help with cultural studies project. lids & sticks

[wobbo]

Hey guys, hoping you could help me with some opinions. I'm doing a cultural studies project for uni on the relationship between surfing and bodyboarding.

please no bodyboarders posting, i don't want this to decend into a another unsolvable squabble.

I'm just after you're honest opinion of bodyboarding and the people that do it. I hope to post some more questions in the future if yoiu guys are willing to help me out. Thanks.

[Johnno]

Hi wobbo why not try the Bodyboarders only ! section............

http://forum.realsurf.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=8

Yeah a whole section to themselves..............amazing isn't ........................

[macca202]

ok so you are doing a cultural studies project on the relationship between surfing and bodyboarding, but you only want to hear from surfers.... riiiight.

let me guess, your a surfer?
and you sure you go to uni?

[smw1]

Is bodyboarding a culture?

[macca202]

whats the definition of a culture?
being a relatively new sport it doesn't have the history surfing does, but it creates a lifestyle in the same way stand up surfing does. In essence, they are the same, i.e riding waves on a board.
Ones harder to learn, the others harder to get good at.

[stylefirst]

Ones harder to learn, the others harder to get good at.

wise words...

[smw1]

I'm not so sure about that. To have achieved culture statues requires a whole pattern of social behaviours, beliefs, expression etc. Surf culture has achieved this over decades, but I doubt bodyboarding is there yet. Not that I'm bagging it at all.

If anything, bodyboarding is probably part of surf culture, even though I'm sure it has its own individual identity within that.

PS - Wobbo - sorry to be off-topic.

[wobbo]

Thanks for the responses guys. Johnno I posted it here cause I'm interested in the way that other surfers view bodyboarding, not how bodyboarders view themselves.

Macca, I don't actually go to uni, I study externally as well as work fulltime and look after two kids, so yer thanks smartarse. and I ride a lid mostly, but jump on a stick when conditions suit, don't jump to conclusions ey.

Don't get to hung up on the "cultural" part of it. Basically it's a way of studying society and the interactions and power relations between sub-groups within it.

thanks for touching on the idea of whether bodyboarding has it's own separate culture or whether it's a sub group of the mainstream surf culture, thats also something I want to explore as well.

I'd say that Bodyboarding has it's own separate identity, but I'm not sure whether you could say it has it's own culture because bodyboarders and a surfers can interact within each group and find a huge amount of common ground in language, dress, direction, beliefs etc. Thanks for the feedback any more opinions, ideas etc would be greatly appreciated.

[marty]

Thanks for the responses guys. Johnno I posted it here cause I'm interested in the way that other surfers view bodyboarding, not how bodyboarders view themselves.

Don't get to hung up on the "cultural" part of it. Basically it's a way of studying society and the interactions and power relations between sub-groups within it.

What about how boogers view stand-ups? relationships tend to be a 2-way street. And i'm not gettin all righteous or anything.

[Meataxe]

I don’t care enough about it to debate the point with acne covered 14 y.o’s but I have to admit I’ve always looked down on bodyboarding. It just looks so stoooopid.

For the life of me I can’t see why anyone would go into a surf shop and walk out with a piece of foam instead of a surfboard.

[marty]

I don’t care enough about it to debate the point with acne covered 14 y.o’s but I have to admit I’ve always looked down on bodyboarding. It just looks so stoooopid.

For the life of me I can’t see why anyone would go into a surf shop and walk out with a piece of foam instead of a surfboard.

well i've always thought that weak cutbacks, slashes and reo's have always looked stupid.. generalisations will get you a long way in a debate..... and i'm certainly not 14, nor acne covered...
nor am i 15,16,17 or any other of the teenage years. covering for the obvious smart remark that will ensue.

as for looking down on bodyboarding... maybe ummm ignorance is bliss aye?

[Lidder]

wat a lame topic......

[shish]

Because learning to stand up and carve a wave is so difficult, especially on a short board, short boarders will always have a little less respect for Bodyboarders because it is so much easier to learn. Other than really dredgy waves, it also appears to be much more limiting and quite frankly, not nearly as much fun or rewarding.

[Berowralocal]

wow some people are really stupid and ignorant WOW
all u surfers who look down on bodyboarding are actually just plain old STUPID.... what gives u the right to look down on bodyboarders..? "it looks stupid" wow wat an excellent reason.. judge something for the look yewww bet you were one of the stupid jock assholes at school ayy.. close minded loser.. both have their merits.. i love the ocean and have much respect for any wave riding craft.. i just choose to ride a bodyboard... simple as that.. its close minded people like you surfers here that ruin surfing in general... bet half of you are pathetic summer surfers ayy
even kelly slater and most good surfers im willing to bet have enormous respect for bodyboarders.....
its easy to bodyboard ayy? come out to zone or shark island when its 6-8ft on low tide and tell me how easy it is.....

[austeve]

I'm sure this topic was started & bodyboarders opinions weren't asked for

[chris_010]

People get defensive when threatened. And we all know most surfers are in total awe of bodyboarders that are actually good and charge. All the best reef breaks in sydney are dominated by bodyboarders cause they have a passion for the sport and aren't just doing something to "be cool". So they get better and better and charge slabs most surfers come and take photos at.

[Johnno]

wow some people are really stupid and ignorant WOW
all u surfers who look down on bodyboarding are actually just plain old STUPID.... what gives u the right to look down on bodyboarders..?

I'm standing up looking down..............................

[Lidder]

Because learning to stand up and carve a wave is so difficult, especially on a short board, short boarders will always have a little less respect for Bodyboarders because it is so much easier to learn. Other than really dredgy waves, it also appears to be much more limiting and quite frankly, not nearly as much fun or rewarding.

riggggghhttttt, the thing i like most bout bodyboarding is thers so much more freedom..... like you could of just caught a sik wave out the bak, and your still riding in on your gut, wher thers alredy a little shorie double up and youre alredy prepared since your on your gut so you can just bakdoor the shorie with ease without stacking like the average stand up would.....

bodybords cant get dings either.......