Upon further consideration of my previous rant about the Tita at Bowls, I feel I should make myself clear: Surfing localism is not pervasive–it depends on what you look like, how good you are, and where you paddle out. We’ve all heard those nightmarish stories about guys getting their faces bashed in by surfers in Makaha. This kind of bullying behavior is clearly unnecessary, but it is an effective strategy in keeping some surfers out of the water. Is that the way things should be, though? I don’t think so.
A fonder illustration: I paddled out to Aina Haina’s nearly every week because I always meet the nicest, most generous surfers in the water. I never fret about being alone. I always feel safe. And I’m willing to accept when it’s crowded because I’m contributing to the crowd.
It’s the lack of toleration and acceptance that bothers me. We don’t own the water. We should respect it and share it.
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