The Outsider: Notes from the Underground

Steve Shearer picture
Steve Shearer (freeride76)
Swellnet Dispatch

"Alright Bonetti, I've fronted the bread. I did everything you asked. Is this another one of your super heavy, super duper deals? Bonetti, when will you come through!"

Endle St. Cloud, Come Through.

I slept rough in the van last night, down by the old border in the backstreets of Tweed Heads. The night was filled with loud music coming from the old cinder block units, before long there was screaming and shouting. A youth with a V-shaped tattoo like a third reich eagle covering his upper torso was savagely beating another man while a woman screamed on the sidewalk. Before long there were sirens, then a moments quiet before more shouting and shrill screaming. A gang of youths shouted loudly and smashed bottles just outside the van.

In the early morning light broken glass littered pavements where grass grew obscenely out of cracks. The street was filled with shops catering to the seedy side of a tourist town; a porn shop, cheap lawyers advertising for business in drunk driving, divorce, assault; a bottle shop and pub where a man nonchalantly hosed debris from the footpath. Somewhere in these backstreets, the woman who invented Pro Surfing, Ms Westerly Windina plys her trade as a lawyer seeking justice for the downtrodden.

But there was no time to search for her now. Behind the wafer-thin epidermis of paradise that is the Superbank was the throbbing gristle of youth violence that had infected the area. I was keen to escape it's ugliness.

I felt a small pang of guilt over my cruelty to Brother Andino; a kid didn't deserve to be made to look like a dummy. But while he was waking in a penthouse suite dining on freshly squeezed orange juice with last night's paramour discreetly making her way from the secured building I was scrabbling under the seats amongst old beer bottles, coffee cups and cockroaches looking for loose change to get a morning cup of joe. I felt tired and dirty.

Cosmic justice had been served.

But Dane. Dane was surfing soon. I could picture him in his high-rise unit, with a freshly cashed cheque for 50K, the weekly retainer for his services, puffing on the very finest cuban cigar; a La Gloria Cubana Inmensos perhaps. Quaffing a cup of coffee, maybe the third for the morning, whilst scribbling in Posca pen on a surfboard. T-Rex is playing on the house stereo. Before leaving he calls on room service to deliver a perfect poached egg on the finest china in the house. Room service delivers the egg. Dane removes the coverplate and stubs the cigar out in the bright orange yolk which oozes onto the bright white china. "Perfect," he thinks, shooting an entire roll of Super 8 of the cigar slowly smoking in the egg. Such is the life of the modern artiste.

Did someone say Taj and Dane surfed the greatest loser round heat of all-time? Did they say it featured the best, most exuberant and unrestrained exhibition of hi-fi progressive surfing ever seen in a heat? That the crowd felt downhearted and disappointed on a sub-atomic level as the life force slowly dribbled out of Dane's efforts. Was it symbolic in any way that the heat ended not with a bang but a whimper as Dane went into a series of impotent in and outs?

All I could think of was Kelly Slater's Super Rivalry Tour and the spectacle of Dane and Taj going mental not just for 30 minutes but for hours, while fans groaned in ecstasy barely able to handle another glorious exchange and paramedics prepared IV drips as Dane paddled back to shore, collapsing on the sand as he uttered a hoarse croak, "That's all I got Baldy, I'm spent."

I caught up with the Messiah in the post-heat washdown. He seemed genuinely disappointed at the loss. I started by asking him what the coffee count was this morning. "I had two coffees." "Two. OK. Big ones?" "Ha, not really. I've been enjoying the french press here." "The what?" "French Press. Usually it's drip coffee you know. I like the French Press." "Yeah, French Press is better." Who says you can't have a cultured conversation with a Pro Surfer?

