Surfline La Jolla Goodwill Tour
Surfine is holding a goodwill tour at the location of last year’s “Somewhere In Mexico” contest put on by Rip Curl. Sean Collins attempted to negotiate a deal between the local people of ‘La Jolla’ and Rip Curl, even up offering free advertising on surfline.com. In the end, Rip Curl only paid $5,000 to the town when, in comparison, it costs $70,000 to put on the Body Glove Surf Bout at Trestles.
‘Rip Curl spent over a million dollars on the contest and they wouldn’t come up with 30 grand for goodwill.’ Collins said. ‘We would have blown [the donation] up on Surfline and they could have been heroes, but instead they opted to search and burn.’”
Bash Sean Collins and his webcams all you want, but he’s stepping up and doing the right thing here where Rip Curl failed. Good on him.
UPDATE: If you haven’t already heard, this thing went horribly wrong. Read the comments.
June 22nd, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Friendly Heads-Up to Mr. Sean C.
The press release by Surfline.com states that 8 locals will be invited to participate. I foresee a problem because there are more than 8 locals who surf that spot. There are about 10 local Mexican kids. There are about 4 full-time foreign residents (Americans) and I think two of them are actual voting citizens of La Jolla who can cast a vote for/against this type of event in the community meeting. Then there are about 5 kids from the nearby resort town who surf the spot regularly not to mention the Puerto locals who still think La Jolla is their own. Let’s forget about the Puerto thugs for a minute. But…
I understand that you cannot include everyone but Sean C. should include rather than exclude as many “locals” especially the residents as possible. There is no “goodwill” in excluding and dividing the community of surfers in La Jolla. I would hate to go back there and see “illwill” between my friends.
SaltyDawg
June 23rd, 2007 at 12:14 am
I think what you and the people who’ve emailed me about this are missing, is that with the 20k, the town can build a little medical center. If I were them, I’d trade 8 days at my wave for some hometown health care any day.
June 25th, 2007 at 9:13 am
RipCurl may have blown its chance to become “heroes” but they did put on a great show last year. Don’t forget they spent a bunch of money in that town and a dollar eared is always better then a dollar handed out. Especially to people who take pride in their work like the people of Mexico do.
I just found this seven part making of the contest video, have a watch and then decide for yourself if RipCurl did the right thing.
http://surfvids.blogspot.com/2007/06/making-of-rip-curl-pro-search-mexico.html
June 25th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
True, the event had great waves. And you make a good point that Rip Curl spent allot of money in the town, helping the citizens out. Great videos too.
The point though, is that Rip Curl had the chance to help the town get a medical center Rip Curl wouldn’t pony up the dough and now Sean Collins is helping them get it.
Say, man, you got a medical center?
No, not on me, man…
It’d be a lot cooler if you diiid.
June 26th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
The $20k is great and all that, but does not have to come with the caveat of an 8-day circle jerk. This just makes it seem like they are buying the lineup for 8 days for $20k, which when looked at that way is not much more than what RipCurl paid last year. Why couldn’t they just organize a goodwill festival and open up the lineup to anyone interested, and just have a goodtimes party on the beach. The part that people object to is this sense of exclusivity, not the 20k for the medical center.
June 27th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
Great concept…but it’s a shame that Mr Collins, whose contest is supposed to embody the spirit of goodwill resorted to hiring thugs to intimidate and assualt a friend of mine who is both mellow and extremely respectful at the scene of the contest. Is the en masse assualt of at an apologetic surfer who has unkowingly paddled out (although the contest was not yet running) and promptly returned to the beach upon realisation that he should not be out there (signaled by Collins’ friends throwing rocks at him) is synonymous with the notion of ‘Goodwill’?
June 27th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
I’d have to say that Surfline and their “supporters” are practicing exclusion rather than inclusion and that the $20k they are donating as an example of their “goodwill” is a drop in the bucket…and also contingent upon the “enforcement” of keeping out the uninvited.
Surely, between Surfline’s premium subscription income and advertising revenue, Quiksilver’s market share and the other industry types who a presumably included…they could have done better than $20k? And with less potential for terrible publicity…
I don’t think Sean Collins has the right thing in mind from the appearance of the thing…although, perhaps he is truly just a generous philanthropist sharing the wealth…wouldn’t more “goodwill” be generated if the VIP’s set up a trust to benefit the town they are so seemingly concernaed about and encouraged others to donate as well and to participate regardless of their level of giving?
Just a thought…
Hell, I wouldn’t have been able to go anyway.
June 27th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
So obviously, chunking over 20k is the nicest possible thing that could be done. But business doesn’t work like that. They’d like to get some footage and put up some banners. Shame? Maybe, but that’s how 20k gets doled out of a businesses coffers.
While I respect the points you guys are making, it seems to me that if anyone has the right to be pissed off about a Mexican town excluding mostly TOURIST surfers (that’s right bro, no matter how many times you’ve been to Mex you aren’t a local), its the people of the town.
So, until one of them stops by here and leaves a comment saying Collins sucks for helping them get some health care, it’s my opinion he’s doing the right thing.
I think you guys would be better served protesting exclusive contests in your own back yard, THEN working up to banning them globally. ;)
June 28th, 2007 at 8:34 am
A true charitable heart would donate the money and get the medical center built without privatization of the surf, which should be public at all times.
June 28th, 2007 at 9:04 am
The goodwill tour is going badly:
http://forum.surfermag.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1211892&an=0&page=0#Post1211892
June 28th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Throwing rocks at girls? Whoa.
June 28th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
I think their intentions are not charitable…
And regardless of intent their method is offensive…
It doesn’t matter that I’m not a Barra local…I’m still angered and offended by their sheer lack of comprehension about privatizing a public beach for their personal playground…
It’s different than a contest…a private beach party (on part of the beach)…or even from a straight up private beach with no access…
How would it fly if the closed Black’s during a good swell? With Police or private sucurity along the bluff and at the N & S ends? Probably cost a little more than $20k…and there’d be some confrontation…
It’s just so wrong on so many levels…and I have to admit I’m surprised that you’re defending it Rob…but then so is Surfrider?
And it is going badly…already allegations of intimidation and violence against interlopers on their private beach…
I have to admit I have purchased Quiksilver products, browsed Surfline, and possibly supported or looked favorably upon individuals involved in this “Goodwill Tour” in the past…but that’s definitely in the past.
I will never knowingly support anyone involved in this if I can help it…I’m not gonna throw away my QS shirts or anything…but I’m done…it probably doesn’t matter to them…but at least I won’t feel slimey in supporting them and their profit.
June 28th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
FYI my “you aren’t a local” comment wasn’t directed at you Doc, but at anyone.
I was looking at this event as a contest. Didn’t ever think about it not being a contest. Privatization is totally lame, but just for arguement’s sake, how is this different than 8 contestable days at Trestles for the boost mobile? No one can surf during contest hours at that thing either and it effects thousands more people than at this break.
The intimidation is stupid and wrong obviously but who seriously believes Surfline advocated violence?
I have to admit I’d be pissed if my local break was taken over too. Still, if it bought me a medical center, and I didn’t have one, I’d prolly be ok with it.
Just trying to look for the good in this more than the bad.
June 28th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Rob,
I think you should reevalute the intro you have for Surfline’s “goodwill tour” and expose it for what it is.
Side note - I’ve got a new gig. Hopefully we can catch up soon and I’ll tell you all about it.
Woody
June 28th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Shoot Rob…
Obviously I feel pretty strongly about this…
I certainly mean no disrespect to you…
I think it’s alot different than a contest and, truth be told, I’m none too crazy about contests personally…but you can get in the water before contests and contests are actually typically geared towards having people attend…
What would a contest be if there were no spectators?
Hmmm…A Surfline Goodwill Tour?
So I don’t know…it appears there have been instances of intimidation and harassment with claims that it was at the hands of individuals hired by Sean Collins (who is Surfline)…while I doubt Mr. Collins would tell the people he hired (locals) to specifically injure someone who encroached on their private taped off beach…his instructions to restrict access could easily be taken to an unacceptable physical level and ultimately that’s on him as the “Man”…
The Medical Center is obviously a plus…but again the process is a big part of the problem…and while I’m no contractor, what kind of Medical Center is $20 going to build? I wonder…
June 28th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
this is wrong in so many ways, when the facts come out there will be no defending what went on down there, and Sean Collins, Mike Parsons, and Brad Gerlach should be seen as the assholes they are.
June 28th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
No disrespect taken Doc. Free access is the good fight and that’s all you are talking about.
I’ve got a line on a friend of a friend who was there and actually got to surf, so he shouldn’t have any bias about the happenings. Rather than getting his story indirectly though, I’m trying to speak to him in person. If I do, I’ll post it here.
June 28th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
there will be back pedaling from here on out because of the backlash from the first day,
by the end of the five day period they will probably be giving ten times as much money and letting anyone surf.
June 28th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Ok, this is getting really F($&*d up…
http://forums.surfline.com/showpost.php?p=465045&postcount=15
June 29th, 2007 at 8:01 am
It used to be that when a contest took over a spot for a week that at least anyone could enter and surf it with only 3 other guys. Sure, you would probably lose your heat but it was fun. These days I’m getting a little worn down on the number of contest around here.
