography of the sea floor – called <em>bathymetry</em> – can have remarkable effects on breaking waves. If the depth of the sea floor changes parallel to the coast, incoming waves will <em>refract</em> or bend so their crests line up with the shoreline. </p>
<p>The effect can be clearly seen near headlands: waves close to the headland move slowly because the water is shallow, while waves further out move more quickly. This causes waves to curl around the headland like a marching band rounding a corner.</p>
<p>Bathymetry is also responsible for some of the biggest waves on Earth. Famous big wave surf spots like Mavericks in Northern California and Nazaré in Portugal benefit from undersea canyons that refract incoming waves and focus them into monsters. The Nazaré wave originates from an undersea canyon almost 5 kilometres deep to produce waves as tall as an eight-storey building. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-get-sucked-in-by-the-rip-this-summer-21207">Don't get sucked in by the rip this summer</a>
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</p>
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<h2>Don’t risk the rip</h2>
<p>The story of a wave doesn’t end when it breaks, however. Breaking waves push water towards the shore, raising the water level. This water will try to flow back offshore via the lowest point along the beach. The result is a <em>rip current</em>: a swift, narrow current that flows out to sea. </p>
<p>Rip currents are Australia’s number one coastal hazard, responsible for more fatalities per year than shark attacks, bush fires, floods, and cyclones combined. Inexperienced swimmers caught in a rip can panic and try to swim against the current, which is a dangerous recipe for exhaustion. Yet most Australians are unable to identify a rip current, and two-thirds of those who think they can get it wrong. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307330/original/file-20191217-123992-1tntqn5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/307330/original/file-20191217-123992-1tntqn5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307330/original/file-20191217-123992-1tntqn5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307330/original/file-20191217-123992-1tntqn5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307330/original/file-20191217-123992-1tntqn5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307330/original/file-20191217-123992-1tntqn5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/307330/original/file-20191217-123992-1tntqn5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Purple dye traces the path of a rip current.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rob Brander</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To spot a rip, look for a gap in the waves, a dark channel, or ripples surrounded by smoother water. The safest thing to do is to stick to patrolled beaches and swim between the flags. If you do find yourself caught in a rip, Surf Lifesaving Australia advises you to stay calm and conserve your energy. </p>
<p>Rip currents are usually quite narrow, so swim at right angles to the current until you are outside the rip. If you are too tired to swim, tread water and let yourself go with the flow until the rip weakens and you can signal for help. </p>
<p>Above all, if you are unsure, <a href="https://beachsafe.org.au/surf-safety/ripcurrents">don’t risk the rip</a>. Sit back and enjoy the waves from a safe distance instead.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128458/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shane Keating does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There’s much more to waves than the part you see at the beach.Shane Keating, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics and Oceanography, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1115302019-02-24T19:14:10Z2019-02-24T19:14:10ZHidden women of history: Isabel Letham, daring Australian surfing pioneer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/263324/original/file-20190312-86699-owl905.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Letham with her board.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dee Why library.</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In this <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/hidden-women-of-history-64072">series</a>, we look at under-acknowledged women through the ages.</em></p>
<p>When we think of Australians who made history in 1915, the rugged Anzac is the figure who first springs to mind. A century after the Gallipoli campaign, that year has become near synonymous with the mythologised soldiers who fought and died in the Dardanelles. </p>
<p>But months before Australia’s so-called “baptism by fire” began at Anzac Cove, a more joyful baptism drew crowds to Sydney’s northern beaches. There, in January 1915, local 15-year-old Isabel Letham was inducted into the mysteries of surfing, becoming one of the first Australians to ride the waves. </p>
<p>This was the early days of Australia’s beach culture, as public bathing had only been legalised a few years before. Surf boards were almost unknown, and beachgoers instead entertained themselves with body surfing—then known as “surf shooting”. </p>
<p>Into this scene arrived Duke Kahanamoku, an Olympic swimmer and famed surfer from Hawai’i, the home of modern surf culture. Kahanamoku had been visiting Australia to test himself against local swimming talent, but was convinced to add a surfing demonstration to his itinerary. Sydneysiders were keen to see the handsome Polynesian show off the unfamiliar sport, and punters lined the sand of Freshwater beach. </p>
<p>Once in the waves, Kahanamoku decided to enhance the show with a tandem demonstration, and invited Letham to join him on the board. They made a striking couple: Kahanamoku was tall and muscled, while Letham was lithe and vivacious, her skin bronzed from long days at the beach. The duo were a local sensation, and Letham was hailed as the “Freshwater mermaid”. Thanks to the visiting Hawai’ian, both surfing and Letham were now big news. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259870/original/file-20190220-136739-1axv2qz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259870/original/file-20190220-136739-1axv2qz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259870/original/file-20190220-136739-1axv2qz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=809&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259870/original/file-20190220-136739-1axv2qz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=809&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259870/original/file-20190220-136739-1axv2qz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=809&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259870/original/file-20190220-136739-1axv2qz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1016&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259870/original/file-20190220-136739-1axv2qz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1016&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259870/original/file-20190220-136739-1axv2qz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1016&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Isabel Letham surfing circa 1916 or 1917.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dee Why Library</span></span>
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<p>Emboldened by this Australian celebrity, Letham decided to try her luck on the silver screen. The US film industry was taking the world by storm, and Hollywood was the place to be. Leaving school at 16, Letham found employment as a sports mistress at elite girls’ school Kambala, and also worked as a private swimming instructor. </p>
<p>By August 1918, she’d saved enough for a fare to California. The war was still raging but that was not enough to deter her. Still only in her teens, Letham set sail on the SS Niagara, the “Queen of the Pacific”. She travelled alone and with only the vaguest outline of a plan. </p>
<h2>‘A young Diana of the waves’</h2>
<p>Letham had no luck in Hollywood, but nonetheless revelled in the freedom of life abroad. She tackled the waves at Waikiki, partied with Russian aristocrats in New York, and lived a bachelorette lifestyle in Los Angeles, hairdressing to pay the bills. In California she continued to turn heads with her surfing skills, known as “a young Diana of the waves”. </p>
<p>Although she returned to Sydney in 1921 to nurse her ailing father, Letham was lured back to California soon after his death in 1923. This time, she settled in San Francisco, where she became a celebrated swimming instructor. At first, Letham worked at the University of California, Berkeley, where she developed expertise in modern approaches to swimming pedagogy, which stressed the technical mastery of each stroke. </p>
<p>Later she taught children at San Francisco’s public baths, and in 1926 was appointed swimming instructor at the luxurious City Women’s Club, an institution which boasted “the most beautiful indoor pool on the Pacific coast”. Having decided that “opportunities in the States were high for women”, Letham had adopted US citizenship in 1925. She was, by this point, a modern woman <em>par excellence</em>: economically independent, physically daring and unapologetically ambitious. </p>
