Surf’s up! Participation Regimes and Motivations for Surfing in Wales Jon Anderson Katie Jones June 2008
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- Community % of total sample n=134
- Figure 4.16 Surfing communities
- 4.9.1 Surfing communities in local areas
- 4.10 Motivations for surfing
- Motivation % total sample in agreement
- Figure 4.17 Motivations for surfing
- 5.1 Surfing and the local economy
- 5.2 Surfing and young people
4.9 Surfing communities We wanted to find out about the informal networks that are generated amongst surfers to support the activity in Wales. Therefore we asked respondents about the surfing communities or networks they participated in, and their role in encouraging and sustaining participation in surfing. 62.7% respondents said they were part of a surfing community. Respondents were then asked to indicate which communities they participated in. The results are shown in the table below [people were able to tick more than one box if necessary]
Figure 4.16 Surfing communities As the table demonstrates, the most popular surfing communities cited by respondents occur in the sea (47%) or on the beach (32.8%) when out surfing. But significant numbers have supplementary or significant alternatives in car parks. There is also a significant number of surfing engaging in non face-to-face communities over the Internet. 4.9.1 Surfing communities in local areas Amongst the respondents 28.6% felt surfing communities were important or very important (10.5%) in sustaining their participation in the sport. The most common benefits of surfing communities in local areas included:
“The surfing community I have grown up in has seriously benefited me as a surfer and an individual. The support from other surfers not just surfing related but personally, is amazing. I would surf whether there was a surf community or not, but feel that support for clubs, competitions and events can only bring the surf community closer and this will certainly benefit the younger generations.” “I'm happy to surf on my own, but when you get a good crew in the water it can make the session a bit more fun.” “It is interesting to speak to other surfers and if you need help with anything generally there will always be someone that can help you.” “My local surfing community is great at organising contests, community events, beach cleans, grom coaching, and just generally supporting each other” 4.9.2 The Internet In recent years, the Internet has undoubtedly revolutionised surfing. Surfers are now able to keep track of surfing events around the world and check Welsh surfing forecasts particularly if they live some distance away from the beach, or actually outside Wales, to avoid unnecessary journeys. As one surfer based in Porthcawl comments about how his area is becoming increasingly popular with non-locals due to the Internet: “We’re one of the closest places to surf from the motorway, people from Reading, Swindon, Bristol, even London they surf and one of the first stops and nowadays its like if you type into the Internet ‘magic seaweed.co.uk’ right, it’ll tell you what the surf will be like, you can web cams, you can see what the beach is like, so there’s not a lot of risk, you know what I mean, they’ll drive from Swindon knowing that the surfs gonna be there, they drive from, they can see on Tuesday what there’s gonna be surf at the weekend, so they’ll phone their friends up and say “it’s on let’s go”, and they’ll jump in the car and you know, come the weekend they’re all down there, see?” (Surfer, Porthcawl) Similarly surfing equipment and merchandise are available usually cheaper from the Internet as suppliers are able to source products from international destinations. Interview responses indicated that the Internet has actually encouraged more people to take up the sport, and provides a forum in which to share surfing experiences, surfing knowledge and practical things such as transport to beaches, through car sharing schemes. “I like to keep in touch with my fellow surfers and friends around the world as well as Gower and I like to keep in touch with how the professionals are doing on tour” “Websites have good info (web cam, weather, high low tide info) and surf lines are normally very reliable.” “The Internet is really good to help keep up with things when there’s no surf. Helps keep motivation and good to have a laugh with, also great to meet other surfers and make friends and share lifts etc.” “I see the forums/communities as ways of rallying others surfers together for a common cause – e.g. pollution/beach clean/ wave protection issues” The most popular websites listed by questionnaire respondents included:
[http://www.tuskasurf.co.uk/webcam/southerndown-webcam.htm]
[www.porthcawl.co.uk/todays-surf.html]
[http://www.tuskasurf.co.uk/webcam/southerndown-webcam.htm]
[www.gowerlive.co.uk]
[www.gowerlive.co.uk]
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid//sites/surfing/pages/abercam.shtml]
