The Best of Both Worlds - A Juxtaposition of Surfing:

(Wifi) Surfing

For Lodown#75‘s theme of on-&offline worlds I examined both surfing cultures. In its orginal form its a foldout poster (see left). And this is some of its content:

1.History:

First Web Server

This NeXT Computer was used by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN and became the world’s first Web server in 1991

Early Adopters

When Mark Twain visited Hawaii in 1866 he wrote, “In one place we came upon a large company of naked natives, of both sexes and all ages, amusing themselves with the national pastime of surf-bathing.”

2.Inventors:

The on- and off-line world still debates who should be credited for the invention of (modern) surfing:

Ted Nelson
born 1937

Nelson coined the term “hypertext”, a model for creating and using linked content, in 1963 and published it in 1965. He is calling the HTML of the Web technology a big fail as links go outward only and “quotes you can’t follow to their origins.”

Duke Kahanamoku
1890-1968

His surfing exhibition at Sydney’s Freshwater Beach in1914 is widely regarded as a seminal event in the development of surfing in Australia. He is credited with spreading the sport of surfing worldwide due his popularity as professional swimmer as well.

Tim Berners-Lee
born 1955

Berners-Lee and his team are credited with inventing the original HTT Protocol along with the HTML and the associated technology for a web server and a text-based web browser. He proposed the “WorldWideWeb” project/term in 1989.

George Freeth
1883-1919

“The man who can walk on water” is often credited as being the „father of modern surfing“. In 1907 Freeth was brought to California from Hawaii, to demonstrate surfboard riding as a publicity stunt. His life is a contribution to surfing and lifeguarding.

3. Term/ Definition:

The Surf Mum: Jean Polly invented the term “Internet Surfing” in 1992

“In casting about for a title for the article, I weighed many possible metaphors. I wanted something that expressed the fun I had using the Internet, as well as hit on the skill, and yes, endurance necessary to use well. I also needed something that would evoke a sense of randomness, chaos, and even danger. I wanted something fishy, net-like, nautical.”
-- Jean Polly, Surfer

>>Reaction>> “To the ears of real ocean wave surfers, the phrase grates like fingernails on a chalkboard.”
-- Ted Deits, Surfer

4.Spirit of Surfing

“Kelly watch the stars”, Kelly Slater, 10x Worldchamphion

“When I was young I surfed because Kelly Slater did it. I surfed because it was hyped. I surfed because it got chicks. I surfed because it was the party... And I got all those cool things and they all just became ‘stuff’. It’s all about the feeling I get from riding waves... That first wave is the reason I think everyone keeps going back.”
-- Andy Irons, RIP

Pro-Surfer Parker Ito in high- spirituality-mode. ~ jstchillin.org ~

“As I have gathered from watching some of the great surfers of our time at work, surfing is the balance of making choices and being led. Surfing is being led by the wave as you make your choices. The wave stirs up gifts, and it is the ability of the great surfer to recognize his or her arrival at a worthy gift.”
-- Kevin Bewersdorf, spiritsurfers.net

5.Signs:

Hawaiian obama: Hang Loose Swag

Hang Loose: Hawaiian locals use the shaka to convey what locals in Hawaii call the “Aloha Spirit”, a gesture of friendship and understanding between the various ethnic cultures. It can also be used to communicate notions such as: all right, cool, smooth and the like.

Proper WWW Swag

WWW: Easy as it looks, no instruction books: The WWW surfers adopt the Westside sign straight outa California’s Hip Hop culture. It can stand also for a Website: “Cross your fingers make your hand look like a W and holla Websiiiiite”(trackybirthday.com)

6. Noob vs. Kook:

Begginer for life

The word KOOK is one of the most hurtful words in surfing. To be called a kook means that you can’t surf well, have a terrible style, talk trash, or even snake your fellow surfers. Maybe you do all these things at once. The problem is that it seems that the worst kooks of them all don’t realize the extent of their own kookdom.

A NOOB is annoying, excessively stupid, ignorant, selfish and suck balls! Usually it‘s a person who is new or inexperienced in a subject - but not confuse noobs with newbs, who are inexperienced players that tend to be more mature and strive to become better.

7. Dictonary:

• Snaking/Back-Paddling: Paddling around someone to get into the best position for a wave (in essence, stealing it).
• Phishing: Obtain private or sensitive information such as user names, passwords and credit card information through the use of fake emails from trustworthy sites.
• Duck Dive: Pushing the board underwater and diving under an oncoming wave instead of riding it.
• Egosurfer: Someone who searches the internet for references of himself.
• Drop in: Engaging the wave, most often as part of standing up.
• Fail: Expresses an ability to incorrectly perform acts ranging from idiotically simple to impossibly difficult, often consisting of an amusing element.
• Win: Expresses an ability to perform an otherwise impossible act through pure luck or a statement that constitutes an amusing or amazing element.
• Off the Hook: The surfspot is of a good size, shape and look.
• Over the Falls: When a surfer falls and the wave carries him in a circular motion with the lip of the wave, also referred to as the “wash cycle”and being “sucked over”.
• Hang Heels: Facing backwards and putting the surfers’ heels over the edge of a longboard.
• Friending: Describes the act of making and adding friends online through social networking sites.
• Troll: Someone who attempts to gain infamy in chat or on forums by disturbing links, bashing with others, copying or mimicking other’s real posts into perverted messages.
• Grom: Young surfer (anyone younger than you)

8. Greatest Waves?

The Great Wave by Katsushika Hokusai, 1930

No good surfing, Google Wave, 2009

9. Famous Surfclubs:

nastynets.com
thegoonsaredead.com
doublehappiness
venturasurfclub
spiritsurfers
waikikisurfclub
loshadka

10. Best Research Experience:

teahupoo, tahiti

See Larry Hamilton rides Teahupoo. You Tube

All sources are easy to google.