Kookocracy

[stretch]

this martin dunn ??

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~dunnmj/

mmmmm, id rather not ey.

[Chong]

Umm nah this martin dunn www.surfcoach.com

[stretch]

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~dunnmj/personal.html

yeah sure....have a read up on the guy. im sure he fargen rips it up.

[fred nerk]

I remember when snowboarding first started to take off all of a sudden the mountains were infested with big groups of Kooky snowboarders who had no idea about mountain etiquette and had even less interest in finding out. They would sit it large numbers in stupid spots watching their mates go off a 1ft jump. If you want to sit down go to the bar. Their eagerness to take on the snowboarding persona was enough to make you puke, to this day I still cant fathom why you would wear your pants below your ass crack if you then have to sit on the snow. Anyway having recently spent ten days in NZ it seems to have gotten better, less kooks sitting around and more people following the fall line instead of trying to impress their loser mates.

Having said that I have done both extensively and the fact that snowboarding is so fricking easy to learn (up to intermediate level) is certainly part of the problem, much like boogieboarding. The fact that the resorts are regulated by ski patrol perhaps decreases some of the more extreme kookyness that you see in the surf.

[Nick Carroll]

Yeahbut... as mentioned earlier, you're only a Kook if you think you're a bigger deal than you are, hey ringa

[mad]

Autumn 06 and we're enjoying 2-3 ft cruisy beachies, when old mate flails out to the line up on his mini mal. He's adorned in helmet (2/3ft beachies), surfing sunnies (it's overcast morning), paddle gloves (only 3 of us out) and steamer (its 22C). We were taking bets on him either being a pussy whipped mumma's boy, a vampire, or Osama trying to sneak a quiet sesh in between bombing raids.

then there's a bloke who rocks up for a weeks holiday every year at the same time. How do I know this you ask? how often do you see 50 yr old kneeboarders in red rashies and knob togs, and he's had the same ensemble for years. Sad thing is he recognises me and wants to chat, and no matter how much I try not to judge a book by its cover, I'm outta there

Rock hops can undoubtedly make kooks out of all of us, but i reckon huey can sniff one out a mile off and swat him like a bug.

[stoive]

does a certified KookMaster decide when one has left kookdom

[Da Duke]

Here is an unkind example of the Kookocracy: Aquabumps.

Now there is a photographer -- Eugene Tan -- who pretty much does that: shoots mostly not very good surfers at Bondi Beach. And for this he has gained considerable fame, and status among the groovy semi-young media outlets of Sydney. As far as they know, Eugene IS the master photographer of the sport of surfing...and he IS recording surfing, but mostly surfing being done in not very good waves by card carrying members of the Kookocracy. And it's all cool! It's FINE!! It works! It's even become a business for him.

It's a contrast to the saturation coverage of surf star trips to flawless mega-barrels, hey. Maybe that's why it works. In a way the Kookocracy is a backlash against surf stardom.

NC - you have no idea how much I agree with you on this one.
All Hail Aquabumps! The Kookocracy Monarch.

I still cringe whenever I see those images he's taken for his exhibitions. They look like they should be in an IKEA catalogue. Way over saturated and full of quirky little angles. But, like NC said, hats off to him. He gets paid doing it , a large number of clueless hotties think they look "really cool!" and the yocals get a kick out of seeing themselves on the net. Plus its Bondi! - if kooks could fly that place would be an airport.

Basically I think it comes down to undue cred. You want your surfing "hero's" to be the one's out there pushing the boundaries and moving the sport/lifestyle along the road to advancement, not the parasites romanticizing the mundane and revering the mediocre.

...and the court jesters of this new kookdom - sandal wearing longboarders. On the woddle to the nearest beach with their wetties on and the zips down! I don't care if it's in the middle of winter, toughen up and run Tubbsy! and do up ya wetties!!! you look like a busted sanga!

[stoive]

i dont think theres anything wrong with wetties not being done up, ill start sweating if i put on my Cell for the run to the beach

[Shaunm]

Hey if someone spends 3-4 days a week for 3 years summer/winter rain/shine at the one beach (or others) keeps out of everyones way. Gets the hang of it before moving out the back. Never drops in but gets the odd wave, never wears the flash looking name brand stuff, but still basically sucks at surfing, are they a kook?

I'd say no, just cant surf for sh!t.

[Nick Carroll]

Exactly, Shaunm! Not a Kook -- just can't surf. There's a difference.

[kreepykrawly]

refer to my "article" for clarification.

[bc]

There's a lot of sentiment back to when surfing was more a fringe sport. For some this is 1999, for some 1960.
But where are the fringe dwellers now? What are they into?
-Not just water based, but in all of society.

And, does anyone know someone, personally, who abandoned surfing because of the crowds and the rise in popularity?
-and not just because they were getting a bit old/work was taking up more time/they wanted to work on the golf swing?

[matt...]

Yeahbut... as mentioned earlier, you're only a Kook if you think you're a bigger deal than you are, hey ringa

a few years ago at the haven, solid 6ft winter swell, lowering tide, regular sets and only the experienced rocking off at the regular spot...

when a guy lobs up with his girlfriend to rock off in not a very suitable, or sensible spot at all. the girl doesn't want to do it, but after about 5 mins he convinces her to edge down the rocks nearing the waterline. next thing you know a set marches around the corner. a few of us start yelling at 'em to go back up the rocks, but - too late, they both end up being washed off the rocks into a deep hole behind a big rock, boards & leggies, arms & legs in a tangled mess. the girl climbed to safety quicker than the bloke, and we made sure they were both alright.
KOOK.
why would you do that to your girlie ??

[Beanpole]

Saw someone on the Northside today with a groovy My Brothers Keeper pullover. Apparently they are a fashion item now
How core, how kooky.

[WANDERER]

Saw someone on the Northside today with a groovy My Brothers Keeper pullover. Apparently they are a fashion item now
How core, how kooky.

I reckon this is where they all got the whole Brother's Keeper thing from...

http://mcleodsdaughters.ninemsn.com.au/ ... x?id=13874

"Episode 92 - 'My Brothers Keeper'
A minor car accident at the truckstop brings Stevie and Kane Morgan (Craig McLachlan) together for the first time. Stevie, at fault, is smitten by this handsome stranger when he tells her not to worry about the damage to his car."

mmmmm.... stevie... stevie needs it bad.... oh yeah...