[www.westcoastsurf.co.uk/surfreport.html] However, there is also a perceived downside to the Internet:
“There are some places where it is less known about to surf. There's been a few web cams and websites posting what time to go surfing in these places and advertising it and I think the locals feel a bit that we hang round here all winter long and waiting for the tide to be right and the waves to get good and then as soon as it is everyone from London to Bristol to Birmingham knows about it and they come down. Because it’s quite tidal sometimes the spots might only work for an hour to two so if you want to get in you want to catch the wave so it’s quite competitive. I wouldn’t say there's any kind of fights or anything but if people are dropping in or not following the rules” (Briege Lawrance interview) “The important parts of surfing is the wave, you have to surf not just talk about surfing” “It's nice to chat about surfing, but doesn't really influence whether I actually go surfing or not. Also I'd rather take advice off people I know personally and know to be experienced surfers than from people who post crap on the net.” Motivations_for_surfing'>4.10 Motivations for surfing The purpose of this section is to look at respondents’ motivation for surfing. We wanted to find out why people actually go surfing and the benefits they receive from participating in the activity. Therefore, as part of the questionnaire, respondents were asked to select their own motivations for surfing from the table below.
Figure 4.17 Motivations for surfing As demonstrated in the table, the majority of respondents (93.3%) cited ‘interactions with waves/sea’ as their most important motivation. This was followed by escapism (80.6%) and health benefits (73.1%). Participants were then asked to elaborate on the reasons why they surf through an open ended question on the questionnaire and through interviews. “It's not a question that has an answer that can be articulated in words. It's about the experience of being in the sea, harnessing the power of nature to catch waves (the option Interaction with waves/sea above doesn't come close).” “It has improved my life more than words can explain it keeps your mind focused on the important things in life and helps to wash away the silly stresses of day to day life.” “ONLY A SURFER KNOWS THE FEELING. Very sad and cheesy but true.” “To feel at one with nature, relaxation, adrenaline rush” “Good for the soul.” “A sense of being a part of something that is timeless and much, much bigger than you, waves have been breaking since there has been water on the planet and that knowledge can ground me in a period of unease.” “Amazing fun, adrenalin (sometimes!), pushing personal limits, exercise and when you’re surfing, nothing else matters (work and life problems disappear for a few hours)” “It makes me feel alive. It's always new, every session, even after 30 years. You never regret a surf, even if it was crap.” “Surfing is an amazing sport which always challenges me physically and mentally. I have learnt about the weather, the environment, my own physical ability which is always challenged when surfing. It has taken all over the world in its pursuit, I have experienced places and people that I would have never if I didn't surf.” This chapter has focussed on informal participation in surfing through exploring the experiences and opinions of individual surfers themselves. Analysis of the questionnaire results found the age of people participating in surfing varied between 14 and 64 years old, with most participants being in their twenties, suggesting surfing is a sport undertaken by the relatively young, but also having appeal to older age groups. Significantly more males than females completed the questionnaire, which is perhaps unsurprising given that surfing has traditionally been a male dominated activity. However, according to many participants, females are becoming more involved in the sport, so we would expect the number of females responding in the future to increase. In terms of ethnic origin, the majority of respondents defined themselves as ‘White’, ‘British’ or ‘Welsh’, which is what we would expect given that Wales is a predominantly white area, and the majority of respondents live in Wales. In fact, the majority of respondents lived in the popular surfing areas of West Wales or South Wales. In terms of respondents’ surfing biographies, the highest number of respondents (32.1%) had been surfing for 1-5 years, followed by 23.1% who had been surfing for 6-10 years. 