<p>One of her ambitions was to introduce Australian-style beach safety patrols to California, where swimmers drowned at an alarming rate. In 1925, she had reached out to the Sydney lifesaving community to get them on board. </p>
<p>To her dismay, this idea was scuttled when Sydney’s surf clubs refused to grant Letham membership. “We do not teach ladies the work”, decreed the president of the national Surf Life Saving Association. Without any formal affiliation to the lifesaving movement, Letham found it nigh impossible to carry its message overseas, and her plan to export Australian expertise and reduce Californian fatalities came to naught.</p>
<h2>A champion of women</h2>
<p>In 1929, disaster struck. Letham fell down a manhole and suffered a serious back injury that required months of rehabilitation. Unable to work, she retreated to her family home in Sydney. Soon after, Wall Street crashed and her mother became seriously ill. Faced with financial strain and family responsibilities, Letham had little choice but to remain in Australia – a twist of fate she would long regret. </p>
<p>Back in Sydney, Letham derided the primitive state of local swimming education, and began teaching at pools throughout the northern suburbs. She was also an early proponent of synchronised swimming, and in the 1950s organised a “water ballet” at the Freshwater Ladies’ Swimming Club – an event inspired by the “rhythm swimming” she had observed at Berkeley several decades earlier. No longer a resident of the United States, her American citizenship was revoked in 1944. </p>
<p>In 1961, Isabel Letham retired as a swim coach. Over the previous three decades, she had become an icon of Sydney’s northern beaches, known and beloved for introducing generations of children to the water. Still living in the family home near South Curl Curl, she swam daily in the sea.</p>
<p>Later in life, Letham emerged as an enthusiastic champion of women’s incursion into the masculinist culture of Australian surfing.</p>
<p>“There’s no reason why girls should not be as good on surfboards as the boys. I’m all for them,” she proclaimed in 1963. In 1978, she became a life member and patron of the Australian Women Board Riders Association, and in 1993 was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame. She was an inspiration to a later generation of female surfers. </p>
<p>Although it was a man who first made her famous back in 1915, Isabel remained fiercely independent and never married. She lived until the ripe old age of 95, passing away on 11 March 1995. A true water baby until the end, her ashes were scattered off Manly and Freshwater beaches. </p>
<p><em>Correction: An earlier version of this article contained an image mistakenly labelled as one of Duke Kahanamoku and Isabel Letham. The photo, which was supplied to us and captioned by a picture researcher at the ABC, was in fact of Kahanamoku with Viola Cady Krahn. Thank you to our readers for pointing out this error.</em></p>
<p><em>Isabel Letham features in an episode of ABC radio’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/shootingthepast/">Shooting The Past</a> program called <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/shootingthepast/shooting-the-past-the-glide/10665822">The Glide</a>, exploring the history of surfing in Australia.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111530/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yves Rees does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Isabel Letham was one of the first Australians to ride the waves. After moving to the US in 1918, she became an epitome of the modern woman: economically independent, physically daring and unapologetically ambitious.Yves Rees, David Myers Research Fellow, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1032992018-09-30T20:06:18Z2018-09-30T20:06:18ZWomen’s surfing riding wave towards gender equity<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238396/original/file-20180927-48634-nsfhxo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=850%2C275%2C2371%2C2317&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Professional female surfers have been advocating for decades for equal pay, access to events, visibility and sponsorship.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ed Sloane / EPA</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="http://www.worldsurfleague.com/">World Surfing League</a> recently became the first US-based global sporting league to <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12120288">offer equal pay</a> to male and female competitors. </p>
<p>In a Facebook post, the league announced that women surfers will receive equal pay at all events from 2019. In the world of surfing - a sport and culture long dominated by men — this is a monumental development. </p>
<p>A range of issues, including women’s activism, international sport policy change, female leadership and male allies, have led to this decision. The factors might be unique to surfing but they illustrate the complex ways in which significant gender changes come about in some sports.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/should-women-athletes-earn-the-same-as-men-the-science-says-they-work-as-hard-57210">Should women athletes earn the same as men? The science says they work as hard</a>
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<h2>Women’s activism in surfing</h2>
<p>Since the beginning of <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/book/1755">wave-riding in ancient Hawaii</a>, women have been active participants in the cultural practice of surfing. In the contemporary context, however, the hyper-masculinity celebrated in surfing culture has meant that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13573322.2012.754752">women had to develop new strategies</a>.</p>
<p>Cori Schumacher, former world champion and self-proclaimed surf feminist and activist, described how from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s, female surfers were marginalised, with minimal sponsorship or prize money, and largely <a href="http://criticalsurfstudiesreader.org/">invisible in the surf media</a>.</p>
<p>Over the past decade, women’s positions in the sport have undergone radical changes. Professional female surfers gained the respect of their male peers and of viewers around the world. The visibility appears to be having important trickle-down effects, with the numbers of <a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6202-surfs-up-for-young-women-fifty-plus-201504222329">recreational female surfers continuing to grow</a>. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.worldsurfleague.com/">World Surfing League</a> (WSL) organises professional surfing internationally. In 2016 it instigated a move to address the gender pay balance. The men’s purse was US$551,000 (split between 36 surfers) and the women’s purse US$275,500 (divided among 18 surfers). </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238406/original/file-20180928-48650-15xey95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238406/original/file-20180928-48650-15xey95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238406/original/file-20180928-48650-15xey95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238406/original/file-20180928-48650-15xey95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238406/original/file-20180928-48650-15xey95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238406/original/file-20180928-48650-15xey95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238406/original/file-20180928-48650-15xey95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Women have been riding waves since the beginnings in ancient Hawaii.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Damien Poullenot EPA</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<p>Professional female surfers have been advocating for decades for their rights, including equal pay, access to events, visibility and sponsorship. Their struggles and successes have ebbed and flowed with industry changes, and alongside broader social trends. Women outside the professional sport have also contributed through campaigns against the <a href="https://www.theinertia.com/business-media/behind-closed-doors-roxy-makes-no-apologies/">sexualisation of female surfers</a>. </p>
<p>The Committee for Equity in Women’s Surfing has worked tirelessly to fight for <a href="https://www.theinertia.com/surf/committee-for-equity-in-womens-surfing-alleges-gender-discrimination-in-letter-to-california-coastal-commission/">gender equity</a>. It drove the movement in California for women to gain access and equal pay to the infamous big wave event at Mavericks.</p>
<p>When they failed to persuade the WSL, they lobbied the California Coastal Commission, the state permit-granting agency tied to the Mavericks event, arguing that <a href="https://www.theinertia.com/surf/did-mavericks-force-the-wsl-to-pony-up-an-estimated-1-4-million-for-pay-equality-womens-surfing/">gender-based discrimination was against the law</a>. Key members of the commission were convinced that this constituted inequity.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-money-may-be-pouring-into-womens-sport-but-theres-still-a-dearth-of-female-coaches-91486">More money may be pouring into women’s sport, but there's still a dearth of female coaches</a>
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<h2>Olympics and gender equity policy</h2>
