Surfers and Their Boards: A Psychoanalysis
Surfboard designs, and subsequent riding style, are not just the result of technological advances and economic prosperity, but are the result of psychological factors that originate in a person’s unconscious desires. These features of surfing, the board design and rider’s style, and the surrounding culture are significant to surfers all across the globe. Surfers often discuss the newest boards, and the latest tricks. Surfers will also talk about who is riding the biggest, most dangerous waves. These surfers never see the underlying causes of why they choose certain boards and why they ride a certain style. Surfers often do not even realize they are attempting to reach an unconscious goal when they surf. Some surfers will still stick to the old boards and the old tricks, while never venturing into larger more dangerous breaks, and understand that they need to surf but never realize just why they are surfing in the first place. What are the unconscious, and sometimes conscious desires that motivate surfers to choose a certain board, design boards a certain way, and use them in a particular fashion?
Surfboard designs, and subsequent riding style, are not just the result of technological advances and economic prosperity, but are the result of psychological factors that originate in a person’s unconscious desires. These features of surfing, the board design and rider’s style, and the surrounding culture are significant to surfers all across the globe. Surfers often discuss the newest boards, and the latest tricks. Surfers will also talk about who is riding the biggest, most dangerous waves. These surfers never see the underlying causes of why they choose certain boards and why they ride a certain style. Surfers often do not even realize they are attempting to reach an unconscious goal when they surf. Some surfers will still stick to the old boards and the old tricks, while never venturing into larger more dangerous breaks, and understand that they need to surf but never realize just why they are surfing in the first place. What are the unconscious, and sometimes conscious desires that motivate surfers to choose a certain board, design boards a certain way, and use them in a particular fashion?
Surfers and Their Boards: A Psychoanalysis
Surfboard designs, and subsequent riding style, are not just the result of technological advances and economic prosperity, but are the result of psychological factors that originate in a person’s unconscious desires. These features of surfing, the board design and rider’s style, and the surrounding culture are significant to surfers all across the globe. Surfers often discuss the newest boards, and the latest tricks. Surfers will also talk about who is riding the biggest, most dangerous waves. These surfers never see the underlying causes of why they choose certain boards and why they ride a certain style. Surfers often do not even realize they are attempting to reach an unconscious goal when they surf. Some surfers will still stick to the old boards and the old tricks, while never venturing into larger more dangerous breaks, and understand that they need to surf but never realize just why they are surfing in the first place. What are the unconscious, and sometimes conscious desires that motivate surfers to choose a certain board, design boards a certain way, and use them in a particular fashion?
My research that attempts to answer this question consisted of two main parts. First I conducted interviews via email. These interviews allowed me to see certain aspects of surfing that I had not seen before. My interviews were not perfect, they were over email which certainly limited my subject’s answers, and they also were on a very small scale; I interviewed four people including myself. These subjects are all Long Island surfers but they varied in age range and skill level. The second part of my research consisted of my own observations as a surfer and a spectator. I have been surfing for 8 years so I have seen a lot regarding the sport, both in and out of the water. These two components, along with the theoretical framework of psychoanalysis allowed me to pick apart surfboard design and rider style to determine the true reasoning behind our behaviors.
Surfboard design, and the how they are used by surfers, has changed dramatically in the second half of the 20th century. Surfboards began as long wooden creations that were hand made by a select group of professionals, called shapers. These boards were heavy and moved slowly across the face of the wave. Surfers could move these boards across a wave but it was very slow and very deliberate, more emphasis was on the rider moving along the board. The popular phrase “hang ten” is the result of this style; while riding a wave the surfer positions his board on the top of the wave and begins to walk along the wave until all “ten” of his toes “hang” over the edge of the board. The design of surfboards began to change when new materials, such as Styrofoam and fiberglass, began to carry over from other industries. “Between 1968-1970 the average length of the surfboard went from ten to six feet, and lost about eight pounds” (The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy). Boards became lighter and shorter allowing them to be more maneuverable than ever before. These new designs would give way to a much faster pace of riding. These new lighter, more maneuverable boards had begun to take surfing to levels never before seen. “The major advantage over the new shape was its emphasis in speed” (the hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy). Riders could now perform high speed maneuvers in a more aggressive fashion. Surfing was now about moving one’s body with the board at very high speeds as opposed to previous styles that involved the rider moving across the board. Surfers would begin to tackle larger waves pushing into height ranges never imaginable before this evolution in board design.
Surfing style as well as board design are a cultural text and can be analyzed through various methods of cultural analysis. Surfboard design, as well as how they are used can be analyzed through the lens of psychoanalysis. While other methods of cultural analysis, such as Marxism, could be used to analyze surfboard design and surfboard riding style. Psychoanalysis provides the clearest and most grounded analysis of this cultural text. The repression and aggression dynamic, as well as the idea of oceanic oneness are essential to analyzing surfboards and their uses.
