Free Surfing
I have a theory…well I have many, but the one about how the term “free surfer” may offer insight into when surf culture lost its way was especially topical this week. Like, when did a surfer need to be labeled free? It’s so silly.
Everyone was shocked and awed to find out that two of the most prolific and delightful surfing professionals, Steph Gilmore and Carissa Moore, are stepping away from competitive surfing — effectively making them “free surfers “ in what is a rather significant world champ exodus from the CT.
In his new Reel Talk episode, Conner Coffin also brought up his decision to hang up the jersey after the US Open last year and mentioned how Griffin Colapinto asked him how he’ll continue to get fired up to surf with no contest to prepare for. Somehow we think he’ll manage.
Caity Simmers put it best in her new Subjects: In Plain Sight episode we produced with filmmaker Michael Cukr: “People love to draw a line, but I feel like there shouldn’t really be a clear border between both competitive surfing and free surfing. I like to do art and I like to surf competitively and I don't think it should be separated, it’s just…who you are. ” Watch that here.
So why the differentiation? The way things are going I’m starting to wonder what the point of a World Tour surf contest is at all — at least the way they’re being done. With no media left to cover, add context, intrigue and excitement; no surf brands supporting them on any substantial scale, bringing culture and parties and energy to the events, coupled with the fact that most tour surfers are traveling sponsorless, I’m at a loss for who it is we’re doing this for? Is there any prestige left to winning outside of San Clemente?
I know there’s a great chunk of us, me included, who love to watch surfing and we’ll always be there to watch contests if they’re on offer, but what just happened? We went from Parko chugging a Fosters in front of thousands of psyching surf fans while winning the Quik Pro at Snapper in 2002 being featured in a surf movie to the best in the world deciding they’re over it in the prime of their career one week before the next event starts at Pipeline in 2024. How did surfing get to be so…pointless?
And now to my theory: The decline started the minute we felt the need to add the word “free” in front of “surfer.”
If you need to reiterate that surfing is free, something is wrong. Surfing by nature has to be one of the freest activities one can do. We sit in the ocean and ride wind-generated liquid energy for no productive reason at all. We are covered in salty ions, general fitness and well-being are essential to participation, we wear skin tight suits or no clothes at all, and we remind the world that humanity is connected to the earth and ocean at a primordial level. Maybe we need to skip the debate between competitive surfer vs. free surfer and simply free surfing. We’re getting dangerously close to professional pickleball…—Travis Ferré