<p>Surfing will be making its Olympic debut in the Tokyo 2020 summer games, and this also has an important effect. Much of the public commentary on the inclusion of surfing, alongside skateboarding and sport climbing, has focused on these sports’ <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2167479518780410">appeal to younger audiences</a>. But promoting women’s participation and involvement in sport is also central to the IOC’s modernisation agenda. Key aspirations include achieving 50% female participation. </p>
<p><a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0193723518781230">Our research</a> suggests that by setting targets for gender inclusion for the international federations, the IOC is exerting a regulatory pressure with impact on the structures and decision-making in recruitment of staff and committee representatives. </p>
<p>Surfing at the Olympics will be governed by the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=International+Surfing+Association&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-ab">International Surfing Association</a> (ISA), with the support of the WSL. The ISA actively promotes itself as being committed to “best practice”. Along with implementing some gender diversity across their various boards and committees, their flagship international surfing competitions are the central way to demonstrate this commitment. </p>
<p>In May, the ISA announced that it would <a href="https://www.isasurf.org/isa-continues-commitment-to-equality-in-surfing-with-gender-balanced-world-championships/">offer equal competition slots</a> for women and men in the 2018 World Surfing Games and the World Junior Surfing Championship. However, it has not been equitable across the board. In the 2018 Adaptive Surfing World Championship team competition, women’s events scores are only weighted at 50% of the men’s scores. 2017 World Champion adaptive surfer Dani Burt was so irked that she wrote a <a href="http://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/post/gender-inequity-adaptive-surfing-spurs-backlash">protest letter</a>, arguing that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The announcement of 50% points is not progress, it’s a reminder that in the eyes of the association and the world, women are considered less than men. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Women’s leadership, men’s support</h2>
<p>Our <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0193723518781230">research</a> has revealed that new opportunities for women in (or close to) leadership positions in surfing have also played an important role in initiating further changes towards gender equity. It was suggested that the WSL’s recent efforts to promote elite women was driven by Natasha Ziff, wife of non-surfing billionaire Dirk Ziff, a key WSL investor and interim chief executive in 2016 and 2017. </p>
<p>Women’s prize money and the number of events have increased dramatically. The industry is starting to recognise the abilities and market potential of female surfers, but Ziff’s influence seems to have accelerated the change. </p>
<p>In July 2017, the WSL appointed a new female chief executive, Sophie Goldschmidt. She was not a surf industry insider, but a seasoned sports industry executive who recently took 15th place on the Forbes list of the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/5aabea644bbe6f0fa82880d6/no-15-sophie-goldschmidt/#5527d5eb46b7">most powerful women in international sports</a>. Although initially arguing that pay in professional surfing was equitable, in interviews she has repeatedly declared her commitment to gender equity, and describes this latest announcement for equal pay as “an <a href="https://www.theplayerstribune.com/en-us/articles/stephanie-gilmore-kelly-slater-setting-the-standard">important statement</a> … celebrating what is happening in society”. </p>
<p>Earlier this year, in an attempt to reduce the widespread sexualisation of female surfers, the WSL released a warning against photographers zooming in on bikini bottoms. Goldschmidt was instrumental in this and other initiatives, including the launch of an international marketing campaign that will highlight the women’s tour.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238407/original/file-20180928-48631-1g23idy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238407/original/file-20180928-48631-1g23idy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238407/original/file-20180928-48631-1g23idy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238407/original/file-20180928-48631-1g23idy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238407/original/file-20180928-48631-1g23idy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238407/original/file-20180928-48631-1g23idy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238407/original/file-20180928-48631-1g23idy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Male athletes can play an important role in supporting female surfers’ struggles for equity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sergio Dionisio AAP</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<h2>A complex picture</h2>
<p>Our research also illustrates the important roles that men have played in supporting women’s struggles for equity. These male allies range from those in positions of power in sport organisations, industry and media, to professional surfers. For example, 11-time world champion Kelly Slater has repeatedly acknowledged the long history of phenomenal female surfers and their right to equal pay.</p>
<p>Researchers Johanna Adriaanse and Inge Claringbould have suggested that <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265379812_Gender_equality_in_sport_leadership_From_the_Brighton_Declaration_to_the_Sydney_Scoreboard">influential men can become change agents</a> when they challenge gender stereotypes within their <a href="https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781137533173">organisational structures</a>. They advocate that closer collaboration and support between men and women can help, but that the men who continue to control much of the resources need to be central.</p>
<p>Our research included comparisons of surfing and skateboarding. We have seen that men in powerful positions certainly play an important role in helping to create gender change. However, how they respond to the challenge of gender equity is informed by the gender relations within their sporting cultures.</p>
<p>Despite these important signs of change in surfing, many working in the industry continue to embrace practices that emphasise hegemonic masculinity, sexualising and objectifying womens’ bodies, and the exclusion of women as athletes and leaders. For any significant and sustained cultural change to occur, gender equality will need to be addressed across all practices - from national and international federations to everyday interactions among recreational participants. </p>
<p>The gender equity policy changes in surfing show that sporting feminism matters. Progress is often the result of activism, advocacy, and strategic alliances.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103299/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Belinda Wheaton works for The University of Waikato, NZ. She has received funding from UK and NZ research councils, and charities. She is affiliated with Professional Associations including; the Leisure Studies Association, the International Sociology of Sport Association and the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Holly Thorpe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The World Surfing League has announced that it will offer equal pay to male and female athletes. In a sport dominated by hyper-masculinity, this is a significant step.Holly Thorpe, Associate Professor in Sociology of Sport and Physical Culture, University of WaikatoBelinda Wheaton, Associate Professor in Sport, Leisure and Health, University of WaikatoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/926672018-09-28T03:55:53Z2018-09-28T03:55:53ZSharkSpotter combines AI and drone technology to spot sharks and aid swimmers on Australian beaches<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/213066/original/file-20180404-189830-9rzido.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=89%2C328%2C3890%2C1810&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many of Australia's beaches are now being monitored for shark safety by drones.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?src=uGuiFNQ2vv7uTY3WhBrAIw-1-9">from www.shutterstock.com</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Four tiger sharks have now been <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-23/fourth-shark-killed-after-cid-harbour-attacks/10296264">captured and killed</a> following two separate attacks off the coast of North Queensland last week. Despite being <a href="https://theconversation.com/factfile-the-facts-on-shark-bites-and-shark-numbers-76450">relatively rare</a>, shark attacks – or the threat of attacks – not only disrupt recreational beach activities, but can affect associated tourist industries. </p>