Psychoanalysis involves analyzing a cultural text, object, or relationship, through the aspects that make up a person’s psyche. One of these aspects is the repression/aggression dynamic. Repression of a person and a society creates an aggression. As people are oppressed or their desires are repressed they act out in an aggressive manor. Ellen Willis states “People’s chronic, if largely unconscious, rage over the denial of their freedom and pleasure,” can be found in all aspects of society (3). If a person cannot achieve a goal that they are attempting to achieve then a person will act out and behave more aggressive than they normally would because they have been repressed. This can be applied to sexual symbols, the need to behave in a free manner, as well as to the need to return to the oceanic oneness.
The oceanic oneness, a second aspect of psychoanalysis, as described by Freud is “a feeling… a sensation of eternity, a feeling as of something limitless, unbounded, something ‘oceanic’ ” (1). This feeling is an attempt to become one with nature, nature has no boundaries and nothing shows this openness and potential limitless like the ocean. This feeling Freud writes “seeks to reinstate limitless narcissism” (1). Freud is explaining that the oceanic feeling is one sought out by people because it is a close resemblance to an earlier time in a person’s psyche. This earlier point in a person’s psyche is a time where they were the most important thing in the entire world. Reconnecting with the ocean is the overarching goal in a person’s life. People seek out the ocean in an attempt to reach back to a time where they could be completely narcissistic. Kristin Lawler writes “so I suppose I should begin with the sea. Everything else in this world does” (103). Lawler demonstrates that the world is based on the ocean and everything else is a result of our connection with the ocean. Lawler mentions our “oceanic origins,” this is in reference to our time in the womb. In the womb a person is surrounded by fluid, hence the term oceanic, and has no other thought but the continuation of their own lives, or narcissism. To connect with the ocean is to return to the womb allowing a person to be connected with nature and to be completely devoted to one’s self and one’s self alone. Surfing is an unconscious attempt to become one with the ocean and achieve this oceanic oneness.
An important aspect of psychoanalysis is the phallus, or phallic symbol. Dictionary.com explains a phallus to be, “an image of the male reproductive organ… symbolizing generative power in nature.” Phalluses can be found in all sorts of cultural images and symbols. Ellen Willis talks about the Twin Towers as a symbol of sexuality. A phallic symbol can be found in many different aspects of culture, including surfboards. These symbols represent sexuality and are closely related to the other aspects of psychoanalysis, such as the repression/aggression dynamic and oceanic oneness.
A psychoanalysis of surfing needs to establish the repressive agent. The repressive agent is the waves created in the ocean. The waves repress a person’s need for the oceanic oneness. The surfboard is repressed and not permitted to become one with the ocean, similar to humans but different in that a surfboard does not think. A surfboard wishes to move with the ocean, an attempt to move together in unison.
These two factors, the surfboard and the person, make up the aggression portion of the repression/aggression dynamic. They serve to counter the repression caused by the ocean’s waves. These two factors, both people and the surfboard, act aggressively in multiple ways. The person acts aggressively while the surfboard is used aggressively and designed aggressively. These aggression agents attempt to attack the repressive agent and conquer it so the person or object can reach an oceanic oneness.
A person chooses to surf as an attempt to regain the oceanic oneness. By connecting with the ocean in such a way a person becomes one with nature and is allowed entry into a world where the only thing matters is themselves. A person will react to the repression of the waves in a more aggressive manner as they are progressively repressed by the ocean. A surfer will not be able to enter the ocean to regain oneness if the waves are too large. As a result of this inability to connect with nature a person will act aggressively to reach the goal of oneness. As the wave height increases so does the danger imposed on the surfer. As a result of this repression a surfer acts in disregard for his own life and safety in an attempt to reach oneness with the ocean. Surfers enter into waves that could easily drown a person, and have on more than one occasion. The only reason for this is a subconscious desire to enter back into the ocean, to return to the womb, and become completely narcissistic. As a person attempts to ride a large wave, as is more and more common in surfing nowadays, they become the center of attention who would not want to look at someone attempting to conquer a 20ft+ wave? This act could be claimed as an attention seeking behavior but it is really a narcissistic action. A person is trying to make themselves an object of nature. They are trying to become one with nature in a very selfish manner. By attempting such a risky behavior a person is attempting to make themselves the main figure in the ocean. A person is risking their own lives to achieve oceanic oneness through an act that is entirely about them.
A rider is repressed by the increasing size of the waves so a rider will let out their aggression in other forms, not just riding big waves. A rider will choose a different board, often times a shorter board, to attack these repressive forces. Consciously the rider chooses a shorter board because it performs better in larger waves, subject 3 responded, when asked why he owns different boards and what the purpose of each is, “the reason is because some days you need one type of board and the next you may need a different type of board.” Subconsciously a rider chooses this board because it is an aggressive choice; they are choosing a board to attempt more aggressive maneuvers. By choosing a shorter board a person is increasing their own aggression. A shorter board is actually a repression of the phallic symbol. This repression of sexuality leads to a more aggressive style of surfing by the rider. In an interview subject 3 wrote, “I have a tendency to try new tricks and moves while using my short board and less while using my long board.” This demonstrates the aggressive style assumed by riders as a result of both the repression of the phallic symbol and the rider’s ability to achieve the oceanic oneness. The rider will act aggressively in not one but two ways, through riding more dangerous waves and by attempting new maneuvers in an attempt to release aggression created by the repressive forces of the wave. These aggressive actions compound on each other when a rider surfs large, dangerous waves, with a smaller more maneuverable board. Now riders are attempting airborne maneuvers in wave heights that were previously unthinkable. This increases the level of risk, showing the lengths that people are willing to go to achieve their desire of oceanic oneness.
