Question: What do you think when you think of a surfer dude or a surfer girl? My opinion: Before I knew anything about the surfing subculture I would characterize a surfer as a tan, fit, woman or man with blonde, beachy hair. When I would think of a surfer's outfit it would be board shorts or swim trunks, flip flops and a tank top for a boy and shorts, a bathing suit top and flip flops for a girl. I would think they talk with a funny voice always saying things like "surfs-up" and "hang ten." Little did I know, there are many different stereotypes within the surfer subculture. Check out what I found about surfer stereotypes below from surfermag.com!
1. Surfers who over-decorate their boards: this is a surfer who takes large stickers from any and every company they can find and reps these brands, despite not being paid for the publicity. 2. The bum: these are jobless, unmotivated surfers. This is a negative stereotype in my opinion, because many people believe surfers are lazy. This is absolutely not the case for all surfers, especially professional surfers who make lots of money in competitions! 3. The artist/ surfer combo: These surfers are apparently spotted by their messy outfits with an array of mix matched colors, tight pants and an artsy hat. Selling art enables these surfers to live the leisurely lifestyle of surfing the waves. 4. The high-end occasional surfer: These surfers have all the most expensive and modern gear, but tend to keep their equipment cleaner, as they rarely use it. 5. Surf for God: these surfers to not give in to sponsors or sex and surf for God only 6. Tree-hugger: These "hippie-like" surfers are a little more detached from the subculture. They value the earth and the waves. I think they are probably the most like ancient surfers who felt a spiritual connection with surfing.
Some other stereotypes: - When the Europeans first discovered surfing they saw it as a lazy lifestyle and over-sexualized, which is partly surfers sometimes carry that negative stigma. - Surfing is a man's sport. Surfing was considered a masculine and dangerous sport and women were seen as too frail or delicate for a sport like surfing, specifically in the 1900s. - Surfers are just bums: Surfers often try to work jobs that free up more time to surf, which are not classified under a 9-5 white collar job that many Americans find appropriate and successful in modern culture. However, surfers should not be seen as less successful or intelligent for simply living a different lifestyle. It is a choice to live this way, not always a reflection of job ability, though it may be. Check out this first link to an example of a real-life "beach-bum."
Here is a link to a scene from a movie called "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982). This shows a movie portraying the same "beach-bum" stereotype. Could it be possible that movies that encourage the stereotype, encourage surfers to take on this role, like a self-fulfilling prophecy?
*Although these videos share a stereotypical view of surfers, there is evidence of a change of mindset which I believe has to do with the commercialization of surfing. According to Karl Palmas author of "From criminality to creativity: how studies of surfer subcultures reinvented invention," the surfing subculture has evolved from being described as deviant to be applauded for its "creativity, innovativeness and entrepreneurialism."