"With all the crowds and sirens and whatnot, how was your mental state having to come back into the belly of the beast?" "Well, I'm stayin' in the belly of the beast. I'm stayin' right here. I wasn't thinking about that too much. I was just hoping we were gunna get some fun surf in that heat and be able to cut loose a little bit. Which we did. I just made bad decisions. I fell on my first wave and lost all my confidence. Anyways, I didn't answer your question." (No, he didn't but didn't he sound scarily like a garden variety Pro Surfer) "So there was no emotional hangover from having to come back into Pro Surfing?" "No, it was excitement." "Well it was damn fun to watch. Keep those clips coming, eh. Man's not a camel."

I was wondering if I missed something when Gabby Medina surfed the other day. Was is possible that this teenage hyper-sensation had somehow flown under the radar? No, it was not. He went unnoticed because he looked flimsy and lacking in depth and fundamentals. He lacked completely the sense of massive impact on overhead pointbreak generated by rampaging goofy-foots like Bobby Martinez. It would not have gone unnoticed by his peers.

Julian Wilson needs to learn to work a room if he wants to be world champ. Make a statement. Cut through the random noise and hype of your average surfing contest. He looked under-cooked somehow, tentative on the hi-fi repertoire and weirdly conservative. The squared off bottom turn was there, the best high speed cornering off in the game right now and one swooping, searing carve was a thing of beauty. But, but...there were more buts and maybes in the performance than world title definites.

Julian blamed poor wave selection but that seems a wishy washy excuse on a day of overhead short period Snapper. He called his performance 60%. I had a quiet word with Julian in the post press scrum. "Julian, we saw Slater come out with shock and awe for his opening gambit, which is his typical ploy. How conscious are you of thinking, 'If he wins this, oh fuck, here we go again'. Is there a sense that you have to stop him now. Maybe force him into retirement?" "I didn't even see his heat but I saw the heat score. He looks really relaxed and comfortable. If he keeps posting heat scores like that he's gunna be really hard to beat. But there's at least ten guys here who can really challenge him. He's got some work to do to win the event. We're all hungry to get him." "In your heart of hearts is there a burning desire to take him down?" "There's at least ten guys equally as good as Kelly and I can't spend too much time thinking of him. It's such a long year you can't even think about it now." "With all the hype on the rookies it seems like you are a veteran now". "Thats actually worked out really well for me. Those guys got all the pressure I got at the start of last year and I could sit back and just focus on what I was doing and surf the way I wanted to surf."

To be honest I was hoping JW would be a bit more of a spear carrier for some hard talking aggression. Get up in the champs grill and give him a taste of some youthful curry. See old man, this is how us kids dance. None of this old time boogie. Time for you to shuffle off stage gramps. Nobody beats Slater by waltzing him around the dance floor and letting him set the tempo. Christ, haven't these kids learnt a thing? They're over-respecting the champ.

I watched the women's heats. I've been thinking a lot about women's surfing but that is a story for another blog. It deserves some attention and we'll give it to them.

A wiry Aborginal man with a shock of grey hair was pointing a boomerang at the ocean and playing a didgeridoo. "Land, sea and spirit," he said to me. "We don't own it, when you feel that spirit. It owns you. Right brother. We feel that one, Bimmi," he clenched his fist and gently tapped his heart. "Right here, brother. Yew!" And he played his didge and did a strange little dance with his bare feet in the dirt in front of the Landrover screen.

I must have passed out with hunger and heat exhaustion sometime around noon. I would've scoffed that congealed poached egg with the Cuban cigar stubbed out on it and come back for sloppy seconds. Even with a couple of fat green blowflies sipping on it. No bull shipmates. With the budget cuts I couldn't even find a complimentary Red Bull so I made do with a couple of lightly fermented pandanus nuts collected from under a tree.

