What is Surf Culture?
The culture began early in the 20th century, spread quickly during the 1950s and 1960s, and continues to evolve. Touching fashion, music, literature, films, jargon, and more, its basis is the love of surfing, the hunt for great waves, the desire for the ultimate ride, and life in and around the ocean. Localism or territorialism is often a large part of surf culture in which individuals or groups of surfers designate certain key surfing spots as their own. Surfers, who come from many walks of life, are generally bound by an intense love of the sport. The fickle nature of weather and the ocean, plus the great desire for the best possible types of waves for surfing, make surfers slaves to rapidly changing conditions. Surfer Magazine, founded in the 1960s when surfing had gained popularity with teenagers, used to say that if they were hard at work and someone yelled “Surf’s up!” the office would suddenly be empty. Also, since surfing has a restricted geographical necessity (i.e. the coast)
Surf culture is the complex and incredibly varied culture which is involved with the sport of surfing. In addition to creating a unique subculture, surfing also sparked major cultural trends, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, shaping mainstream culture with changes in language, attitude, and social norms. Many surfers share this collective cultural legacy, and some non-surfers mimic some aspects of surf culture because they find it interesting or admirable. Surfing was developed by the Polynesians hundreds of years ago. Early explorers in the South Pacific were introduced to the sport, which was briefly repressed in the 1800s before rising to prominence in the early 1900s. By the 1950s, surf culture had began to reach the mainland of the United States, thanks to films which popularized it, and a collective surfing craze swept America. There are many aspects to surf culture, and some of these aspects are clearly adopted from Polynesian culture. Surf culture tends to place a high value