<p>Shark nets are a common solution to preventing shark attacks on Australian beaches, but they <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/return-of-shark-nets-at-metropolitan-nsw-beaches-revives-a-tangled-debate-20170831-gy7qd2.html">pose dangers</a> to marine ecosystems. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/not-just-nets-how-to-stop-shark-attacks-without-killing-sharks-69400">Not just nets: how to stop shark attacks without killing sharks</a>
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<p>Seeking a cost-effective way to monitor beach safety over large areas, we have developed a system called SharkSpotter. It combines artificial intelligence (AI), computing power, and drone technology to identify and alert lifesavers to sharks near swimmers. </p>
<p>SharkSpotter was named the national <a href="https://www.aiia.com.au/iawards/about/2018-winners-and-merits/2018-national-winners-and-merits">AI or Machine Learning Innovation of the Year</a> at the Australian Information industry Association (AIIA) annual iAwards this month.</p>
<p>The project is a collaboration between the University of Technology Sydney and The Ripper Group, which is pioneering the use of drones – called “Westpac Little Ripper Lifesavers” – in the search and rescue movement in Australia. </p>
<h2>A shark spotting drone</h2>
<p>SharkSpotter can detect sharks and other potential threats using real-time aerial imagery. The system analyses streaming video from a camera attached to a drone (an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV) to monitor beaches for sharks, issue alerts, and conduct rescues. </p>
<p>Developed using machine learning techniques known as “deep learning”, the SharkSpotter system receives streaming imagery from the drone camera and attempts to identify all objects in the scene. Once valid objects are detected, they are put into one of 16 categories: shark, whale, dolphin, rays, different types of boats, surfers, and swimmers. </p>
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<p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-guide-to-using-drones-to-study-wildlife-first-do-no-harm-57069">A guide to using drones to study wildlife: first, do no harm</a>
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<p>If a shark is detected, SharkSpotter provides both a visual indication on the computer screen and an audible alert to the operator. The operator verifies the alert and sends text messages from the SharkSpotter system to the Surf Life Savers for further action. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V0p_XOqlZfk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">SharkSpotter in action.</span></figcaption>
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<p>In an emergency, the drone is equipped with a lifesaving flotation pod together with an electronic shark repellent that can be dropped into the water in cases where swimmers are in severe distress, trapped in a rip, or if there are sharks close by. </p>
<h2>A new age of accuracy</h2>
<p>The development of SharkSpotter involved several stages. </p>
<p>Among the most time-consuming tasks was collecting and annotating the necessary data. The data were collected by The Ripper Group by flying a drone with a camera attached to it above different Australian beaches. </p>
<p>We then manually annotated each video to indicate the specific location of sharks and other objects. The video frames and the annotations were then used to train the deep learning algorithm to correctly identify and classify objects. </p>
<p>These advanced machine learning techniques significantly improve aerial detection to more than 90% accuracy. That’s much better than <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/research/areas/fisheries-and-ecosystems/wild-fisheries/outputs/2012/2090">conventional techniques</a> such as helicopters with human spotters (17.1%) and fixed-wing aircraft spotters (12.5%).</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-drones-can-help-fight-the-war-on-shark-attacks-71633">How drones can help fight the war on shark attacks</a>
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<p>We tested the system at different Australian beaches to determine the varying parameters, such as camera resolution, height above sea level (which can affect the vision clarity of drones), speed and flight duration. </p>
<p>After successful trials and fine-tuning of the system, SharkSpotter was <a href="http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/inventions/shark-hunting-aipowered-algorithm-to-begin-flying-over-aussie-beaches/news-story/10723640634388c2c760f6256bceb2d0">used across</a> a dozen popular beaches in New South Wales and Queensland last summer. </p>
<p>The system was developed to help Surf Life Savers monitor the beach more effectively – as opposed to replacing them – and has been received positively by end-users and communities alike, according to a survey conducted by The Ripper Group. </p>
<h2>Saving lives</h2>
<p>In January 2018, the Westpac Little Ripper Lifesaver was used to rescue two young swimmers caught in a rip at Lennox Head, NSW.</p>
<p>The drone flew down the beach some 800 metres from the lifeguard station, and a lifesaving flotation pod was dropped from the drone. The complete rescue operation took 70 seconds.</p>
<p>We believe SharkSpotter is a win-win for both marine life and beachgoers. From a technology perspective, it has demonstrated how to detect moving objects in a complex, dynamic marine environment from a fast-moving drone. </p>
<p>This unique technology combines dynamic video image processing AI and advanced drone technology to creatively address the global challenge of ensuring safe beaches, protecting marine environments, and enhancing tourism. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of Dr Paul Scully Power, co-founder of The Ripper Group, who partnered in the development of SharkSpotter.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/92667/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nabin Sharma receives funding from industry research collaborators, including the Ripper Group. He is affiliated with the IEEE (Senior Member), the ACM (Member) and the IUPRAI (Life member).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Blumenstein receives funding from industry research collaborators, including the Ripper Group. He is affiliated with the ACS, the IEEE and the AIIA.</span></em></p>Drones are now being used to warn beachgoers about sharks – with groundbreaking accuracy.Nabin Sharma, Senior Lecturer, UTS School of Software, University of Technology SydneyMichael Blumenstein, Associate Dean Research (Strategy and Management) at the University of Technology Sydney, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/851172017-10-18T19:18:29Z2017-10-18T19:18:29ZHang ten (decades): Walter Munk, inventor of the surf forecast, turns 100<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190740/original/file-20171018-32375-guhxwz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Like big waves? Thanks to surf forecasting, you'll know when and where to find them.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3A2010_mavericks_competition.jpg">Shalom Jacobovitz/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As dawn washes over Bondi Beach, you can see the surfers beyond the break, gently rising and falling on their boards. They gather like this when the surf forecast tells them a big swell is rolling in, carrying energy from a ferocious Antarctic storm thousands of kilometres away.</p>
<p>From <a href="http://www.coastalwatch.com/surf-cams-surf-reports/nsw/bondi-beach">Bondi</a> to <a href="http://magicseaweed.com/Tullan-Strand-Surf-Report/4539/">Bundoran</a>, <a href="http://www.surfline.com/surf-report/pipeline-oahu_4750/">Pipeline</a> to <a href="http://www.surfline.com/surf-report/mavericks-northern-california_4152/">Mavericks</a>, surfers around the world depend on the surf forecast to catch the perfect wave. Its inventor, Walter Munk, is 100 today – yet few surfers know his name, despite the debt of gratitude they owe him.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190741/original/file-20171018-32355-18xe3ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190741/original/file-20171018-32355-18xe3ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190741/original/file-20171018-32355-18xe3ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=882&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190741/original/file-20171018-32355-18xe3ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=882&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190741/original/file-20171018-32355-18xe3ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=882&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190741/original/file-20171018-32355-18xe3ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1109&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190741/original/file-20171018-32355-18xe3ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1109&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/190741/original/file-20171018-32355-18xe3ff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1109&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Walter Munk: the father of surf forecasting.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACrafoordprize_2010-03.jpg">Holger Motzkau/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>‘Einstein of the ocean’</h2>