The afternoon passed in a steamy, sweaty blur. I saw Jordy do something wonderful and then Wilko was running past, with a very normal looking surfboard and looking a few pizzas and six packs lighter than the last time I saw him. Wilko without the spare tyre around the mid-riff looked muscular and wonderfully flair-escent off the top. Thats a made up word. "Whats the deal Wilko?" I asked him. "No beer, " he said. "Been a good boy". I wanted to unpack that statement a bit so I asked him the following question: "You took California with a high octane rock and roll attack last year and had a little brush with the law. Was that a wake-up call for you?" "Yeah, it definitely was a wake-up call. I was stupid. I just got too drunk one day and stopped off and had a little sleep. It was in the newspapers and I copped a bit of shit for it which was pretty deserved. I've settled down and take my career a bit more seriously now. I'm pretty blessed to be in this situation. I'm gunna make the most of it".

I'd like to know just who the hell the ASP intends to test for booze now that the tours loosest cannon has tightened up the program? Chris Davidson. Sorry he's gone. No-one left to carry the can for the old wild boy approach.

Snips and Dino were up in the stadium, drifting in the superbly catered stratosphere well above the human soup of tattooed Brazilian fighters and hungry bums which devoured countless g-strings. Their boy was out there and after a shaky start he turned on the fireworks. OK, he's never read a book, and maybe he and John John are a few bright lights away from being the full chandelier - well, what of it? We aren't expecting them to solve String Theory, or find a cure for the common cold. Just entertain the sweating lumpenproletariat is all. Make them feel their dull little lives are worth living for an instant as they wish they were young, rich and obscenely talented at riding a surfboard on a wave. It's not that freaking hard to understand is it?

In the crusty old back streets of the 'Gatta I walked past a tattooed man in a hat. He whistled. It was Davo. The Davo-stator. Doctor Damage. Unceremoniously retired without fanfare. No gold watch for service to the sport. No editorial from magazine hacks because he didn't have the big sponsors behind him. He looked clean and fit. Youthful. He offered a swig of a tallie of Tooheys and I accepted it graciously. Kindness begats kindness. "Hey, don't you owe me money, cunt?" he said. I did too. Davo had bestowed another act of kindness on me at Papeete airport when money trouble struck. "I'll find you Davo. I'm good for it". And I'll write that goddam Pro Surfing epitaph you deserve. If it's the last thing I do.

My van had been broken into and ransacked. The thought of some thug searching for valuables in my rusted out shitbox made me chuckle out loud. In fact I chuckled the whole way home to the Ox. A low slung sun sent heavenly rays onto the late summer grasses, with golden waving heads covering the rolling hills in a velvety fuzz that called to mind the ancient landscapes of biblical times. A shepherd herding his flock back to safety would have been perfect as a thin scimitar of moon drifted in the monsoonal sky. A great sense of peace washed over me like an incoming tide. Surfing is a spiritual journey.

If you don't do it, please don't start.

(Editor's note: Like this? Then click below so your friends can read it too)

Comments

braithy's picture
braithy's picture
braithy Monday, 27 Feb 2012 at 9:00am

"If you don't do it, please don't start."

... Amen.

Love your work, China.

windjammer's picture
windjammer's picture
windjammer Monday, 27 Feb 2012 at 11:10am

yeah, right^^^.... just stick it up Nike hey?

the-roller's picture
the-roller's picture
the-roller Monday, 27 Feb 2012 at 12:13pm

Stiv Shearer... another sweet piece of work, bru....

look at you, mate,... living the life....

in a van.. down by the river.

On 'ya, Stiv.

rbp's picture
rbp's picture
rbp Monday, 27 Feb 2012 at 12:48pm

Keep 'em coming Steve. great work as always.

