Author Topic: Excellent Story  (Read 4374 times)

eastbound

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 2995
    • View Profile
Portal Barra 8'4"
Sunova Creek 8'7"
Starboard Pro Blue Carbon  8'10"
KeNalu Mana 82, xTuf, ergoT

surfinJ

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1873
    • View Profile
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2015, 06:28:38 AM »
Yes, excellent indeed!  Very nice, I love Hawaii, miss it, and always want to hear the stories of those lucky enough to be be born there. Especially a haole.

That was a great surf story, probably the best I've seen from a non-surf journal.
But yea, it was written by a surfer in our language.

eastbound

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 2995
    • View Profile
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2015, 06:31:53 AM »
new yorker gets it, pretty much regardless of the subject matter--been reading it weekly, cover-to-cover for 45 years

boyum and the author share much
Portal Barra 8'4"
Sunova Creek 8'7"
Starboard Pro Blue Carbon  8'10"
KeNalu Mana 82, xTuf, ergoT

abmatt

  • Rincon Status
  • ***
  • Posts: 188
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2015, 08:10:08 AM »
Agreed. I read that last night in one sitting, much of it out loud to my endlessly patient wife. Fantastic piece. If you surf, you have to read it. The mag said he's got a book on his surfing life coming out this summer ... and indeed, the article left me wanting more.

digger71

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 431
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2015, 02:04:02 PM »
Very well written!  Great line...

The ocean was like an uncaring God, endlessly dangerous, power beyond measure.

covesurfer

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1936
    • View Profile
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2015, 04:08:45 PM »
Great read, thanks for posting the link.

PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2015, 05:29:06 PM »
Good stuff. I like any writing that's not bullshit. I think writing has to be fearless, you can't worry about what someone else might think or be offended by. It's hard enough to convey a true feeling of place and time without the internal censor screaming "that's not politically correct". That's the first voice a writer should stifle. One of the things I really liked about Boyum's book. At the other end of the spectrum I watched Ken Follet turn his Century Trilogy into twaddle by filtering his writing through his political leanings. Turned it into silly bullshit.

The core racism in Hawaii is shocking to haoles. As with all racism, there's a layer of justification in the mix. But when you're the target it doesn't matter much. I was trying to explain that to a guy on the beach that surf vacationing in Molokai might be a little challenging when I went surfing with my brother Bob on the east coast. He kept saying "but I'm a nice guy, I get along with people. That wouldn't apply to me would it?"

"Are you a white guy"?

"Yes."

"Then you're a f&^%ng haole."

I should have said something like, if a really nice, friendly, upscale black couple a moved into Southie or the North End, would it matter how nice they were?

Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

stoneaxe

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 12084
    • View Profile
    • Cape Cod Bay Challenge
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #7 on: May 29, 2015, 07:50:53 AM »
I always enjoy the New Yorker when I go see my doctor...maybe I should subscribe... :). That was a well told story.

The funny thing was it took you saying "then you're a F&^$ing haole" about 10 times before he believed you. Even then it still seemed like he would have to see it for himself.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

outcast

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 771
  • Ambassador for Nihilistic Surf
    • View Profile
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #8 on: May 29, 2015, 08:13:03 AM »
Good writer.
I like how he learned by watching someone's lines
Can't get that with GoPro/youtube

Also the land/sea interface

Too many for the rack
Some in the shack
Some under decks
Some have straps

standuped

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 417
  • Zapotocky family values
    • View Profile
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #9 on: May 29, 2015, 08:22:00 AM »
I always enjoy the New Yorker when I go see my doctor...maybe I should subscribe...

"and I love the cartoons"
Florida gear.. Bic 12'x31"~207L.. JP Fusion 10'8"x34"~190L..Angulo custom 9'6"x33"~160L.. SIC Fish 9'5"x29.6"~145L..Epic gear elite paddle~7"x75"..Oregon gear..JP Fusion#2..Foote Triton 10'4"x34"~174L.. Surftec Generator 10'6"x32.3"~167L..Kialoa Pipes 6 3/8"x75"...Me 6'1" 220 lbs circa 1959

NEplay

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 263
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #10 on: May 29, 2015, 08:41:35 AM »
Great reading. You beat me to posting it. Definitely worth following up with the 2 part story centered around Ocean Beach. The best stories are autobiographical as we know ourselves better then anything or anyone else normally and this author has a great perspective on his own ego. He also appears to understand important concepts like white privilege and colonialism and therefore can speak intimately without offense. 
New England Is My Playground

headmount

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 5750
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #11 on: May 29, 2015, 10:00:08 AM »
Great article.  Appealed to my experiences.  It used to really get me how brown non-Hawaiians called themselves Hawaiians and were mean, while the true Hawaiians were usually not.  Later I found out they would get on each other as well but of course when it's happening to you, you think you're the only race being singled out.

Great writing style.  My latest fav is The Sympathizer.  Incredible writing by a Vietnamese author.  His take on racial divides and cultures is stunning.

SUPJorge

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 471
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Excellent Story
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2015, 11:39:38 AM »
Good read. Thanks for posting.
14' SIC Bullet V2 - 9'1" Naish Hokua X32 LE

 


SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal