Define me a LOCAL

[Butts]

Once again we head down a ROAD well travelled.
Can anyone define to me WHAT constitutes a LOCAL?

By the way I'm what constitutes a "Blowin", and I always will be.

[bc]

When I worked in Ireland, you were local if your grandparents had been born in that town. (Non-surf context)

[Spoon]

Shouldn't be concerned about being a blowin' Butts, according to Bob Dylan you are the answer in all types of wind conditions my friend

[Butts]

Shouldn't be concerned about being a blowin' Butts, according to Bob Dylan you are the answer in all types of wind conditions my friend

I'll pay that one spoon

[Beanpole]

A few years ago I took the family up to Coolangatta for a holiday. Paddled out the second day at Snapper. It was little. Some guy came up and said,"Are you a local, mate?"

I said," Yeh, I guess so,"
He said,"I saw you arrive yesterday."
I just said,"There was nothing here yesterday."

That was true. It had been flat the day before. I could have said I was born in the local hospital and my parents are buried in the local cematery but I guess he was right.

[Kunji]

You are a local if you've put in blood, sweat and years.

[Larry]

best to be not known, anywhere

[sean--]

I've heard a saying that a local is someone with no better place to go.

[SAsurfa]

Locals can be spotted more easily in more remote locations where the town is closer to that break and the people from that town surf the waves around that area all the time.

When it comes into the CBD, the locals are harder to distinguish but can be recognised pretty easily if you surf the place a bit yourself. Or even if it's the first time your out there, they usually sit at the top of the pecking order and have the waves sussed, inside and out.

Around Adelaide the mid coast has more of a local crew than the south coast as nearly everyone has to put in alot of k's to get down there.

[Trev]

Just to complicate matters, there's "Locals" and there's "Regulars"
To me a Local lives nearby and Regular can come from across town but be there at first light and show up more often than a Local.
At the end of the day, the peer group decides if you are an acceptable addition to the line-up. And that will be determined by how you conduct yourself.

[--++sunstroke++--]

I've heard a saying that a local is someone with no better place to go.

Surfing your local all the time is like having sex with your sister. Sure it feels good at the time & it gets you off but it leaves you with an "Oh so dirty & wrong" feeling at the end of the day...








thank fcuk I don't have a sister

[stinky_wes]

At the end of the day, the peer group decides if you are an acceptable addition to the line-up. And that will be determined by how you conduct yourself.

Eggzackery. As long as you are enjoying your surfing with like minded people, who farken cares whether they live down the road or not?

I bet most people have had their best session/waves ever at somewhere that wasn't their local. Not knowing what's around the corner is half the fun.

[walloper]

A local is someone who's been surfing there for longer than you.

[Surfin Turf]

I used to be a local, but one day I woke up and looked in the mirror and told myself that today would be the first day of the rest of my surfing life and now I go where it's good and least crowded ... it's good to be free of those shackles ... plus , when you're a cranky ol' b'stard you can pretty much go anywhere, act like you have some sort of rights to the place and get plenty of waves ...

[Partypooper]

Just to complicate matters, there's "Locals" and there's "Regulars"
To me a Local lives nearby and Regular can come from across town but be there at first light and show up more often than a Local.
At the end of the day, the peer group decides if you are an acceptable addition to the line-up. And that will be determined by how you conduct yourself.

i get this where i surf, when i can get down there i drive up to 40 mins for a surf but am there at first light. all the locals recognize me and accept the fact i make the effort to get there early

respecting the locals will get you in a better place

[Nick Carroll]

I've heard a saying that a local is someone with no better place to go.

Yes and it was said by someone (Owl Chapman) who hasn't surfed anywhere other than Sunset and Waimea for 20 years.

I'm a local at Newport Beach NSW. I've lived there for 45 years give or take 7 or so in CA. I know heaps of the history of the beach, not all, but heaps. I've surfed every break in the area numerous times and I always know someone in the lineup when I paddle out, unless there's nobody actually out. I don't feel like I own it, quite the opposite, I feel like I'm a part of it. I look after the kids in the area and if any blow-ins try to tough-guy them, there'll be consequences. I surf a lot of other spots here and overseas but I hate missing a really good day at home. The fishes here will eat my ashes one day.

It's not a matter of living somewhere, it's a matter of belonging somewhere.

I haven't heard this said by Owl or anyone, but I think people who mock "locals" mostly do it because they don't know what it's like to belong to a surf spot.

[monkey]

I think that sense of belonging is the key. However when it strays into territoriality - ie anyone not a "local" is a threat or unworthy - is the down side and all too common.
I think Owl C also said a local is just a dirtbag who doesnt travel. And the irony of tough guy locals isnt lost on me when they happen to go somewhere else and start whinging about the locals there.

[brenno05]

not a local anywhere, but a regular at a couple of breaks...i just tend to surf wherever i think it will be best, or is the best on the day...give respect to everyone out there 'local' or not and is usually always reciprocated...im just there to have fun and smash some waves, and if i have to wait my turn than so be it