The aggressive riding style assumed by riders using shorter boards is not always seen. Sometimes the aggression is seen in choosing a more aggressive style of board, in terms of design. A shorter board appears more aggressive than its longer counterpart. Longboards will often have one long fin, a fin is located on the underside of the board and is used for stability, and they are often separate pieces, the board and the fin can be disconnected from each other. This fin has smooth curves and flows with the contours of the board. It looks as if the fin is part of the board, and sometimes it is found that longboard fins are fiber glassed to the board. The board is smooth in design and does not have any sharp angles or edges. A short board on the other hand is much more aggressive in design.
Short boards are designed aggressively because the designer is assuming that the board will be used in an aggressive manner. The shorter boards often have more fins that long boards and these fins are much more intricate. Though the fins are smaller they will often times have wild designs painted on and will utilize the latest in technologies, in my own surfing experiences I have seen fins that look as if they belong attached to a jet plane or a race car. The shorter fins allow the board to move faster and sharper along the face of the wave. The short board often has sharp edges and will lead to a point at the front end, and sometimes more than one sharp corner at the bottom end. Through this it can be seen that short board design is more aggressive. The more aggressive design of the short board is a result of the repression of the phallic symbol. By trying to decrease the size of the phallus, or repressing sexuality, the designer must release his aggression by making the design of the board more aggressive and more advanced. Interview subject 2 was asked when he uses a shorter board and responded that his board choice is determined by the size of the wave. When asked if his style changed he responded with a simple “no.” Though it seems that the subject does not act aggressively when repressed by the larger wave he in fact has. By choosing a shorter, more aggressively designed, board he is releasing his aggression created by the wave’s repression limiting his ability to achieve oceanic oneness.
The amount of time a person is subjected to the ocean’s waves’ repression the more aggressive a person will behave. The longer a person has been surfing the more skills they will develop allowing them to ride a more aggressive style and ride bigger, more dangerous, waves. Subject 1 does not consider himself to be very skilled; he writes “I am not good…” As a result of his low skill level he explains, ”I don't know if I can claim to have a style. I just try to catch the waves and stay up on it as long as possible. No cutting back or anything like that, just hopefully pick the right direction and go.” It is clear that due to his low skill level, and consequentially small amount of time surfing, Subject 1 does not behave as aggressively in his surfing style. Subject 1 also chooses a less aggressive board as a result of this low level. He also says that his board choice would affect his style of surfing. Because he has not been surfing for that long he has not been influenced as greatly by the wave’s repressive forces. Since there has been less repression he does not act as aggressively as someone that has been under the influence of the repressive forces for a long period of time. Subject 1 is under less pressure from the ocean’s repression that he chooses a less restricted board as a result. Subject 1 is not very skilled, as a result of his short time surfing so he says that “I have never really gotten up on more than a couple of waves using a shorter board.” Since he has not been repressed to such a great extent he does feel the need to behave aggressively by choosing a more aggressively designed board. Subject 1 says “If I were to ride on a shorter board,” which he does not, “I would use it in bigger surf to give me more maneuverability.” As a result of his inability to handle a shorter board, due to lack of experience, he does not attempt to surf in larger more dangerous conditions. His behavior, in terms of attempting larger waves, is not aggressive because his time under repression is not as great.
Through my own experiences I found the idea that the longer a person surfs the more aggressive they will behave. The more I surfed the more aggressive my style became, I would choose a more aggressive board, and would attempt to ride way larger waves. When I learned how to surf there were some days where the waves were too big and I would not even attempt to venture out. I had not been repressed long enough to exhibit an aggressive response. Now I will even go out in hurricane swells in an attempt to become one with the ocean. My board choice became more aggressive as my skill level went up, as a result of experience. I had been repressed by the ocean for a longer period of time so subconsciously I elicited a more aggressive response. I started on an 8ft board and the size dramatically decreased to a 6ft 6in board that is my main board now. The more aggressively designed short board is used because I have been repressed by the ocean’s waves for a longer period of time. I have been repressed by the ocean for a long period of time as a result of my experience surfing, Because of this I behave aggressively in many aspects of surfing, from board design to attempting larger waves.
Surfers will sometimes be seen riding a longer board despite having lots of experience and a high skill level. These riders are called “old school” or longboarders. These riders make no attempt, no matter what the level of repression, to release their aggression. Longboarders, just as the name states, ride long boards, do not try to release their aggression by using a shorter, more aggressive board. Longboarders also ride a smooth style that has no sharp movements. These riders also know their limits and do not attempt to push these limits. Longboarders do not need to attempt crazy maneuvers, ride larger waves, or ride aggressive boards, their desires have been satisfied. These riders, when riding, are said to be the smoothest riders. They move with the wave as if they were one entity. Longboarders are close to achieving the desire for oceanic oneness. These longboarders also do not repress the phallic symbol, the surfboard, and therefore need to release less aggression because their sexuality is not as repressed. Subject 1 states, “I just try to catch the waves and stay up on it as long as possible.” This statement shows that with a longboard, the type of board subject 1 says he uses; he wants to stay on the wave for as long as he can. The rider wants to elongate their ride because it is the closest they get to an oceanic oneness.