<p>Munk might be under-appreciated in surfing circles, but he’s a big deal in ocean science. He has been described as the “<a href="https://tritonmag.com/munk/?utm_source=tritonmag.com&utm_medium=CampusPartner&utm_campaign=Fall2017">greatest living oceanographer</a>” and the “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/science/walter-munk-einstein-of-the-oceans-at-97.html?mcubz=3">Einstein of the ocean</a>”. </p>
<p>His <a href="http://scrippsscholars.ucsd.edu/wmunk/biocv">list of accolades</a> is astounding. There is a unit of measurement named after him: the “<a href="http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/full/10.1175/JCLI3887.1#n1">Munk unit</a>”. There’s a species of ray called <em><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobula_munkiana">Mobula munkiana</a></em>. There’s even a <a href="https://tos.org/munk-award">Walter Munk Award</a> for outstanding contributions to oceanography, which of course he has won. </p>
<p>Munk has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of ocean circulation, geology and climate change. But perhaps his most influential work is the science of wave prediction, which he developed while still a doctoral student in California. </p>
<h2>Wartime expertise</h2>
<p>After graduating from Caltech in 1938, Munk began a PhD with renowned Norwegian oceanographer <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harold-Ulrik-Sverdrup">Harald Sverdrup</a> in the sleepy seaside town of La Jolla. Distressed by Germany’s annexation of his native Austria, Munk became a US citizen and joined the war effort, first as an army private and later with the US Navy Radio and Sound Laboratory. </p>
<p>While observing Allied troops training for an <a href="http://www.historynet.com/operation-torch-allied-invasion-of-north-africa.htm">amphibious invasion</a> of Northwest Africa, Munk noticed that waves were pummelling the landing craft as they approached the beach. He immediately called Sverdrup, and together they developed techniques for predicting ocean waves and surf conditions for amphibious warfare. </p>
<p>Their methods were so successful that the Allied forces used these to predict wave conditions for the D-Day landings at Normandy. Based on those predictions, General Eisenhower delayed the operation, the largest naval invasion in history, until June 6, 1944. Undoubtedly, Munk’s research saved thousands of Allied lives and helped bring about the end of World War II.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CFXqrKIGALY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Waves across the Pacific</h2>
<p>Thus began a lifelong fascination with ocean waves. In 1963 Munk, then a professor at the <a href="https://scripps.ucsd.edu/">Scripps Institution of Oceanography</a>, led a team of scientist studying how swells generated by Antarctic storms travel more than 16,000km across the Pacific Ocean. </p>
<p>The team set up stations to measure the waves as they travelled in a <a href="http://www.caliper.com/glossary/what-is-a-great-circle.htm">great circle</a> from New Zealand to Alaska. Munk and his family spent more than a month in American Samoa for the experiment, monitoring pressure sensors mounted on the ocean floor and recording data on paper tape punched with holes. </p>
<p>The experiment yielded a surprising discovery. The waves showed very little decay in energy on their journey across the Pacific. The biggest change was a shift in the observed period of the wave – that is, the time between passing crests. Munk’s team found that the period increased as the waves moved northwards. </p>
<p>This happens because ocean waves are <a href="https://youtu.be/MX5cKoOm6Pk?t=18m47s">dispersive</a>, meaning that the speed of the wave depends on the period. Long-period waves move more rapidly, so they run to the front of the pack, while shorter-period waves lag behind. The phenomenon is well known to surfers, who experience this dispersive ordering as a gradual shortening of the time between sets of waves. </p>
<h2>Order from ‘lovely confusion’</h2>
<p>In a 1967 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX5cKoOm6Pk">documentary</a> that Munk made with his wife Judith about the experiment in the Pacific, he describes how an orderly ocean swell can emerge from the chaos of an Antarctic storm. Using the analogy of tossing a handful of pebbles into a pond, Munk describes how the water surface is initially broken up in “lovely confusion”. But eventually a steady procession of ripples can be seen spreading outwards from the point of impact – regular and predictable.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MX5cKoOm6Pk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Munk’s Pacific documentary.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Munk’s pioneering work on ocean swells, together with his wartime research on wave prediction, gave birth to the science of surf forecasting. In 2007 his contribution to surfing was <a href="https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/isnt-he-swell">formally recognised</a> by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groundswellsociety/">Groundswell Society</a>, a surfing advocacy group. Munk later recalled: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I have been fortunate in receiving the recognitions that are traditional in a scientific career. But none gave me as much unexpected pleasure as this recognition by the Groundswell Society. I was utterly delighted. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>After more than eight decades of ocean science, Munk shows no signs of slowing down. He is still hard at work, researching and speaking at international conferences. As the worldwide oceanographic community prepares to celebrate his centenary, Munk’s enthusiasm for discovery has not dimmed. </p>
<p>In an <a href="https://tritonmag.com/munk/?utm_source=tritonmag.com&utm_medium=CampusPartner&utm_campaign=Fall2017">interview this month</a>, Munk revealed what keeps him going. “More enthusiasm than knowledge. That’s been the key of my career — to get excited before I understand it.”</p>
<p>Hang loose, Walter.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/85117/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Walter Munk might be the most under-appreciated man in surfing, but he is a big deal in ocean science. If you’ve ever checked a surf forecast before paddling out, you have him to thank.Paul Spence, Senior Lecturer, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW SydneyShane Keating, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics and Oceanography, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/767482017-07-28T14:05:55Z2017-07-28T14:05:55ZSportswomen still face sexism, but feminism can help achieve a level playing field<p>Female athletes and leaders are undeniably more visible and increasingly successful in sport – putting in <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-31627312">incredible performances</a> both <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2658615-team-gbs-hockey-success-at-rio-2016-has-helped-redefine-british-sport%5D">on and off the field</a>. But these achievements still occur in a male defined sport sector – where female stars have to tackle marginalisation and sexualisation of their sporting performance and leadership skills. </p>
<p>Recent research also suggests that coverage of women’s sports has actually <a href="http://www.excellesports.com/news/womens-sports-coverage-sexist/">become more sexist</a> over the past four years – making it clear that in the current age, <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/everyday-sexism/laura-bates/9781471149207">everyday sexism</a> characterises the culture of sport. </p>
<p>Elite sportswomen who gain public visibility and acceptance <a href="https://www.infona.pl/resource/bwmeta1.element.springer-doi-10_1007-S11199-015-0497-6">tend to embody a femininity</a> that appeals to white, male heterosexual audiences (and TV producers). This means that women and girls can be subjects of unparalleled achievements in sport, but at the same time, they will be looked at as sex objects – and often applauded for their commitment to heterosexual domestic mothering roles. </p>
<p>Take Jessica Ennis-Hill, undoubtedly one of the world-leading heptathletes of all time, yet reports and pictures claiming her “golden girl” status are based more on her looks, model poses and domestic relationships than her <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-3559174/Jessica-Ennis-Hill-mother-Alison-support-other.html">athletic achievements</a>. </p>
<p>In surfing, women have increased recognition by the <a href="http://www.worldsurfleague.com/">World Surf League</a> via media coverage of women’s events and <a href="http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/the-english-surfing-federation-recently-joined-the-wsl-in-the-effort-to-offer-equal-pay-for-male-and-female-co_135052">increased prize money</a>. Yet imagery of the female surfer is still highly <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1329878X1515500112">sexualised and objectified</a>. Professional female surfers highlight that the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-15/female-surfers-call-for-end-to-sexist-culture-in-sport/7329932">industry is sexist and sponsors ignore surf talent</a> in favour of model looks. Many struggle to find sponsorship and report <a href="http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230523173_15">feeling pressured</a> to “show their arse” rather than “kick arse”. </p>