The tactics used by the “Goodwill Tour” to clear, not only the water, but the beach are disturbing. Who kicks cute girls off the beach anyway?
June 29th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Hey guys, Rob emailed me to ask my opinion so i thought I’d jump on and reply here instead, for discourse. I’ve been living/surfing, full time, in the Puerto Vallarta/Punta Mita area for 3 years now.
Personally, if someone had ace forecasting skills and came down here and blocked off access at Burros (my local spot) for a two week chunk of time during an insane swell window, goodwill or no goodwill, there’d be a lot of pissed off locals. There’s no way they could even attempt something like that in Sayulita. Contests are ok (contests that raise money for good causes are great), but they usually have a window of like 5 or 6 hours/day, there’s no reason why Anthony Brown should have been stopped and harassed like that. I woulda gone straight to the state troopers for sure.
And now for my “gringo’s understanding of the mexican legal system” ramble: Mexico is different from the US, Mexicans have a strong association with beach access, it’s a part of their constitution and beaches are called the “patrimonia of the people”. From the highest tide mark to 20 meters back, legally no one can stop you from walking on the beach, entering the water etc.. it’s called the Federal Zone, and even if a contest organizer has local or state permits to hold the contest, they do not have the power to stop admittance by anyone, at any time. I’m not exactly sure if there is some kind of legal, federal permit that organizers can apply for, but I highly doubt that Surfline had one. This is my understanding of Mexican law, it’s a hot topic down here because of all the development going on, just off some really great formally accessible-by-land surf spots.
Surfline’s intentions are good, but the devil is in the details and somehow things just went fubar. Surfline should definitely make amends and publicly address the Anthony Brown story, fast, and on the front page. I’m sure they are upright guys and this was a charitable event, so to see it trashed would be a bad thing. Yes they got some things wrong, but the event concept is good and it attracts attention to a good cause (you don’t even know how badly small mexican towns need hospitals, schools and sewage treatment plants). My hope is that Surfline can tweak the concept a bit, work more closely with local authorities, get the details right and make this an annual event that forces larger surf events to think about having charitable components of their contests or risk looking outdated, insensitive and overly capitalistic.
just my 2 cents…
June 29th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Hopefully the only good thing that could come of this is more money given to where Mexico needs it the most, hospitals, schools, etc.
Rock throwin’ is just NOT right. Mannn. Spin it Mr. Collins. And fuck off.
June 29th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
surfermag.com and surfline have both pulled the Anthony Brown threads. yay censorship!
June 29th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
Surfline, Quiksilver and all associated’s silence is deafening…
I guess they just hope this will all blow over…
I hope it doesn’t.
June 29th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Also Ed…
What part of the event concept is good?
The restricted access of the beach part…
The hurling rocks at people part…
Or the simple arrogance of the sponsors?
Sorry, your take is fine but I see little to admire about this fiasco.
June 29th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
yes, the silence is deafening, pulling threads is a big fucking no no, the absolute quickest way to lose respect.
Doc, I get that you don’t like surf contests, that’s your opinion, you are welcome to it. My opinion is that surf contests are ok. Surf contests with a charitable component are great. give the contest a 5-6 hour window and make sure the local security aren’t total jack-asses. The event sponsors aren’t being arrogant, they just didn’t do the best job in organizing the event and they did an even worse job at addressing the problems that arose as a result.
Arguing over whether or whether not contests should happen, is moot. Contests have happened for 50 years now and will continue to happen and I’d like to see these events give back to the communities they visit. This is what Surfline was trying to accomplish. yes they botched the job, but everyone is entitled to learn from their mistakes.
June 29th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
[…] The story goes something like this: Rip Curl hosts an ASP tour contest in a formally off-the-map killer mexican surf break and fails to have any charitable component to the event that helps the town. People associated with the event manage to consume massive amounts of local tacos and beer, but little more is given back to the community. Surfline steps in, a year later, to host another contest at the same spot with the idea of raising 20k to build a local hospital facility. All seems to be honkydorey. Unfortunately things go awry when visiting surfers try to enter the water for dawn surf sessions (not within contest hours) and local security guards get a little over zealous and start chucking rocks. Conflicting reports say that confrontations lead to violence. Surfline contest organizers respond a tad late with a white-washed description of events that fails to address the overly hostile security and surfermag.com and surfline pulls threads where first-handers have posted their stories. tisk tisk. Rob turned me on to the discussion and I added my two cents here. I’m reposting it here, because I think it speaks to good intentions of the organizers while bringing up the illegality of barring people from walking on a beach and entering the water in Mexico: Hey guys, Rob emailed me to ask my opinion so i thought I’d jump on and reply here instead, for discourse. I’ve been living/surfing, full time, in the Puerto Vallarta/Punta Mita area for 3 years now. […]