And we do want to read Davo's Pro surfing epitaph (if he's done). And while you're at it, how about writing one for Herring..?

hambone's picture
hambone's picture
hambone Monday, 27 Feb 2012 at 4:45pm

Maybe the reason why young and rookie pros have trouble getting aggressively competitive with Slater is that they are grateful just to be on the tour in the first place and be paid to surf!
After all, do all you young folk out there dream of being the king of king's in surfing or do you just wish you were paid enough moola to surf uncrowded Indo tubes for free?
I'm guessing the latter, and while I'm sure everyone wants to be the pimp of their home break so they can get the best waves and show off to their peers, we all know you don't need to insult and beat King Kelly to tour and do photo trips to P-Pass!
It comes down to what surfing is about, really, and this is a philosophical question.
For Kelly, who's mentality and philosophical outlook is held captive to a compulsion to dominate: don't envy him by the way, just take one look into those hollow hawkish eyes and feel compassion for his lack of openness to life beyond competition or complete egoic self-absorption in his abilities, the sport is all about the search for perfect performance.
For most, however, I'm guessing despite the competitive environment created by a limited supply of rideable waves combined with an oversupply of surfing talent at most breaks, most are competitive so they can get waves, and second motivations to rip are fuelled by a desire to be paid to surf more waves in better environments (ie Indo).
I realise beating Kelly down is the ultimate way to ensure a lifetime of funded surf trips whether by an active sponsor or one's well invested retirement fund, but who can think that far ahead when they've made the tour and are having their egos stroked by their sponsors, media, and surf groupies?
I'm guessing people are scared by Kelly because he IS actually a scary human being, and this goes way beyond his domination in his profession, although that is one natural end result of his behaviour, although one of the few that has a happy ending for him.
Nothing personal against Kelly's soul, he's got one somewhere - just a comment on hyper competition in general - it's just another version of war. Why celebrate it when surfing is closer to pure joy? Can't we just enjoy it for what it is?
I am not a "soul surfer".

sidthefish's picture
sidthefish's picture
sidthefish Monday, 27 Feb 2012 at 5:24pm

rambone, that's pretty much it, another version of war.

Slater is the ultimate surf warrior, period. If what you say is true, I feel sorry for the lilly-livered young brigade for not having the metal to rise against old baldy.

ProSurfing/World titles versus Free surfing.

Boxing versus Shadow Boxing.

So is Dane Reynolds the best shadow boxer in the world ? or maybe he plays air guitar ?

It takes discipline, focus, structure and determination to make it in anything.

If you've got the ability, learning these skills will serve you well, if nothing else, make you stronger, and a better person.

and for fucks sake, all they have to do for a days work is catch 2 waves in 30mins, fragile little petals.

evo62's picture
evo62's picture
evo62 Monday, 27 Feb 2012 at 5:43pm

Thats a rather simplistic view Sid,

They also have to make sure the sponsors logo is front n centre on their truckers cap.

sidthefish's picture
sidthefish's picture
sidthefish Monday, 27 Feb 2012 at 5:53pm

limp dicks,

Sid is wondering if maybe the chicks have got more mongrel in 'em than the young brigade.

eh, where's the fucken ANIMAL ?

dan-burke's picture
dan-burke's picture
dan-burke Monday, 27 Feb 2012 at 9:19pm

hambone. i disagree with your representation of slater. he left the tour for a bit remember? now it seems he's competing with himself as much as anything, and he's providing the challenge, the benchmark. surely its better that he remains with this attitude rather than quitting the tour without anyone knowing how long he could actually stay on top. hyper competitive war -as you describe it as if its some wicked affliction- is in all our guts. admit it. otherwise why are you even interested? we all know the pure joy your talking of as surfers, fersure, but this (pro-circuit) is what happens to it when its saddled and spurred on by the rough ride of capitalism. some say don't beat a dead horse, so i'll shutup now.

billie's picture
billie's picture
billie Monday, 27 Feb 2012 at 10:28pm

That was great! You been training in the off-season Outsider? You make surfing a pleasure to be a part of. Cheers.

camboboog's picture
camboboog's picture
camboboog Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 12:07am

Hmmm, can't quite see John John as a working class hero (as my lumpenproletariatian perspiration condenses, and my xxxx gold gets warm)

z-man's picture
z-man's picture
z-man Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 12:20am

HAMBONE

you're my newest idol!