My interview with Subject 1 clearly shows that not every needs the same level of oceanic oneness to be satisfied. Subject 1 shows no desire to use a shorter board and says that he would only use a short board in more dangerous surf because it would be easier to move through larger waves. Subject 1 also expresses no desire to go out into larger more dangerous waves, “I am not good enough or adventurous enough to go out in big surf.” The longboard allows this surfer to achieve the level of oceanic oneness he desires. This demonstrates how different people need a different level of oceanic oneness to be satisfied. If it were not for this idea everyone would be chasing bigger more dangerous waves using shorter boards in an attempt for oceanic oneness. No one would be at the local breaks surfing small waves and walking the nose on a longboard. Though some people still enjoy this type of surfing it is slowly dying out and giving way to the big wave flashy surfing of the 21st century.
Through my interviews I found that a person’s styles and decisions on boards differed depending on the person’s chronological age. Subjects 1 and 2 both wrote that they did not have an aggressive style if they had a style at all. Subject 1 writes that his style includes “No cutting back or anything like that, just hopefully pick the right direction and go.” Subject 2 clearly explains that his style is not the newer more aggressive shortboard style but his style is simply “longboard.” These responses differ from those seen from the significantly younger subjects, Subject 3 and Subject 4. Both of these surfers go into way more detail regarding their styles. Subject 3 says that he performs very few tricks but when asked “Does this style change with what board you are you are using?” He responds, “I have a tendency to try new tricks and moves while using my short board and less while using my long board.” He clearly attempts some maneuvers while the older subjects do not. Subject 4 says he is not flashy but at the same time he is very methodical. He attempts maneuvers while Subject 1 just attempts to stay up for the duration of the wave. This difference is due to the increased levels of repression in a younger person’s life. A younger person is often balancing, school, a job, a girlfriend, family pressures, heavy cultural influences, but also their own goals that they have set. A younger surfer may be more repressed in their daily lives as opposed to an older surfer. This outside repression may cause the younger surfer to behave aggressively. The surfer’s outlet for this built up aggression may very well be surfing.
This difference between older surfers and younger surfers is also influenced by the levels of oceanic oneness that each person has achieved in their life time. Oceanic oneness is where a person feels completely connected with nature. If a person has not been allowed to experience nature to its fullest extent then they will behave in a more aggressive manner. In generations past people have had more free time and have been able to experience nature in a fuller way. Older surfers have experienced nature to more of an extent throughout their lives as opposed to younger surfers. By having more experience with the ocean a person has been able to develop more of a connection with the forces of nature. Younger surfers have not had the opportunity to connect on the same level as older surfers because they simply have not had the same number of opportunities to experience nature in the way they desire. As surfers grow older they will be able to experience the ocean more and more and be able to experience a higher level of oceanic oneness. Since they have more experience in fulfilling their desires then they will not need to behave as aggressively, as seen in the Subject 1 and 2’s responses. Neither subject writes about high levels of aggressive behavior. This is because they have less aggression due to the greater levels of oceanic oneness they have achieved through their longer lives. Conversely Subject 3 and Subject 4, the younger subjects, reported higher levels of aggressive behavior in both board choice and surfing style. These surfers have not had the same number of opportunities to connect with nature, when compared to Subjects 1 and 2, throughout their lives. These differences can help to account for the differences in behavior exhibited between younger and older surfers.
It is easy to fall into the idea that design of surfboards and rider’s style are strictly determined by psychoanalytic factors and nothing else influences them. The repressive force of the ocean’s waves is a large factor and so is the shrinking of the phallic symbol, but we must consider that these are not the only influences. It is not to say that psychoanalysis is not a major factor but there are other influences that determine how these objects develop and how a surfer’s style changes. We must consider that there is economic influence in the creation of surfboards; consumerism must be present for people to consider buying into the idea of needing a new surfboard. Outside forces in a person’s life could also be considered into why a person chooses to use a certain board and ride a certain style. Through my own answering of my interview questions I determined that my choice of board does not always have to do with the waves but has to do with my mood before I even step foot out of the car. Interview subject 4, myself, writes that, “Sometimes I’m in the mood to longboard, or shortboard, and no matter what the conditions I will bring the wrong board out first and probably switch to a more suitable board.” This conscious choice to choose the wrong board, even if the repressive factors of the wave are greater, is not the choice that would be expected. Other forces are at play in choosing which board is used and determining which style one will ride. The media has a great influence, if a surfer sees a video where a person is longboarding and perform very captivating maneuvers, then they will likely attempt these maneuvers themselves the next time they are surfing, even if the psychoanalytic factors point to using a shorter board.