54% respondents identified their level of surfing ability as intermediate, 28.4% were advanced and 17.2% were beginners. The research also considered the most popular and most frequently visited beaches. From analysing both sets of results, it was found that the ‘top’ beaches in each category where located in either the Gower, Porthcawl South Wales or Pembrokeshire – therefore identifying these locations are the top surf spots in Wales. In addition to their favourite beaches, respondents were asked about their more favoured beach qualities with suitability and physicality of the waves being voted at the most significant. However, surfers also identified a need for facilities at beach locations including pollution monitoring (68.7% respondents); waste/recycling facilities (63.4% respondents); showers (41.4% respondents) and sheltered areas (40.3%). Additional barriers preventing fuller participation in surfing were identified as: a lack of public transport to beach areas; lack of equipment to hire in some areas; overcrowding and poor parking facilities. Given the nature of coastal areas as mixed used activity places, we wanted to explore the potential for, and nature of, conflicts between surfers and other beach users. It was found that while generally, conflicts are minimum they originate due to overcrowding at beaches and other surfers or water sports lacking in their knowledge and use of surf etiquette. The research also explored the role of surfing communities or informal networks in promoting and encouraging surfing in Wales. 62% respondents identified themselves as part of a surfing community. Popular communities included ‘on the waves’ (47%) and ‘on the beach’ (32.8%), and other non-face-to-face communities such as the Internet (31.3%). The Internet has undoubtedly revolutionised surfing over the past decade with surfers now being able to check weather and surfing forecasts in advance, especially if they live some distance away from beach resorts. Finally the research explored surfers motivations for participating in surfing. By far the most popular response was because of the interactions with waves/sea, selected by 93% respondents, second was ‘escapism’ chosen by 80% respondents, and health benefits were chosen by 73%. 5. Thematic Chapter The previous chapters have focused on formal and informal surfing practices in Wales. Moving beyond these participation regimes, these chapter sets out some of the thematic issues that have become apparent throughout the research. 5.1 Surfing and the local economy Surf schools provide an obvious source of income within coastal areas. This section briefly outlines some of the perceived benefits to the local economy of surf participation in Wales. Although no actual figures are available, it is interesting to consider the perceived economic benefits of surf participation in Wales generated through surf tourism. “Surfing pulls people to the area, people come specifically for that, they spend money in the area and therefore contribute to the local economy” (Offaxis Surf School) “Surfing definitely makes a contribution, because some of the groups that are coming they use our local B&Bs, we are using the beaches and we often use a lot of the facilities on the beach, particularly for food, so yeah, definitely there is a big contribution to the economy” “Quite dramatically cos we’re based in west Wales where there isn’t a lot of income. There’s a few factories I guess. There’s a small retail market in the area but it’s quite low in employers and trading and the tourism in the summer is one of the biggest industries, especially where we are near the beach. And so by having surf schools. I mean one of the beaches that I go on now, Borth, is kind of the back door from Birmingham if you like. So throughout the season it attracts a lot of tourists. And having more businesses on the beach offering things attracts more again and the caravan spaces increase and the holiday homes and the B and Bs and all of these things.” (Walk on water surf school) 5.2 Surfing and young people Throughout the course of the research, the benefits of encouraging young people to participate in surfing were mentioned by several participants. It is widely accepted that surfing can make important contributions to the health and well being of young people. It is a key way of having fun, increasing fitness levels, improving self-esteem and confidence, and enabling them to interact with the sea that can promote a greater environmental awareness: “Surfing teaches youngsters about being safe in the sea, about the environment, the weather and the tides, if we could use surfing to teach these subjects in an interesting way whether through websites or events it would be great and certainly beneficial to the next generation of beach users who may go on to become great surfers or groundbreaking meteorologists.” “I started off being a school PE teacher, and brought kids from my school to come surfing, and just, you know see how much they enjoy doing it. It’s quite rewarding teaching surfing. Everybody who’s there wants to be there. Except for those, there are some groups who are brought by, sort of group coordinators, like around here there are some kids that don’t do very well in school and so they try and get them into sport or kids that aren’t active … And those are the kids that haven’t