Though part of the U.S., I think about Puerto Rico has a really distinct historical past and tradition from most mainland states. What would you say are among the distinctive components within the historical past of browsing in Puerto Rico which have contributed to growing the present surf tradition?
The e book Atomic Surfer is the primary a part of a 3 quantity collection on the historical past and growth of browsing in Puerto Rico, and though I can’t reply this query in the meanwhile, I can say that the colonization of Puerto Rico by the USA after 1898 did create a discussion board, which allowed for the extra speedy diffusion of a “Californicated” Hawaiian browsing to the island.
Primarily based by yourself expertise and knowledge you’ve gotten come throughout throughout analysis, what would you say are some components that make the surf tradition in Puerto Rico distinctive? How completely different does it really feel from different locations you’ve gotten surfed and why do you assume that’s?
Come to consider it, I don’t assume the Puerto Rican surf tradition is any completely different than somewhere else; actually, fairly the opposite. I’ll offer you a number of examples. Once you learn concerning the adjustments in California surf tradition that occurred after the film “Gidget”, it’s amusing to note lots of the identical social dynamics in Puerto Rico. Mickey Dora will get annoyed, offended, and violent at seeing so many individuals after 1959 at his favourite spot, “Malibu” – notably after he and Mike Doyle had interacted with Kathy Kohner once they had the waves to themselves. The emergence of ‘competitors’ and a point of battle is inevitable in all surf spots with a speedy inhabitants progress price; it’s the typical symptom of ‘overpopulation’. Given the identical fixed variety of waves, with every new individual, there are much less alternatives to catch waves, and therefore a better variety of conflicts within the water.
Additionally, the actual wave dynamics have a big impact. For instance, “Inches” (a spot in Patillas, southeastern Puerto Rico) has just one [tiny] peak, so even with 10 guys it feels crowded. In contrast, a extra unfold out place like “Domes” (in Rincon, on the west coast) can match extra surfers due to its completely different peaks. That is one advantage of massive wave driving: as wave measurement will increase, the barrier of entry can be elevated (based mostly on advantage). Thus when “La Ocho” (in Escambron, northern Puerto Rico, simply off San Juan) will get massive, one of many key advantages is that the variety of folks within the water is drastically curtailed.
The demographic composition of a spot too may have a big impact on its given ‘spot tradition’: the range of ethnic teams, the extent of schooling, the extent of affluence will all play a job in giving a specific spot its ‘character’. If a bunch is used to resolving conflicts in a violent method on land, they may also are likely to resolve conflicts in a violent method within the water. And at last, if there are not any surfers within the water, few folks will get in. Throughout the1960s, spots as #5 and #2 1/2 close to Previous San Juan have been very fashionable, and now they’re hardly ever surfed. In Mexico, 5 of us drove by means of mosquito infested jungles to get to pristine empty breaks; the dearth of roads recommended that it will stay that approach. So the presence or absence of surfers might be stated to be a operate of their quantity, reaching a most relative to wave incidence, measurement, and distance from the shore.
A single surfer who surfs perfects waves at some far-off place however who has no viewers is unlikely to proceed to surf it. Browsing on this sense is deeply associated to masculinity and male self-hood, which can’t happen within the absence of an viewers whom will witness and testify to the occasions and/or private achievements—and therefore why friendship can be such an integral a part of the game. One may say that browsing helps to offer that means to people who lack it in a contemporary social context, the place a lot has been faraway from of our management and volition.
“Como indicó Salvador Brau, más de un 81% de los puertorriqueños vivían en la montaña, en contraste con el pequeño por ciento que vivían en las urbes tradicionales de la costa: San Juan, Ponce, Mayaguez o Aguadilla. Si consideramos la tecnología de transporte en el cual la cultura del siglo XIX se ubicaba, junto al contexto represivo colonial, el rechazo al océano en Puerto Rico empieza a hacer más sentido. (…) La interacción diaria con un fenómeno tiende a desarrollar nuestro interés y destrezas con el objeto de cercanía; mientras más distante se encuentra, menos propensos estaremos a interaccionar con el objeto debido su distancia. Aunque unas pocas millas no nos importen en el mundo del 2021 debido a la relativa facilidad y bajo costo con el cual nos podemos transportar, sin duda tal no period el caso en el Puerto Rico colonial. Cuando comparamos la experiencia borinqueña histórica con la de Hawai, cuyo núcleo de surf se encontraba en la playa de Waikiki — tan cercana y tentadora al usuario, con olas que invitaban su uso y deleite, la diferencia de experiencia es sustancial. A pesar de tener una de las mejores olas del mundo, el browsing vino a Rincón exógenamente, desde afuera, y no originó endógenamente, desde sus procesos culturales internos.”