A rider’s style will also be influenced by outside forces. Subject 2’s response when asked if his style changes depending on the board he is using shows this idea. He responded “no.” Ife he was solely influenced by psychoanalytic forces his style should have changed when using the repressed phallic symbol, the shorter surfboard. Instead some outside influence, such as how he was taught to surf, or what sort of surf media he observes, will change his decisions on how he chooses to ride.
Surfers, and their decisions, may be affected by other influences but the psychoanalytic influence on surfboard design and rider style are the most prevalent. The history of surfing developed as a result of the psychoanalytic influences, as a result of the repression/aggression dynamic and as a result of the concept of oceanic oneness. The repressive forces of the ocean force the surfer to behave aggressively through a number of methods. The surfer may ride in more aggressive or larger surf. A surfer may choose a more aggressively designed board as a result of the wave’s repressive force preventing the surfer from satisfying their desire. Surfers all desire to become one with nature and to connect to a level that satisfies the desire to go back into their past and become totally oceanic, as well as narcissistic. The need for oceanic oneness or total connectivity provides the desire that will help to drive surfers to take the sport to new levels. A surfer wants to achieve this oneness and will act out aggressively if they do not receive this state of mind. The repression/aggression dynamic will influence a rider’s style through two ways, the wave repressing the surfer’s desire for oceanic oneness, and through the repression of the phallic symbol, or the surfboard. A shorter board is more suited for larger waves, as a result the phallus is shrunk so a surfer will behave more aggressively in the water, attempting to surf larger waves as well as attempting more aggressive maneuvers. Through my interviews I learned that my theories were correct in that the repression/aggression dynamic is a large influence on surfboard design and rider style but these interviews also inspired some new ideas. The idea of age, and time under the repressive force of the ocean were new ideas but were vital to my psychoanalysis of surfboard design and rider style. The idea of oceanic oneness is unique to each individual person and as a result everyone’s decisions, with regard to surfing, vary greatly. Despite the unique quality it still stands that the repression/aggression dynamic, and the idea of oceanic oneness are very influential on surfer’s behaviors, their decisions, and the boards they ride.
Works Cited
Crotty, Ken, Email Interview. 26 March 2014
Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and its discontents. New York: W.W. Norton, 1962. Web.
"The Golden Age and Evolution of Surfing." The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http://h2g2.com/approved_entry/A688205>.
Lawler, Kristin. "Oceanic Futures: Mataroa And The MediterraneanImaginary."Situations: Project of the Radical Imagination 5: n. pag. Situations: Project of the Radical Imagination. Web.
"phallus." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 29 Apr. 2014. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/phallus>.
Schmitt, Karl, Email Interview. 26 March 2014
Schmitt, Robert, Email Interview. 26 March 2014
Willis, Ellen , Stanley Aronowitz, and Heather Gautney. "The Mass Psychology of Terrorism." Implicating an Empire. New York: Basic Books, 2003. . Print.
Wilson, Shane, Email Interview. 26 March 2014
Ethnography interview #1
1. Age?
Ethnography interview #2
1. Age?
Ethnography interview #3
1. Age?
Ethnography interview #4
1. Age?
Surfboard designs, and subsequent riding style, are not just the result of technological advances and economic prosperity, but are the result of psychological factors that originate in a person’s unconscious desires. These features of surfing, the board design and rider’s style, and the surrounding culture are significant to surfers all across the globe. Surfers often discuss the newest boards, and the latest tricks. Surfers will also talk about who is riding the biggest, most dangerous waves. These surfers never see the underlying causes of why they choose certain boards and why they ride a certain style. Surfers often do not even realize they are attempting to reach an unconscious goal when they surf. Some surfers will still stick to the old boards and the old tricks, while never venturing into larger more dangerous breaks, and understand that they need to surf but never realize just why they are surfing in the first place. What are the unconscious, and sometimes conscious desires that motivate surfers to choose a certain board, design boards a certain way, and use them in a particular fashion?
My research that attempts to answer this question consisted of two main parts. First I conducted interviews via email. These interviews allowed me to see certain aspects of surfing that I had not seen before. My interviews were not perfect, they were over email which certainly limited my subject’s answers, and they also were on a very small scale; I interviewed four people including myself. These subjects are all Long Island surfers but they varied in age range and skill level. The second part of my research consisted of my own observations as a surfer and a spectator. I have been surfing for 8 years so I have seen a lot regarding the sport, both in and out of the water. These two components, along with the theoretical framework of psychoanalysis allowed me to pick apart surfboard design and rider style to determine the true reasoning behind our behaviors.
