Why do we collectively shudder whenever a film or tv commercial tries to use surfing in its storyline? Are we just reactive elitists whose little bubble gets popped whenever someone who doesn’t surf makes an attempt to describe surfing? Or is there some legitimate smell of b.s. wafting into our nostrils?
Case in point, the following Guinness commercial… I loved Jonathan Glazer’s other Guinness ads on different subjects and despite a ton of the “best commercial ever” comments on YouTube, something about this ad rubs me wrong. I can forgive his rearranging of breaking wave shots which show a complete misunderstanding of wave mechanics, and the frat boy bear hugging at the end in tight Duke-inspired ball huggers. But what gets me is the complete contradiction of the “waiting” theme that is throughout their ad campaign. The term “waiting” is used as a thread because it supposedly takes 90 seconds to pour a proper pint of Guinness, but 90 seconds is nothing compared to the amount of time a surfer waits to get a good ride. For instance, how long did it take you to catch your first decent wave (not whitewash dribble, but a real smooth down-the-line ride)? Probably weeks, maybe months? I’m writing this in Chile while visiting my girlfriend who’s studying abroad near Santiago. Next weekend, we’re taking a four day surf trip during what’s supposedly the swell of the season. Even if everything goes to plan (meaning our 6 hour bus ride connects with our ride down the treacherous cliff, and we’re greeted with peeling lefts), how much actual surfing do you think we’ll get? Depending on the crowd and swell consistency, we’ll be lucky to get a few minutes of wave riding for the couple of days when the swells and winds align. In the end, I’ll have sacrificed countless of hours of work and even more time honing my surfing skills to be able to enjoy the experience.
And here’s where I think the surfer’s malaise lies – there is nothing patient about storytelling in the media. It’s life distilled into the most emotional and fantastic bits and good ads need to be immediate and sensational. Surfing isn’t a group hug, and it isn’t a 20 foot, hail-mary drop-in with 10 of your closest friends. That’s why whenever we see a happy ending, perfect ride, or grand moment associated with surfing from non-surfers, it rings false. My concern is the impression ads like these are giving the masses. We’ve already seen the lineups filled with beginners waltzing into the surf with no respect or regard for the lengthy and humbling process that surfing is and I can’t help but wonder if ads like these are the culprit. Here’s an idea… Next time when all of the dudes drop in on each other in the maxing Waimea shorebreak, how about the next scenes depict broken boards and bones, and the surfers embracing each other by carrying each other up the beach after they all collided in the 20 foot toob before being beaten into the sand and held underwater. I think that would be a much more responsible depiction of surfing that would prepare the average Guinness drinker for the real surfing experience.
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May 12th, 2010
Bob Marley said ‘Who feels it knows.’ So just be thankful.
May 12th, 2010
You’re right on the mark there. And it’s so typical of what pisses me off in the real world of surfing. There will be an entire beach filled with peaks . . . and people will paddle out and sit where you are. WTF? In the commercial, they had practically miles of beach, yet they paddle their little happy asses out within a few feet of one another. So stupid.
I still say you’ll be my write-in candidate for 2012, Cy!!
May 12th, 2010
I gotta disagree. No story told accurately represents the waiting time, they can’t.
“Tick followed tock followed tick followed tock followed tick.” The repetition is a literary device to imply the waiting period and it does it well. The alternative is to show nothing in 90 seconds.
The drumming, the ahab bar scene, (surfers are pirates. rude, obnoxious and wholly of the sea) it’s all fairly spot on in feeling if not reality for me. That’s what a good story does. It conveys feeling.
Also, there are much greater targets to tackle on overcrowding issue. Start with the surfco’s sponsoring surf schools and go from there. A Guiness ad isn’t a drop in the buck to SIMA whose stated goal is promoting surfing to sell boardshorts.
Anyways, love the blog, keep it rocking and get a few waves in Chilie for the rest of us!
May 13th, 2010
I’m feeling this post. As even a novice surfer, I often don’t like the way surfing is portrayed in the mainstream media. Commercials like this might not make as many new surfers as surf schools, but they certainly affect many new surfers’ attitude towards surfing. With the number of people entering the water, it would be nice if a more realistic picture of surfing were depicted. This commercial isn’t that bad though, I kinda liked it… maybe that’s why you picked it?
May 13th, 2010
Yeah, that’s exactly why I picked this commercial. Like I wrote, I’m a huge fan of the director’s work (look up his other Guinness commercials on Youtube for a treat). Everything in me wanted to like it but something didn’t feel right. It bothered me enough to explore the reason in this post…
May 13th, 2010
If you dig Glazer, make sure to see Sexy Beast.
May 13th, 2010
Its just the elitists trying to influence the clones to take over surfing, like they did every other activity. Its marketable, its fun, most all surfers have hot girls, so if you surf you get hot chicks. Also, If you surf you can say that you participate in a extreme or action sport and have a reason to drink monster energy. We need to be aware of this clone take over and stop them any way we can.
May 13th, 2010
sometimes being a clone is fun. we certainly didn’t invent surfing, so one could argue we’re all clones… and the typical korduroy viewer is an artsy retro board riding clone.. HERE’S TO BEING A CLONE! but let’s not all drop in on one another in 20 ft closeouts
May 13th, 2010
ya! sexy beast is a good flick. kingsley was great in it.
May 17th, 2010
wow!! impressive. one of the funniest videos of all times. it s as close to surfing as i m attracted to guinness. i like the 23rd second of the clip though. so for the lack of respect in the crowds, i think you real surfers are the onlyones to change it. get a diving knife(ahahaha). i ve never surfed with more than 5 people!! poor californians.