necessarily chosen to come on a surf lesson, they just sort of come along. But they all love it as well. ... A lot of them, even though they live in Pembroke, which is about 15 minutes from the beach, some of them have never even been there. So that works quite well.” (Outer Reef Surf School) “.. we use surfing as a tool … and I don’t ever teach someone ‘this is how you surf’ … it’s very much about, it’s a bigger picture when we’re using facilities to perhaps address particular issues with particular people. Surfing’s great for addressing issues like self esteem and confidence, um there’s a lot of kudos for kids perhaps who have failed repeatedly at school where they can actually get to the point of standing on a surf board is enormously significant for some, but also for kids who don’t get to that point and its about saying you can have a great time and still be part of something without being hugely successful. So it’s, I’m not particularly interested in getting people to a high standard of surfing, I’m much more interested in getting those people to a point where they feel good about what they’ve done whatever that is. So for me, surfing is great for getting people motivated, excited, building some self-esteem and certainly confidence in the water, I think that’s probably all the things that come out of it, that sense of being able to cope with something is a key thing that comes from it” (Breakout Adventures) Despite these benefits, several interviewees commented that surfing is not yet valued or recognised as a worthwhile sport like more traditional activities such as football and rugby. For this reason it is believed fewer funding initiatives are available and surfing is not incorporated as an aspect of national curriculum. Following this, several interviewees noted that it was often only certain groups of young people with relatively well-off parents who were able to access surfing, given the cost of equipment and lessons which was prohibitive for some families. In addition, one surf school described how within the current climate of litigation, many teachers at state schools are wary of involving students in outdoor pursuits activities such as surfing because of the fear of what should happen if anything were to go wrong: “Firstly, teachers have a lot of work on. And with this increased level of paperwork associated with outdoor pursuit, they physically can’t do it. Secondly, you know, the blokes in charge of Lime Bay, they served a prison sentence for manslaughter. Now these two things combined, bearing in mind teachers were generally volunteering for this, just laugh it off and say no chance. And so all state schools don’t do it any more. And all you’re left with is public schools who can afford to source somebody independently, such as ourselves, to take on the burden of responsibility and do all of the paperwork. And really, to a point now, what they’re paying for is for the Head to be assured and for it all to be taken care of. … So the state sector has lost out massively. The differential if you like between rich and poor has increased due to the burden of administration since Lime Bay. And I think that’s an interesting point to make. Because that’s a point that the government, particularly ours, would hate to live up to that fact. But they through their legislation have pushed the poorer schools to not take part in outdoor pursuits. But I’m afraid that’s a reality.” (Outposts Adventure Specialists) As a way of addressing the limited financial circumstances of some young people, one surf school in association with the local surf club provides an hour long surfing lesson in exchange for a hour long ‘beach clean up’. In the following extract, the surf school representative is explaining what the young people actually get out of the exercise; it becomes more of an all round environmental learning experience rather than just being about surfing: “It kind of works well because they’re the kind of kids that don’t really think to do it, but then they also have a session when they enjoy being at the beach and then they have a sense of achievement. The fact that they’ve cleaned it up as well, it looks nice and they actually get to enjoy it” (Outer Reef Surf School) Directory: wp-content -> uploads -> 2011 2011 -> Voices of the Old Sea Norman Lewis 2011 -> Malevil Robert Merle 2011 -> The Elephant Keeper’s Children Peter Hoeg 2011 -> Jv packet •Mars Colonization Affirmative •Mars Colonization Negative 2011 -> Registration Form (Rev. 8-86) omb no. 1024-0018 2011 -> All America Looks Up to Virginia;” Virginia and the Declaration of Independence 2011 -> Rao bulletin 2011 -> Christopher Columbus was born between 25 August and 31 October 1451 in 2011 -> The Battle of Frenchtown (1855), Washington Territory: the Political and Demographic Context rev 9/4/11 2011 -> Seti aff •seti neg •Asteroids Aff Download 0.76 Mb. Share with your friends:
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