Surfboard design, and the how they are used by surfers, has changed dramatically in the second half of the 20th century. Surfboards began as long wooden creations that were hand made by a select group of professionals, called shapers. These boards were heavy and moved slowly across the face of the wave. Surfers could move these boards across a wave but it was very slow and very deliberate, more emphasis was on the rider moving along the board. The popular phrase “hang ten” is the result of this style; while riding a wave the surfer positions his board on the top of the wave and begins to walk along the wave until all “ten” of his toes “hang” over the edge of the board. The design of surfboards began to change when new materials, such as Styrofoam and fiberglass, began to carry over from other industries. “Between 1968-1970 the average length of the surfboard went from ten to six feet, and lost about eight pounds” (The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy). Boards became lighter and shorter allowing them to be more maneuverable than ever before. These new designs would give way to a much faster pace of riding. These new lighter, more maneuverable boards had begun to take surfing to levels never before seen. “The major advantage over the new shape was its emphasis in speed” (the hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy). Riders could now perform high speed maneuvers in a more aggressive fashion. Surfing was now about moving one’s body with the board at very high speeds as opposed to previous styles that involved the rider moving across the board. Surfers would begin to tackle larger waves pushing into height ranges never imaginable before this evolution in board design.
Surfing style as well as board design are a cultural text and can be analyzed through various methods of cultural analysis. Surfboard design, as well as how they are used can be analyzed through the lens of psychoanalysis. While other methods of cultural analysis, such as Marxism, could be used to analyze surfboard design and surfboard riding style. Psychoanalysis provides the clearest and most grounded analysis of this cultural text. The repression and aggression dynamic, as well as the idea of oceanic oneness are essential to analyzing surfboards and their uses.
Psychoanalysis involves analyzing a cultural text, object, or relationship, through the aspects that make up a person’s psyche. One of these aspects is the repression/aggression dynamic. Repression of a person and a society creates an aggression. As people are oppressed or their desires are repressed they act out in an aggressive manor. Ellen Willis states “People’s chronic, if largely unconscious, rage over the denial of their freedom and pleasure,” can be found in all aspects of society (3). If a person cannot achieve a goal that they are attempting to achieve then a person will act out and behave more aggressive than they normally would because they have been repressed. This can be applied to sexual symbols, the need to behave in a free manner, as well as to the need to return to the oceanic oneness.
The oceanic oneness, a second aspect of psychoanalysis, as described by Freud is “a feeling… a sensation of eternity, a feeling as of something limitless, unbounded, something ‘oceanic’ ” (1). This feeling is an attempt to become one with nature, nature has no boundaries and nothing shows this openness and potential limitless like the ocean. This feeling Freud writes “seeks to reinstate limitless narcissism” (1). Freud is explaining that the oceanic feeling is one sought out by people because it is a close resemblance to an earlier time in a person’s psyche. This earlier point in a person’s psyche is a time where they were the most important thing in the entire world. Reconnecting with the ocean is the overarching goal in a person’s life. People seek out the ocean in an attempt to reach back to a time where they could be completely narcissistic. Kristin Lawler writes “so I suppose I should begin with the sea. Everything else in this world does” (103). Lawler demonstrates that the world is based on the ocean and everything else is a result of our connection with the ocean. Lawler mentions our “oceanic origins,” this is in reference to our time in the womb. In the womb a person is surrounded by fluid, hence the term oceanic, and has no other thought but the continuation of their own lives, or narcissism. To connect with the ocean is to return to the womb allowing a person to be connected with nature and to be completely devoted to one’s self and one’s self alone. Surfing is an unconscious attempt to become one with the ocean and achieve this oceanic oneness.
An important aspect of psychoanalysis is the phallus, or phallic symbol. Dictionary.com explains a phallus to be, “an image of the male reproductive organ… symbolizing generative power in nature.” Phalluses can be found in all sorts of cultural images and symbols. Ellen Willis talks about the Twin Towers as a symbol of sexuality. A phallic symbol can be found in many different aspects of culture, including surfboards. These symbols represent sexuality and are closely related to the other aspects of psychoanalysis, such as the repression/aggression dynamic and oceanic oneness.
A psychoanalysis of surfing needs to establish the repressive agent. The repressive agent is the waves created in the ocean. The waves repress a person’s need for the oceanic oneness. The surfboard is repressed and not permitted to become one with the ocean, similar to humans but different in that a surfboard does not think. A surfboard wishes to move with the ocean, an attempt to move together in unison.
These two factors, the surfboard and the person, make up the aggression portion of the repression/aggression dynamic. They serve to counter the repression caused by the ocean’s waves. These two factors, both people and the surfboard, act aggressively in multiple ways. The person acts aggressively while the surfboard is used aggressively and designed aggressively. These aggression agents attempt to attack the repressive agent and conquer it so the person or object can reach an oceanic oneness.
A person chooses to surf as an attempt to regain the oceanic oneness. By connecting with the ocean in such a way a person becomes one with nature and is allowed entry into a world where the only thing matters is themselves. A person will react to the repression of the waves in a more aggressive manner as they are progressively repressed by the ocean. A surfer will not be able to enter the ocean to regain oneness if the waves are too large. As a result of this inability to connect with nature a person will act aggressively to reach the goal of oneness. As the wave height increases so does the danger imposed on the surfer. As a result of this repression a surfer acts in disregard for his own life and safety in an attempt to reach oneness with the ocean. Surfers enter into waves that could easily drown a person, and have on more than one occasion. The only reason for this is a subconscious desire to enter back into the ocean, to return to the womb, and become completely narcissistic. As a person attempts to ride a large wave, as is more and more common in surfing nowadays, they become the center of attention who would not want to look at someone attempting to conquer a 20ft+ wave? This act could be claimed as an attention seeking behavior but it is really a narcissistic action. A person is trying to make themselves an object of nature. They are trying to become one with nature in a very selfish manner. By attempting such a risky behavior a person is attempting to make themselves the main figure in the ocean. A person is risking their own lives to achieve oceanic oneness through an act that is entirely about them.
