The other day I was out surfing fun, overhead waves on a relatively uncrowded afternoon, when I dropped in on a body boarder. It wasn't a big deal, as I immediately kicked out when I saw he was trimming behind me. Still, I dropped in on him knowing full well he was going on the wave, and I did so without giving it a second thought. When I reflected on the incident later, I realized that I wouldn't have done the same thing had he been a stand-up surfer. It was as if I was unconsciously making a statement that I was not going to give the body boarder the benefit of the doubt on that wave - or on any wave for that matter.

Traditionally, there's always been a great deal of debate over what constitutes "true surfing." Specifically, proponents of less-orthodoxed manners of wave-riding - body boarding, knee boarding, surf kayaking, and other forms of riding waves - have long lobbied for equal status in the surfing lineup. But save a few exceptions, they have always been denied.

Why is it we stand-up surfers discriminate against other forms of wave riding? And don't sit there and try to tell me we don't. Let's be honest - when was the last time you welcomed with equal respect a body boarder at your local break? Hooted at one after a particularly good ride? I thought so. If you're at all like me, and I suspect you are, you don't like them, period. They clog lineups, require minimal skill to ride, and can turn and take off at the last second on a wave without the risk of falling. Surf kayakers, for their part, are able to catch waves dozens of yards further out than stand-up surfers, are less maneuverable and therefore represent an increased collision risk, and just plain look dorky (okay, that’s a cheap shot - how about "aesthetically unpleasing?").

I realize I am likely offending many of you out there who use alternative wave riding vehicles. But I simply point out what is a commonly held opinion, and once more I'm not saying that it's right. Just ask any surfer how they feel about the issue, and if they are honest, they will undoubtedly say the same. And for those of you surfers out there who think you don't discriminate, think long and hard before you proclaim saint status. Here's an easy way to test yourself: imagine surfing your favorite secret spot with just yourself and a friend. The surf is firing, and the two of you are trading waves, having a ball. Suddenly, a car pulls up, and three "surfers" jump out. Would you prefer they be body boarders as opposed to stand-up surfers? How about surf kayakers? Knee boarders? I'm willing to bet that nine out of ten of you would rather they be other surfers, and that if they weren’t you would treat them differently in the water.

The surfing media is noticeably silent on the issue. They never come out and actually say it, but when was the last time you saw a photo of a body boarder or a knee boarder in a mainstream surfing publication? With their silence, the magazines and video producers have made their own judgments as to what is "surfing." But they also realize that if they were to come out and say anything specific, they would risk alienating a portion of their audience that may not ride traditional surfboards .

This merely represents more evidence of the exclusivity inherent in modern surfing. Elitist bastards are we. I mean, along with many other surfers I know, I too first learned to ride waves on a body board. So how is it that I now look at my prone counterpart as an invading alien, as opposed to a tribal brother? Are we not all wave riding brethren, sharing waves equally and enjoying the ocean's beauty? Absolutely not seems to be the answer, and for that we are all to blame.

But perhaps there is more to it than simple ethnocentricity. If one were to look at the history of surfing, the earliest depictions of wave riding involved outrigger canoes in Polynesia, reed boats in Peru, and kayak-like craft in Alaska. But these for the most part were working craft, and it was the Polynesians who can lay claim to evolving surfing into a leisure activity, a sport originally reserved for Hawaiian royalty. These kings and queens were not, however, riding body boards, nor were they riding on their knees. They were standing, and much of the skill and grace depicted through historical imagery and prose centers around stand-up surfing. Is it too much to assume then that our modern-day prejudices may stem from these original depictions of surfing, where royalty was revered for their skill and acumen in standing upright on a surfboard?

Advocates will counter and point to well-respected surfing luminaries such as Mike Stewart, George Greenough, and Tom Morey as examples of famous wave riders who did not stand but are still held in very high regard (although it should be noted that all three did/do partake in stand-up surfing as well). That may be true, but they also represent exceptions to the rule. They were pioneers in body boarding and knee boarding, yet despite all of their accomplishments, even they could not push other wave riding forms to a place of broad acceptance and respect.

Like it or not, there is an unspoken code that prevails amongst surfers around the globe, one that has been shaped by surf-culture norms that have evolved from the early days of surfing. It is a sentiment that is not necessarily right or just, but it still exists nonetheless. If you listen closely enough, you can hear it whispered down at the beach, or in a car full of surfers with boards on top, or at the local theater watching the latest surf film: It Doesn't Count Unless You Stand.

Get some waves. - DL

(11/11/02)

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