Australian summer in the early 1970s..
Beachside hubs buzzing
with the footsteps of weathered toes sizzling on the sunburnt pavement.
Sun-bleached mops dancing on the collars of
salt-crusted shirts, concealing chocolate-brown skin from the blinding sun.
The
deafening roar of the ocean; untouched perfection; a blank canvas waiting to be
engraved by the motion of a single fin.
My obsession with the ocean was sparked through the
influence of my dad, a once stereotypical surfie bum, who tackled Victoria’s
coastline in an old ‘Morris 1100’ in search of gnarly, uncrowded perfection.
With sun bleached hair and distinct tanlines resembling the outline of a (very)
short pair of board shorts, my father grew up in an age where surfing was a
means of expressing one’s personal identity. During this time (where only God
knew what the internet was), Australian surfing was associated with images of
tree-hugging anti-establishment surf tribes, taking ‘the road less travelled
and steering the wheel of their kombi after filling it with bong smoke instead
of fuel.’ (Glen, R; Mckerlie, R et al., 2009)
It was through these images that the Australian surf culture
was considered an art, a method of self-expression, and a way of escaping the
reality of a 9 til 5 life.
Globalisation over the last few decades has seen a distinct ideoscape
in Australian surf culture. Nowdays, surfing is connected to the ideologies of
high profile, well-paid athletes, Alana Blanchard in a bikini, the ASP world
tour, elite surfers from every corner of the globe, Alana Blanchard in a
bikini, computerised surfboard-shaping technologies, million dollar endorsement
contracts, a professional women’s circuit, and Alana Blanchard in a bikini (Check
out this news-feed congesting, surfing superstar at the link below to become
one of her 653,484 folowers! - http://instaprof.appspot.com/profile/alanarblanchard)
Due to intensifying globalisation, and an improvement in
media technologies (i.e. mediascapes), Australian surf culture has been moulded
by and incorporated into part of the global surf scene. No longer do we see surf
hardware being produced in the backyard of ‘an old house in torquay’ (Rip Curl, 2013), being paid by the slab.
Instead, Local beach bums have transitioned into global
superstars, backyard sales to multinational corporations. A once lazy, local
art form; Australian surf culture has experienced an ideoscape into a globally
recognised competition of who can charge the hardest, and be the best.
References:
Rantanen, T, 2005, ‘Theorizing media globalization’, The media and globalization, Sage, London
Glen, R; Mckerlie, R et al., 2009, 'Has Surfing Lost its Identity?', Waves, vol. 28, no. 04, Nextmedia, Australia
Rip Curl, 2013, 'In The Beginning', [Online], Rip Curl Ltd. http://www.ripcurl.com.au/?thebegining,
