It Wasn’t Localism
Those fucking retards at the New York Times were kinda cute when they screwed up every other article on surfing. But this time, the sensationalists over there keep trying to connect localism with the Bird Rock Bandits killing of Emery Kauanui Jr.
The first incident is in an otherwise well written article on the case. The writer had quotes from Tim Bessell and Richard Kenvin. She seemed on it, then she went over to Fox news to write the rest of it:
Violence had long been a part of the local culture at Windansea; one group, the Windansea Surf Rats, had for decades used physical violence to intimidate outsiders and tagged the group’s initials in surf wax on the sidewalk near the beach.
She couldn’t find a connection stronger than that because localism isn’t about beating someone to a death. It’s rarely even a fist fight. It’s telling them to go home. It’s paddling their carburetor out into the lineup and dropping it. It’s wax on windshields. I’m not condoning it, I’m just stating what it is.
In the rest of the article, she offers no thread of connection between the event and localism, other than the fact that Emery was a surfer. If he played hockey, and La Jolla was a hockey town, would she have written about fights in the rink?
The second instance appears in a freaking fashion article of all things:
“Although little about localism or surf territorialism is new, the public was mostly unaware of how violent the battles fought between locals and outsiders over popular breaks have sometimes become… …the well-publicized San Diego murder trial of one such alleged surf gang”.
Surf Gang? How many of them actually surfed? They played football, they spent more time on MySpace and in bars drinking than in the water. They were not a surf gang.
The NYTimes are using Emery Kauanui Jr.’s death to ramp up page views, and thus ad dollars through sensationalist tactics and shoddy journalism. The reality is any attempt to draw a line between some jocks with gang aspirations and surfing is just plain incorrect.
NYTimes, I hope you can find a big enough pry bar to get your writers heads out of your collective ass.
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May 15th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Cancel my subscription!
May 15th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Maybe it’ll keep people from moving here and taking up surfing? That’s not so bad!
May 15th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Alan, that glass is half full. :D
Right on JP. :D
May 15th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
…and surfing is something that we re inside
but think in all that crap that one read from stuff that dont know too much
and after reading you can say ohh, ahh
but possibly 50% was BS
May 16th, 2008 at 7:46 am
What, Rob, you mean to tell me not all surfers are just like Bra Boyz? Gosh why did I even get into it? I thought I was joining a gang.
Mass Media Homogenization of Minds SUCKS!
May 16th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Dear NYT, The “Birdrock Bandits” (terrible name, just terrible) did NOT surf. They were roid rage thugs who killed a guy who happened to be a surfer.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:20 am
I do have to add though that the whole scenario sucks, Emery should still be alive.
May 21st, 2008 at 7:04 am
Windansea is a premier So Cal break. There are several more. The waves get so good at these places that the locals DO feel they have to protect them. I’ve witnessed fights in and out of the water over 20 + years surfing around town…and much of the time..it IS about localism. But in this case, I really believe it’s more about Territory OUT of the water. These guys had a sense of ownership and entitlement that went WAY outside what’s usually the case. These guys are criminals, and even though they may qualify as “wanna-be” ganstas, to me, they’ve earned the right to be treated like all the other perps they’ll end up spending the next 20-30 years of their life with.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Fry em
June 29th, 2008 at 5:02 am
They get parole??? What a crock, I guess if mommy and daddy have money you can have a get out of jail free card. Think these p-bags paid for their own defense? Our system sucks