"just take one look into those hollow hawkish eyes and feel compassion for his lack of openness to life beyond competition or complete egoic self-absorption in his abilities"

I recall watching a video of Slater and a few 'friends' filmed in Hawaii, when those 'friends' wanted to see which/whom was the better boxer. Slater immediately showed no prowess whatsoever and challenged them all to a surf. He came off as a puss! Incidentally -Got his ears boxed too!

At that moment in time I realized what an obsessed individual looks like. It is sad.

It would be nice to live with the perks, but I've always said the first time I'm invited as a guest on the David Letterman show, I will wear a paper bag over my head to conceal my identity, because personal privacy is way more important to me.

I can still play the guitar with said paper bag.

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 3:38am

'When we are born, we cry that we are come
To this great stage of fools.'

Billy Shakespeare.

Ahh z-man, that old chestnut. Boxing- the mark of a man.

z-man's picture
z-man's picture
z-man Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 4:02am

stoically zen/o again

just the facts.

the-roller's picture
the-roller's picture
the-roller Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 4:19am

What a piece of literary art you've painted, Stiv Shearer,

While Dane is quaffing cups in luxury, Westerly is on the other side of town, queefing hers.

Looking forward to your next piece revealing the best of times/worst of times on the goldie!

blasphemy-rottmouth's picture
blasphemy-rottmouth's picture
blasphemy-rottmouth Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 6:36am

These recaps are adorable.

Surfline reported today... maybe five or six months AFTER Media 2.0, that Chopes AND Fiji may be cut as well THIS YEAR. That's in addition to J-Bay.

It's only February.

But I'm just a conspiracy theorist. Don't listen to me about Bong and the AI story making public new this year.

I thought it would take 5-10 years for the whole thing to unravel.

How about THIS YEAR mutherfuckers!

Say hi to your bosom body Nick Carroll for me Shearer. Ask him for a job flipping pancakes in Newport. You guys will need it next year... if lil' Nicky isn't in jail for criminal negligence before then.

blasphemy-rottmouth's picture
blasphemy-rottmouth's picture
blasphemy-rottmouth Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 6:40am
z-man's picture
z-man's picture
z-man Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 6:54am

@b-r

The horrors!!!
I was looking forward to that event.(tears)

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 7:00am

Err...not quite, Brewser: http://www.swellnet.com.au/news/2791-the-outsider-lost-souls

Even your schadenfraude is faulty.

blasphemy-rottmouth's picture
blasphemy-rottmouth's picture
blasphemy-rottmouth Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 7:03am

You Mean Steve Shearer's attempt to be like Derek Reilly with his sarcasm and irony was an epic fail... ye gods Stu!

blasphemy-rottmouth's picture
blasphemy-rottmouth's picture
blasphemy-rottmouth Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 7:04am

For Shearer's next article, tell him just to cut and past all my Blogs and Tweets from the last year. It would save him time, trouble, and obviously, money.

the-roller's picture
the-roller's picture
the-roller Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 7:53am

Hey look, even after he was up in here weeks ago, claiming like a kook that he was done and dusted forever with Swellnet, old grandpa rottkamp is back.

proving once again, he's a hypocrite. good at serving up another heap of his hypocrite eggs.

the-roller's picture
the-roller's picture
the-roller Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 7:56am

oh, and by the way, old rottkamp, even though it's been downgraded to a SIX STAR event, a contest will still be held at Jeffries Bay!

which just so happens to open it up to more surfers to have a go...

heh.

Capitalism 2.0!

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 9:09am

Rotty, thanks for the career advice. No, really. I'm sure Nick has got his own way of monetising his skills but I'm already committed to a joint venture with Rasta.
We secured the concession from Byron Shire Council to sell whale meat burgers and dream catchers on the beach to post-capitalist hipsters.
The plan is for strong earnings growth then setting up franchisees globally. Just like the ASP model!
Seeya on the beach in SoyCal.
Mention this ad and I'll give you a free burger.

sidthefish's picture
sidthefish's picture
sidthefish Tuesday, 28 Feb 2012 at 9:49am

rottencramps, thought you promised you'd fucked off for good.

