Politics of the Hawaiian Islands

.......well one hot head at Narrabeen ended up in court a couple of years ago with a AV order that effectively prevented him from surfing there......so it does happen. I don't think it is something that should be done lightly but in Australia at least it's an option and is justified if there is a pattern of deliberate intimidation backed up by actual violence.
......and we are a violent species which is why we have a responsibility to keep a lid on it whenever humanly possible. While, as you point out, there are exceptions, I think surfers have done a pretty good job at that over the years.

brutus wrote:

yeah blindboy I agree in theory,but depending on where you surf...eg Hawaii has had a history on violence since the Hawaiian Island were settled...throw in being disposed of their lands,guns as prevalent as we have screwdrivers,a drug culture that was gang orientated ,a surf destination that has been overrun by everybody else but Hawaiians.....maybe there are is a sense of dispossession,frustration.........and the threat of violence has reared its ugly head

This intimidation and violence is just an extension of the ancient pre-existing Hawaiian culture.
Before the British arrived, Hawaii was ruled by a strict Caste system, and upheld with fear...the threat of violence and / or death. Whether from a lower caste, a law breaker, a prisoner of war or political oponent - one step out of line and the fist of the strong dominated.
Just be thankful the use of human sacrifice is no longer tolerated to sort out transgressions, only a good beating and / or exile in it's place.

Hey brutus the best gun I ever surfed was an Arakawa. Not mine unfortunately. Ketut Pitur lent it to me for Outside Corner and G Land. 7'10 from memory and once you were in it felt like a 6'2" . I think it had been made for Margot Oberg originally and she had passed it on to Ketut. So I wish him a quick return to the shaping bay!
I haven't been to Hawaii for a long time so I can't comment on the present circumstances there but, having narrowly avoided being smacked in the head by a thrown away mal yesterday, it definitely raises the hackles. I ended up telling the guy to go in for his own safety as much as everyone else's. He took it pretty well. It was only 3-4ft but crowded and he couldn't even paddle properly.

eric is the master....and he's now been out of the water for 1 year.....the frustration of uneducated surfers is.....ahhhh......I had to paddle him in and if there had have been a set....he would have lost his leg,I wonder what the boys would have thought about the mal rider sneaking off and not even offering to help..

the frustration levels I think in crowded surf is at an all time high.....everywhere!

Why is it that when there is an accident in the surf people seem to think it is ok to not help out? Happens way to often in crowded surf where someone hurts someone else and pretends it didn't happen.

I haven't seen that occurring around my local reecen, if someone is hurt, beginner or not there's usually a lot of people there to quickly help and assist.

Not that i've seen it occur to often amazingly.

PS can't believe no one helped Eric out, and also if his leg was that bad, surely the longboarder knew he hit him??

Yeah I agree there usually is a lot of people that help out but I have seen it a few times now when people have been run over or been hit by a board and the person who's board did the damage magically vanishes and leaves the job of help to others.

Hey Craig...I stay with Eric every year,it was a miracle that I just happened to be there when it happened,and I got him in ...no sets for 10 mins.....1 wave would have taken his leg off as it was hanging there.......some people just don't care......couldn't even get angry as was so worried for him...but I can tell ya there werer a few local life guards hunting....but as I said to em..if it doesn't help eric ...I am not interested in revenge!!!

I always get a giggle of all the sharks that bite MCs bait. He's an elder. Been there done that. However some seem to think he's a sap. I'm sure he just baits up his hook from time to time when he's bored and nek Minnit bang he's on.
Shapes a filth board had a couple. Love a barrel. Shame he's Victorian. Haha

"You mentioned Rabbit getting beaten up 35 years ago (winter of '77 from memory). After that happened a local came up to him and gave him a copy of 'Hawaii' by James Michener, which is perhaps the most telling fact about that whole incident. Hawaiians have seen their culture almost totally destroyed by white man, first by the Catholic missionaries, and then annexure by the United States. The last bastion of independence and connection to the 'way things were' is the sport of surfing. Rabbit and Kanga and other loudmouth Australians were ignorantly trying to show the Hawaiians 'how to surf'."

Yeah, but no, but yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have read Hawaii, it wasn't just about the white man, the Japanese and many others used and abused the intrinsic aloha spirit, and basically the Hawaiians were just ripe for the picking by the hardest working.

While USA did come in over the top, there was some reason behind it and the local politics accepted it as the lesser of two evils. Whether it was the right choice or not is up for grabs, but as for the Australian aboriginals, they inhabited a pristine and beautiful, and bountiful (that is key) land. Some group who was both hard working and unscrupulous was going to come in and take over at some stage.

It is easy to demonise the colonisers, but it has to be remembered that someone was going to colonise them.

As for Hawaii, I wish there was some way they could have survived independently, but given the times that was not an option. It is strategically placed between USA and Asia, particularly Japan. Strategic lands aren't left alone, that is just historical inevitability.

But I feel for them. Let's remember also that the average Hawaiian was not allowed to surf, it was the sport of kings.

The small amount of time I spent in Hawaii surfing I was super- humble, didn't look twice at anyone, sat way inside, took only the waves that had already passed every surfer by, and got stink-eye big time. All up, most annoying.

I have no plans to go back, if their lands were stolen and they don't want me there, I can't in good conscience go there. That's the bottom line for me.

batfink_and_karate wrote:

But I feel for them. Let's remember also that the average Hawaiian was not allowed to surf, it was the sport of kings.

The small amount of time I spent in Hawaii surfing I was super- humble, didn't look twice at anyone, sat way inside, took only the waves that had already passed every surfer by, and got stink-eye big time. All up, most annoying.

I have no plans to go back, if their lands were stolen and they don't want me there, I can't in good conscience go there. That's the bottom line for me.

This is true, I asked my mate how they can put up with all these bloody boogie boarders. He pointed out to me that in days gone by only royalty was allowed to stand up while riding a wave.

Batfink you were probably getting the stink eye cause that's what you were expecting it, a bit like walking into a shop and not getting service, the more pissed off you get the more invisible you become.
I have never had any bad vibe in the surf over there, look people in the eye and say hello, works better. I think the Hawaiians call it the Aloha spirit. :-)

Looks like the Goldy is pursuing its own 'enforcement'. Nasty one.
Says old mate is an ab diver. Wonder if he's from SA and the perpetrator has been reading the comments from the SA west coast boys and thought he better make a pre-emtive strike!

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/mark-morlock-is-the-...

Funny, stumbled across this thread and recognized crustt's story about glassing boards in Waikiki. Met you in Haleiwa about 20 years ago.