<p>Alana Blanchard, for example, remains the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-15/female-surfers-call-for-end-to-sexist-culture-in-sport/7329932">highest-paid female surfer</a> via sponsorship and endorsements. She is a darling of social media and <a href="http://stabmag.com/style/surfings-social-media-leaders-in-september/">tops polls</a> for being the “most popular athlete”, or “best photo” among male and female surfers. But she did not make it into the world top 30 in 2016.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/BM9xgeZDsL_/?taken-by=alanarblanchard\u0026hl=en","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Female athletes, including the boxer Nicola Adams, have <a href="http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/boxing-champion-nicola-adams-on-the-fight-for-equality-in-sport-1-8310911">highlighted the fight</a> for sporting equality. Adams has called for boxing to have more female ambassadors – like herself. Casey Stoney, a footballer who plays for Liverpool in the English FA Super League has also spoken about the difficulty of being female and being a sports star. She has openly identified the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/28316160">struggle in coming out</a> and being a mother in sport. Meanwhile Heather Rabbatts – the FA’s first female non-executive director and board member – has been <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/heather-rabbatts-many-women-would-love-a-role-in-sport-but-our-culture-stops-them-8646205.html">vocal about the restricted professional roles</a> for women in the male culture of sport.</p>
<h2>A man’s world</h2>
<p>So it’s good news then that some governments and international organisations are beginning to address the inequalities that female coaches and administrators face in sport. The recent <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/final-report-of-the-governments-women-and-sport-advisory-board">UK Government’s Women and Sport Report</a> also recognises the scale of the problem. </p>
<p>The International Olympic Committee has additionally claimed that the “real” problem for gender equality in sport is not simply fewer numbers of female athletes and events, but the <a href="https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-steps-it-up-for-gender-equality-on-international-women-s-day">lack of women in leadership and decision-making</a> roles more generally. </p>
<p>In our forthcoming book, we highlight how <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/project/The-Handbook-of-Feminisms-in-Sport-Leisure-and-Physical-Education">every sporting era is characterised by gender regulation</a>, discrimination, sexism and misogyny. Yet throughout history, feminist work has helped to challenge the sexualisation of female athletes – helping to open up the sporting world for females, while at the same time <a href="https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org">transforming gender-related rights</a> and athlete welfare. </p>
<p>It is in this way that men and women across the sporting sector can continue to help to challenge and change the everyday sexism in the culture of elite sport. This is something that is vitally important – because, for women, pathways to power are invariably littered with reminders that sport is still very much a man’s world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/76748/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Louise Mansfield works for Brunel University London and receives funding from UK research councils,
government organisations and charities. She is affiliated with the Leisure Studies Association, the International Sociology of Sport Association and the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Belinda Wheaton works for The University of Waikato, NZ. She receives funding from UK and NZ research councils, and charities. She is affiliated with the Leisure Studies Association, the International Sociology of Sport Association and the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jayne Caudwell works for Bournemouth University. She receives, occasionally, external funding including government-funded, foundation or research council grants. She is affiliated with Leisure Studies Association, Amnesty International, the Labour Party and the University and College Union, </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Watson works for Leeds Beckett University. She receives, occasionally, external funding including government-funded, foundation or research council grants. She is affiliated with Leisure Studies Association and the University and College Union. </span></em></p>The reality of life as a female sports star.Louise Mansfield, Senior Lecturer in Sport, Health and Social Sciences, Brunel University LondonBelinda Wheaton, Associate Professor in Sport and Leisure Studies, University of WaikatoJayne Caudwell, Associate Professor Leisure Cultures, Bournemouth UniversityRebecca Watson, Reader in Sport and Leisure and Studies, Leeds Beckett UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/810072017-07-20T09:52:16Z2017-07-20T09:52:16ZWant to develop ‘grit’? Take up surfing<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178835/original/file-20170719-24242-d8itn7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rhi Willmot</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>My friend, Joe Weghofer, is a keen surfer, so when he was told he’d never walk again, following a 20ft spine-shattering fall, it was just about the worst news he could have received. Yet, a month later, Joe managed to stand. A further month, and he was walking. Several years on, he is back in the water, a board beneath his feet. Joe has what people in the field of positive psychology call “grit”, and I believe surfing helped him develop this trait.</p>
<p><a href="http://rrhs.schoolwires.net/cms/lib7/WI01001304/Centricity/Domain/187/Grit%20JPSP.pdf">Grit</a> describes the ability to persevere with long-term goals, sustaining interest and energy over months or years. For Joe, this meant struggling through arduous physiotherapy exercises and remaining engaged and hopeful throughout his recovery. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3910317/">Research suggests</a> that gritty people are more likely to succeed in a range of challenging situations. Grittier <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3910317/">high school students</a> are more likely to graduate. Grittier <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760903157232">novice teachers</a> are more likely to remain in the profession and <a href="http://www.hardiness-resilience.com/docs/Battlebook-129-pages-2AUG2015.pdf#page=104">gritty military cadets</a> are more likely to make it through intense mental and physical training. The secret to this success is found in the ability to keep going when things get tough. Gritty people don’t give up and they don’t get bored.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178848/original/file-20170719-13576-1b9mjla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178848/original/file-20170719-13576-1b9mjla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178848/original/file-20170719-13576-1b9mjla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178848/original/file-20170719-13576-1b9mjla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178848/original/file-20170719-13576-1b9mjla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178848/original/file-20170719-13576-1b9mjla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178848/original/file-20170719-13576-1b9mjla.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Joe shortly after his accident.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rhi Willmot</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research also suggests that grit can be <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0013175X14561420">learned</a>. Certain conditions can foster grit, allowing grit developed in one domain to <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2007-07951-009">transfer</a> to other, more challenging, situations. Surfing is a good example of how grit can be gently cultivated, strengthened and then honed. So although getting back in the water itself was important to Joe, his previous surfing experience may well have developed his ability to persevere long before he became injured. Here’s how:</p>
<h2>Effort</h2>
<p>Gritty people have a strong appreciation of the connection between <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioral-and-brain-sciences/article/an-opportunity-cost-model-of-subjective-effort-and-task-performance/8EB5B3A090D390C92891C703EC420A51">hard work and reward</a>. In contrast to simply running onto a hockey pitch, or diving into a pool, surfing is unique in that you have to battle through the white water at the shoreline before you can even begin to enjoy the feeling of sliding down a glassy, green wave. This is difficult, but the adrenaline rush of riding a wave is worth the cost of paddling out.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://homepages.se.edu/cvonbergen/files/2013/01/Learned-Industriousness.pdf">theory of learned industriousness</a> suggests that pairing effort and reward doesn’t just reinforce behaviour but also makes the very sensation of effort rewarding in itself. Repeated cycles of paddling out and surfing in are particularly effective at developing an association between intense effort and potent reward. This is especially relevant given that grit is described as a combination of effort and enjoyment. Gritty people don’t just slave away, they eagerly chase difficult goals in a ferocious pursuit of success.</p>
<h2>Passion</h2>
<p>Surfers’ passion for their sport is well known – it may even be described as an addiction. One of the properties that makes surfing so addictive is its unpredictability. </p>
<p>The ocean is a constantly changing environment, making it difficult to know exactly when and where the next wave is about to break. This means watery reinforcement is delivered on something called a <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2004-21805-000">variable-interval schedule</a>; any number of quality waves might arrive at any point in a given time frame. Importantly, we receive a stronger release of the motivating neurotransmitter dopamine when a reward is <a href="http://www.jneurosci.org/content/21/8/2793.short">unexpected</a>. So when a surfer is surprised by the next perfect wave, dopamine-sensitive pleasure centres in the brain become all the more stimulated.</p>
<p>Behaviour that is trained under a variable-interval schedule is much more likely to be maintained than behaviour that is rewarded <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1901/jeab.1976.26-135/full">more consistently</a>, making surfers better able to persevere when the waves take a long time to materialise.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178974/original/file-20170720-24017-1g78xcg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/178974/original/file-20170720-24017-1g78xcg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178974/original/file-20170720-24017-1g78xcg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178974/original/file-20170720-24017-1g78xcg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178974/original/file-20170720-24017-1g78xcg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178974/original/file-20170720-24017-1g78xcg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/178974/original/file-20170720-24017-1g78xcg.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Joe, enjoying the activity that made him who he is.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rhi Willmot</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Purpose</h2>
<p>The final grit-honing element of surfing is its ability to provide a sense of purpose. Feeling purposeful – a state psychologists <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2740716/">describe</a> as a belief that life is meaningful and worthwhile – involves doing things that take us closer to our important goals. It usually means acting in line with our values and being part of something bigger than ourselves. This could refer to religious practice, connecting to nature or simply helping other people. </p>
<p>Research suggests that as levels of grit increase, so does a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-014-9593-5">sense of purpose</a>. But this doesn’t mean that gritty people are saints – just that they have an awareness of how their activities connect to a cause beyond themselves, as well as their own deeply held values.</p>
<p>The physical and mental challenge offered by surfing provides a sense of personal fulfilment. It’s always possible to paddle faster, ride for longer or try the next manoeuvre, but spending time waiting for the next wave also provides a valuable opportunity to reflect. </p>
<p>The ocean is a powerful beast. Serenity can quickly be replaced with chaos when an indomitable set of waves arrives, five-foot-high walls of water, stacked one after the other. Witnessing the power of nature in this way can certainly deliver a sense of perspective, helping you to feel connected to something meaningful and awe inspiring.</p>
<p>Of course, surfing isn’t the only way to build grit. The important lesson here is that developing our passion and identifying our purpose can help us persevere with the activities we love. This provides a valuable reservoir of strength, to be used when we need it the most. And while coming back from such a serious injury requires more than just grit, Joe’s persistent effort and unwillingness to give in have undoubtedly helped him to once again enjoy the sport that made him who he is.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81007/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rhi Willmot does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Surfing can strengthen your ability to persevere.Rhi Willmot, PhD Researcher in Behavioural and Positive Psychology, Bangor UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/791072017-06-16T03:40:48Z2017-06-16T03:40:48ZSurfing the 3D printing wave: the changing face of surfboard fin production<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173496/original/file-20170613-15666-9yqiy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Marc in het Panhuis demonstrating that surfers require fins in their surfboards for stability and control during manoeuvres. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jones Beach Boardriders Club</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>To catch a sweet ride, surfers rely heavily on two things: the waves, and their board. </p>
<p>Surfers can order surfboards that are customised to their needs, or choose from a range of pre-made boards, with little difference in cost. When it comes to surfboard fins, however, it’s a different story. </p>
<p>Fins are aerodynamic foils that act like rudders while surfing, usually attached to the rear bottom of the surfboard. Fins were once permanently glassed into the board, but these days almost all boards have a removable fin system. </p>
<p>Manufacturers of removable fin systems make exceptional products, but the current manufacturing process involves injection moulding, which is very expensive. This pushes it out of economic reach for most surfers looking for a customised fin. </p>
<p>Enter three dimensional (3D) printing. We have developed, designed and 3D printed <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/mrs-advances/article/additive-manufacturing-modeling-and-performance-evaluation-of-3d-printed-fins-for-surfboards/B59DA5E6D03D20549C7073D2B13F896C">surfboard fins made from composite materials</a>, and have built and trialled prototype fins with flexibility similar to those available in shops.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/96Zysk7WgVs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">3D printed fins explained.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>3D printed surfing fins</h2>
<p>3D printing (or <a href="http://additivemanufacturing.com/basics/">additive manufacturing</a>) refers to a range of manufacturing technologies using computer-aided design and layer-by-layer, bottom-up construction. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173574/original/file-20170613-20086-1vdmpbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173574/original/file-20170613-20086-1vdmpbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173574/original/file-20170613-20086-1vdmpbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173574/original/file-20170613-20086-1vdmpbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173574/original/file-20170613-20086-1vdmpbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173574/original/file-20170613-20086-1vdmpbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173574/original/file-20170613-20086-1vdmpbz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A typical 3D printer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marc in het Panhuis</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Bypassing the need for conventional technologies – such as milling, turning or moulding – it’s perfect for rapid prototyping and fabrication of custom-designed products. 3D printing is ideal for building surfing fins. </p>
<p>Although using 3D printing to make fins is relatively new, there are several examples available on the internet. Most of these have been produced on <a href="http://www.stratasys.com/3d-printers/technologies/fdm-technology">FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling)</a> printers. </p>
<h2>The market for fins</h2>
<p>Fins never used to be disposable, at least not for most recreational surfers. These days, however, almost every surfboard (either custom made or bought from a shop) is sold without fins. The fins have become a separate commodity that surfers add to their surfboard. Many surfers use different fins on the same board depending on the wave conditions, such as stiffer fins for larger waves. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173575/original/file-20170613-25868-rs858x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173575/original/file-20170613-25868-rs858x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173575/original/file-20170613-25868-rs858x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173575/original/file-20170613-25868-rs858x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173575/original/file-20170613-25868-rs858x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173575/original/file-20170613-25868-rs858x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173575/original/file-20170613-25868-rs858x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=423&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Marc in het Panhuis with a custom-made board.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Paul Jones</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The surf retail scene has changed accordingly. <a href="https://finshop.com.au/">Shops have sprung up</a> that are now entirely dedicated to just selling fins. </p>
