Just what are "Locals"

[Gasherbrum4]

Whether you live on the beach or not doesn't mean much in this context -- one of my beach's hardest core locals grew up in Penrith.

I think a lot of people would be surprised at how many hardcore locals would've been considered 'blowins' at one time but they have gained their 'stripes' from perseverence & committment at a particular spot.

Of the group of mates I surf with regularly only one was born & bred on the beaches the rest of us migrated from out west. We often remark how few of the young guys who have lived all their lives in a beachside suburb show up for the early on a consistent basis ..... all too easy perhaps(??)

As pointed out by NC one of the best things about being a 'regular' at your chosen spot is regardless of how crowded it is you can always paddle out, have a chat & get a wave when it's your turn. Familiarity has it's rewards ..... Plus some of us old dicks have to keep Wanto in check

[Sov007]

the only real locals out there are those that live there - the doolphins, penguins and of course all those lovely noah's....

they have been living there a lot longer than any of the so called local land inhabitants - indigenous or not, and they have been surfing it for a hell of a lot longer...

[chrisb]

A local - someone who arrived at the break 5 minutes before me.
Frankly, up at Byron the most aggro in the surf are the holidaymakers - the permanent residents are OK.

[BB]

It's about commitment and priorities, not money and logging up the years. Yes Sydney is expensive but if you're serious about surfing there are cheaper options with better waves, less career opportunities perhaps but that's just another dimension of commitment...doing what has to be done to maintain the core lifestyle.

People forget that localism in Sydney serves a really useful purpose, it spreads the crowd. If the best surfers at every beach got up in the morning and headed for the prime spot of the day it would be carnage. Localism to some extent means being prepared to surf your spot when there are better waves aound. The flipside of this is that when blow ins turn up on a good day they can expect to be given a low priority no matter how many times they paddle around the buoy (or hassle to the inside). I surf a few places very regularly.....when they're good I'll play a pretty mean game against unfamiliar faces if it is necessary...and it often is!

My attitude is basically the same as the attitudes I encounter other places, if you're not a local you have to be humble and let people have the waves they want. People who whinge about this arrangement I find generally don't have much commitment...they just want to turn up on the good days and get a share of the waves, their whingeing reveals that they are often disappointed.

[bro]

I think 'local" is an outdated concept. In a city of 4 million people there are a lot of locals. I surf one of Sydneys most crowded beaches and I would recognise about 5% or less of the people in the water. Being a local does not determine wave quota, ability does.

Look at who gets all the set waves on any given day and I bet they are not necessarily a local but what they all will have in common is above average ability.

With a good attitude and above averge ability you will get good waves on any day any where in the world.

[bro]

Fair call wanto but with above avergae ability comes an inherent knowledge/understanding of waves and I think if you watch a spot for a while and you are of above average ability you should be fine

[T Dog]

There are too many subjective measures being introduced into the equation of who is a local vs who is not.

I think Max is spot on with the Pittwater Rd boundary for the northern beaches.... its an easy to use guideline with no grey areas.

for those who surf the northern beaches of Sydney..anyone who lives west of Pittwater Rd should not even contemplate calling him or herself a local. If you have to cross that road to get to the beach you are a "WESTIE".

That would explain why there are no real locals up at Palmy (not even you Larry), but almost everyone's a local down at Manly

[Longygrom]

well Long Reef doesnt have any houses east of Pittwater Road, nor does any of the reef breaks there.

If you live at a place and have done for many years, are aknowledged and know fellow locaLs, know the local spots inside out and can rip it up and push and be pushed ability wise by fellow locals, if you attend or are a force behind local beach events (i.e boardriders, comps, partys) then you are a local.

[greygrom]

Sorry but I don't think local board comps have anything to do with being a local. At times the local board club think they own the bloody place. They don't of course. I guess ome people find comfort in the pack mentality, whilst others hunt alone.

[Johnno]

whilst others hunt alone.

With you there

[Southozzie]

i reckon too many see it as a person who as been there a day before you

[Beanpole]

Are locals those people who drive around in their BMW 4 wheel drives with Palm Beach -somewhere on Australias east coast bumper stickers?

Or are they just lost?

[DK Tim]

[quote="max"]
OR..3.for those who surf the northern beaches of Sydney..anyone who lives west of Pittwater Rd should not even contemplate calling him or herself a local. If you have to cross that road to get to the beach you are a "WESTIE".


'Local' when meaning those who possess a particular surf break is a moronic word in surfing. Those who claim a particular break to be theirs use about 1% of the human brain capacity. Anyone would realise that the ocean that provides the places that a surfer 'claims' is such an amazing DYNAMIC thing that could never be owned once, let alone for an eternity. Surfers who do this are like a student who writes an essay from one page of research. The ocean is never identical once, so you never own the same ocean- get local out of your vocab and replace it with the idea that you are local everywhere. be a human who surfs.

[BB]

get local out of your vocab and replace it with the idea that you are local everywhere

I'll have to try that at Maroubra sometime, or Narrabeen on a good day, or even better, Anga when the crew is out! DK there's the way the world should be and there's the way the world really is, I'd suggest taking the latter view.

[greygrom]

So BB are you telling us that "locals" have a right to drop in on you because they think they can?

[schnorky]

Im a local because I surf lots, my family surf lots and I'm mostly too busy to surf anywhere else. If I moved to another beach, I'd be a local there in no time.
As a local, I dont need to drop in....I know what is necessary to get a wave.
As a local, I know where the best food is.
As a local, I am a member of the boardriders but dont necessarily go in comps.
As a local, I buy nearly all my surf stuff from the local boardshop because I can get a better deal there than any specials
I live 2kms from the beach, I've worked hard for 30 years but integrity/smartz has kept me from getting closer. Damn that integrity.
73's and 88's