A rider is repressed by the increasing size of the waves so a rider will let out their aggression in other forms, not just riding big waves. A rider will choose a different board, often times a shorter board, to attack these repressive forces. Consciously the rider chooses a shorter board because it performs better in larger waves, subject 3 responded, when asked why he owns different boards and what the purpose of each is, “the reason is because some days you need one type of board and the next you may need a different type of board.” Subconsciously a rider chooses this board because it is an aggressive choice; they are choosing a board to attempt more aggressive maneuvers. By choosing a shorter board a person is increasing their own aggression. A shorter board is actually a repression of the phallic symbol. This repression of sexuality leads to a more aggressive style of surfing by the rider. In an interview subject 3 wrote, “I have a tendency to try new tricks and moves while using my short board and less while using my long board.” This demonstrates the aggressive style assumed by riders as a result of both the repression of the phallic symbol and the rider’s ability to achieve the oceanic oneness. The rider will act aggressively in not one but two ways, through riding more dangerous waves and by attempting new maneuvers in an attempt to release aggression created by the repressive forces of the wave. These aggressive actions compound on each other when a rider surfs large, dangerous waves, with a smaller more maneuverable board. Now riders are attempting airborne maneuvers in wave heights that were previously unthinkable. This increases the level of risk, showing the lengths that people are willing to go to achieve their desire of oceanic oneness.
The aggressive riding style assumed by riders using shorter boards is not always seen. Sometimes the aggression is seen in choosing a more aggressive style of board, in terms of design. A shorter board appears more aggressive than its longer counterpart. Longboards will often have one long fin, a fin is located on the underside of the board and is used for stability, and they are often separate pieces, the board and the fin can be disconnected from each other. This fin has smooth curves and flows with the contours of the board. It looks as if the fin is part of the board, and sometimes it is found that longboard fins are fiber glassed to the board. The board is smooth in design and does not have any sharp angles or edges. A short board on the other hand is much more aggressive in design.
Short boards are designed aggressively because the designer is assuming that the board will be used in an aggressive manner. The shorter boards often have more fins that long boards and these fins are much more intricate. Though the fins are smaller they will often times have wild designs painted on and will utilize the latest in technologies, in my own surfing experiences I have seen fins that look as if they belong attached to a jet plane or a race car. The shorter fins allow the board to move faster and sharper along the face of the wave. The short board often has sharp edges and will lead to a point at the front end, and sometimes more than one sharp corner at the bottom end. Through this it can be seen that short board design is more aggressive. The more aggressive design of the short board is a result of the repression of the phallic symbol. By trying to decrease the size of the phallus, or repressing sexuality, the designer must release his aggression by making the design of the board more aggressive and more advanced. Interview subject 2 was asked when he uses a shorter board and responded that his board choice is determined by the size of the wave. When asked if his style changed he responded with a simple “no.” Though it seems that the subject does not act aggressively when repressed by the larger wave he in fact has. By choosing a shorter, more aggressively designed, board he is releasing his aggression created by the wave’s repression limiting his ability to achieve oceanic oneness.
The amount of time a person is subjected to the ocean’s waves’ repression the more aggressive a person will behave. The longer a person has been surfing the more skills they will develop allowing them to ride a more aggressive style and ride bigger, more dangerous, waves. Subject 1 does not consider himself to be very skilled; he writes “I am not good…” As a result of his low skill level he explains, ”I don't know if I can claim to have a style. I just try to catch the waves and stay up on it as long as possible. No cutting back or anything like that, just hopefully pick the right direction and go.” It is clear that due to his low skill level, and consequentially small amount of time surfing, Subject 1 does not behave as aggressively in his surfing style. Subject 1 also chooses a less aggressive board as a result of this low level. He also says that his board choice would affect his style of surfing. Because he has not been surfing for that long he has not been influenced as greatly by the wave’s repressive forces. Since there has been less repression he does not act as aggressively as someone that has been under the influence of the repressive forces for a long period of time. Subject 1 is under less pressure from the ocean’s repression that he chooses a less restricted board as a result. Subject 1 is not very skilled, as a result of his short time surfing so he says that “I have never really gotten up on more than a couple of waves using a shorter board.” Since he has not been repressed to such a great extent he does feel the need to behave aggressively by choosing a more aggressively designed board. Subject 1 says “If I were to ride on a shorter board,” which he does not, “I would use it in bigger surf to give me more maneuverability.” As a result of his inability to handle a shorter board, due to lack of experience, he does not attempt to surf in larger more dangerous conditions. His behavior, in terms of attempting larger waves, is not aggressive because his time under repression is not as great.