<p>Fin prices vary depending on the type of surfboard. High-end single fins for <a href="https://finshop.com.au/collections/longboard">longboards and stand-up paddle boards retail for up to AU$150</a>. For shortboards fitted with a thruster (three fin) configuration, prices vary between AU$50 and AU$180. </p>
<p>Surfers wanting the option of surfing their board in either thruster or quad (four fin) configurations can pay as much as AU$270 for a complimentary set of five fins.</p>
<p>Data on fin sales are not easy to find, but the annual revenue for the entire surfing industry is <a href="http://www.statisticbrain.com/surfing-statistics/">estimated at US$ 7.3 billion</a>. And given that the number of <a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6202-surfs-up-for-young-women-fifty-plus-201504222329">Australians who surf is at least 750,000</a>, the Australian market for fins is around A$75 million per year (based on the conservative assumption that every year each Australian surfer buys at least one set of fins, worth A$100).</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173572/original/file-20170613-20086-1j0q0oz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173572/original/file-20170613-20086-1j0q0oz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173572/original/file-20170613-20086-1j0q0oz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173572/original/file-20170613-20086-1j0q0oz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173572/original/file-20170613-20086-1j0q0oz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173572/original/file-20170613-20086-1j0q0oz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173572/original/file-20170613-20086-1j0q0oz.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Selection of fins in a dedicated fin shop.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Chris Gibson and Andrew Warren</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Traditional fin production</h2>
<p>Mass produced fins all use <a href="http://www.theinertia.com/surf/the-definitive-guide-to-surfboard-fins-part-two/">some sort of moulding process</a> that involves injecting resin in combination with materials such as fibreglass.</p>
<p>Other options include using a honeycomb or hexagonal core that is incorporated in the moulding process. This can be further modified by strategically placing a skin of carbon, Kevlar or aluminium-coated fibreglass (texalium) on the fin during production. Commercial fins are usually composite materials. </p>
<p>3D printed fins have been made using a wide range of thermoplastic polymers, such as ABS (<a href="https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-abs-plastic">Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene</a>) and PLA (<a href="https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/learn-about-polylactic-acid-pla-prototypes">PolyLactic Acid</a>). </p>
<p>However, the key is to use materials that offer the required material characteristics, such as stiffness or flexibility. We have found that composite, or mixed materials are required to produce 3D printed fins with <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/mrs-advances/article/additive-manufacturing-modeling-and-performance-evaluation-of-3d-printed-fins-for-surfboards/B59DA5E6D03D20549C7073D2B13F896C">similar flex properties to that found in commercial fins</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173570/original/file-20170613-19222-50ubck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/173570/original/file-20170613-19222-50ubck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173570/original/file-20170613-19222-50ubck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173570/original/file-20170613-19222-50ubck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173570/original/file-20170613-19222-50ubck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173570/original/file-20170613-19222-50ubck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/173570/original/file-20170613-19222-50ubck.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">3D printed fins.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marc in het Panhuis</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What surfers look for in fins</h2>
<p>Fins in surfboards enable surfers to control the direction that their surfboard travels. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.exploratorium.edu/theworld/surfing/physics/index.html">The physics of this takes time to explain</a>, but it essentially comes down to this: surfers look for a surfboard and fin combination that enables them to execute manoeuvres with speed, power and/or flow depending on their skill level. </p>
<p>3D printing allows a surfer to tailor-make a fin suited to their particular style of surfing. Just like paying for a set of golf clubs fitted to your size and skill level, 3D printing enables the fitting of fins to your surfboard, height, weight, ability and style. </p>
<p>In addition, surfers are thinking more and more about <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=ZjolDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA87&ots=mkKHoGbonz&lr&pg=PA87#v=onepage&q&f=false">sustainable solutions for the surfing industry</a>. 3D printers can easily incorporate recycled materials to print new fins. </p>
<h2>Ready-made <em>vs</em> custom-built</h2>
<p>There are surfers who like to buy ready-made boards, and those who order custom boards from shapers. With fins, this is likely to be similar. </p>
<p>3D printed fins are for those surfers who like to control all aspects of their surfing equipment, and will suit those who feel it is important to have fins made to their exact specification. </p>
<p>3D printed fins also offer advantages for developing personalised fins for surf therapy and adaptive (disabled) surfer programs, depending on the needs of the surfer. Personalised fins will allow for better stability, control and steering thereby enhancing the surfing experience. </p>
<p>3D printing may even change surfboard construction. Recently, three-time world surfing champion <a href="https://players.brightcove.net/3468649905001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5435581511001">Mick Fanning rode waves using a 3D-printed surfboard</a>. While most of us won’t achieve the lofty heights of <a href="http://mickfanning.com.au/bio">Australia’s champion professional surfer</a>, there may soon be a day when every surfer will be able to insert custom made 3D printed fins into a board, and take to the waves.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>Lead author Marc in het Panhuis gets up every day before sunrise, and heads to the ocean for a surf.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/79107/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marc in het Panhuis receives funding from the University of Wollongong Global Challenges programmes for research on 3D printed fins for surfboards. The University of Wollongong is seeking to commercialise their 3D printed fin technology. Marc is grateful to Australian National Fabrication Facilities (ANFF) for access to additive manufacturing technology. His other research activities on soft materials are funded through the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science. He is affiliated with Jones Beach Boardriders Club (Kiama Down, NSW, Australia). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Warren receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is also part of the team that has received funding from the University of Wollongong Global Challenges program for research on 3D printed fins for surfboards.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>AProf Buyung Kosasih is part of the team that has received funding from the University of Wollongong Global Challenges program for research on 3D printed fins for surfboards.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Gibson receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Stephen Beirne is part of the team that has received funding from the University of Wollongong Global Challenges program for research on 3D printed fins for surfboards.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julie Steele is part of the team that has received funding from the University of Wollongong Global Challenges program for research on 3D printed fins for surfboards.
</span></em></p>3D printing looms as a gamechanger for the surfing industry as surfboard and fin technology become increasingly high-tech.Marc in het Panhuis, Professor of Materials Science, University of WollongongAndrew Warren, Economic Geography, University of WollongongBuyung Kosasih, Associate professor, University of WollongongChris Gibson, Director, UOW Global Challenges Program & Professor of Human Geography, University of WollongongDr Stephen Beirne, Senior research fellow, University of WollongongJulie Steele, Professor, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.