NOW FUCK OFF FOR GOOD.

trauzersnake's picture
trauzersnake's picture
trauzersnake Friday, 2 Mar 2012 at 4:08pm

I like steve's articles. But it looks like pro surfing is really fucked. This would never happen in football, golf, tennis, soccer, rugby, baseball, auto racing....I cant imagine a NASCAR season where all of a sudden, Talladega is cut, bristol is cut, and the Pepsi 400 at Daytona is cut. I can't imagine a PGA tour season, where pebble beach is cut, the player's championship is cut, and the the British Open is relegated to a pure European Tour event...come if you want. I cant imagine an NFL season, where the wildcard playoff week is cut. Sad. I guess smoking pot really DOES mess you up.

trauzersnake's picture
trauzersnake's picture
trauzersnake Friday, 2 Mar 2012 at 4:12pm

Looks like the worldwide number of marijuana dealers is going to increase a bit in the next year or so....I guess its not all bad

trauzersnake's picture
trauzersnake's picture
trauzersnake Friday, 2 Mar 2012 at 4:19pm

There's been a world surfing tour for 30 years. Now these companies have market capitalization, and they can't float. Why? Its that guy with the fogged-up half reading specs looking at you, looking at the cost report, looking back at you, saying, this will never do. There are shareholders to answer to. And the diversification of the conglomerates means that we lose these events that appeal to the core audience...so what? our risk is spread evenly and this is the first bullshit to go. Diamond dobbies anyone? I think porn stars pull their giant cocks out of them now...and everyone in Iowa wants a pair.

sidthefish's picture
sidthefish's picture
sidthefish Friday, 2 Mar 2012 at 4:54pm

no one will lose sleep if they have to eat twisties for a few years.

z-man's picture
z-man's picture
z-man Friday, 2 Mar 2012 at 9:47pm

'twisties' - let me guess - those donuts that are twisted?

sidthefish's picture
sidthefish's picture
sidthefish Friday, 2 Mar 2012 at 10:02pm
z-man's picture
z-man's picture
z-man Friday, 2 Mar 2012 at 10:09pm

twisties look like our orange Cheetos - but Chicken - mmm!

thanks

sidthefish's picture
sidthefish's picture
sidthefish Friday, 2 Mar 2012 at 10:20pm

mmm...they're sorta food but not, and they're sorta good but not.

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Friday, 2 Mar 2012 at 10:59pm

z-man, you should try a twistie sanga. Makes a chip sanga look positively ordinary.

z-man's picture
z-man's picture
z-man Saturday, 3 Mar 2012 at 12:18am

zenagain - I would! I was in Lennox NSW in July '98 and don't recall seeing any, not that that was a priority - old friend visit for 2 weeks wasn't enuf!!!

You have a beautiful country! What little I saw of it on the bus from Sydney to Lennox and back.

the-roller's picture
the-roller's picture
the-roller Saturday, 3 Mar 2012 at 4:00am

t-snake, Never?... hells bells, Football has had all sorts of problems over the years, even whole leagues have gone under... anyone recall the USFL?.. yet football has not ceased to exist.

NFL schedules, and the number of games per season has changed quite often over the years. And it's been the same with farking golf, as well as NASCAR.

Nice screen name though, naming yourself after someone's nob.... before you embarrass yourself further, maybe you might consider a change in "scheduling"?

heals's picture
heals's picture
heals Saturday, 3 Mar 2012 at 9:10am

@Trauzersnake,

I like the shambolic nature of competition surfing, it reflects the nature of the sport when I was growing up. If this is what the fringe looks like in 2012 - semi-professional but fully unstable - then I'm happy with it.

Let the ground keep shaking.