Through my own experiences I found the idea that the longer a person surfs the more aggressive they will behave. The more I surfed the more aggressive my style became, I would choose a more aggressive board, and would attempt to ride way larger waves. When I learned how to surf there were some days where the waves were too big and I would not even attempt to venture out. I had not been repressed long enough to exhibit an aggressive response. Now I will even go out in hurricane swells in an attempt to become one with the ocean. My board choice became more aggressive as my skill level went up, as a result of experience. I had been repressed by the ocean for a longer period of time so subconsciously I elicited a more aggressive response. I started on an 8ft board and the size dramatically decreased to a 6ft 6in board that is my main board now. The more aggressively designed short board is used because I have been repressed by the ocean’s waves for a longer period of time. I have been repressed by the ocean for a long period of time as a result of my experience surfing, Because of this I behave aggressively in many aspects of surfing, from board design to attempting larger waves.
Surfers will sometimes be seen riding a longer board despite having lots of experience and a high skill level. These riders are called “old school” or longboarders. These riders make no attempt, no matter what the level of repression, to release their aggression. Longboarders, just as the name states, ride long boards, do not try to release their aggression by using a shorter, more aggressive board. Longboarders also ride a smooth style that has no sharp movements. These riders also know their limits and do not attempt to push these limits. Longboarders do not need to attempt crazy maneuvers, ride larger waves, or ride aggressive boards, their desires have been satisfied. These riders, when riding, are said to be the smoothest riders. They move with the wave as if they were one entity. Longboarders are close to achieving the desire for oceanic oneness. These longboarders also do not repress the phallic symbol, the surfboard, and therefore need to release less aggression because their sexuality is not as repressed. Subject 1 states, “I just try to catch the waves and stay up on it as long as possible.” This statement shows that with a longboard, the type of board subject 1 says he uses; he wants to stay on the wave for as long as he can. The rider wants to elongate their ride because it is the closest they get to an oceanic oneness.
My interview with Subject 1 clearly shows that not every needs the same level of oceanic oneness to be satisfied. Subject 1 shows no desire to use a shorter board and says that he would only use a short board in more dangerous surf because it would be easier to move through larger waves. Subject 1 also expresses no desire to go out into larger more dangerous waves, “I am not good enough or adventurous enough to go out in big surf.” The longboard allows this surfer to achieve the level of oceanic oneness he desires. This demonstrates how different people need a different level of oceanic oneness to be satisfied. If it were not for this idea everyone would be chasing bigger more dangerous waves using shorter boards in an attempt for oceanic oneness. No one would be at the local breaks surfing small waves and walking the nose on a longboard. Though some people still enjoy this type of surfing it is slowly dying out and giving way to the big wave flashy surfing of the 21st century.
Through my interviews I found that a person’s styles and decisions on boards differed depending on the person’s chronological age. Subjects 1 and 2 both wrote that they did not have an aggressive style if they had a style at all. Subject 1 writes that his style includes “No cutting back or anything like that, just hopefully pick the right direction and go.” Subject 2 clearly explains that his style is not the newer more aggressive shortboard style but his style is simply “longboard.” These responses differ from those seen from the significantly younger subjects, Subject 3 and Subject 4. Both of these surfers go into way more detail regarding their styles. Subject 3 says that he performs very few tricks but when asked “Does this style change with what board you are you are using?” He responds, “I have a tendency to try new tricks and moves while using my short board and less while using my long board.” He clearly attempts some maneuvers while the older subjects do not. Subject 4 says he is not flashy but at the same time he is very methodical. He attempts maneuvers while Subject 1 just attempts to stay up for the duration of the wave. This difference is due to the increased levels of repression in a younger person’s life. A younger person is often balancing, school, a job, a girlfriend, family pressures, heavy cultural influences, but also their own goals that they have set. A younger surfer may be more repressed in their daily lives as opposed to an older surfer. This outside repression may cause the younger surfer to behave aggressively. The surfer’s outlet for this built up aggression may very well be surfing.
This difference between older surfers and younger surfers is also influenced by the levels of oceanic oneness that each person has achieved in their life time. Oceanic oneness is where a person feels completely connected with nature. If a person has not been allowed to experience nature to its fullest extent then they will behave in a more aggressive manner. In generations past people have had more free time and have been able to experience nature in a fuller way. Older surfers have experienced nature to more of an extent throughout their lives as opposed to younger surfers. By having more experience with the ocean a person has been able to develop more of a connection with the forces of nature. Younger surfers have not had the opportunity to connect on the same level as older surfers because they simply have not had the same number of opportunities to experience nature in the way they desire. As surfers grow older they will be able to experience the ocean more and more and be able to experience a higher level of oceanic oneness. Since they have more experience in fulfilling their desires then they will not need to behave as aggressively, as seen in the Subject 1 and 2’s responses. Neither subject writes about high levels of aggressive behavior. This is because they have less aggression due to the greater levels of oceanic oneness they have achieved through their longer lives. Conversely Subject 3 and Subject 4, the younger subjects, reported higher levels of aggressive behavior in both board choice and surfing style. These surfers have not had the same number of opportunities to connect with nature, when compared to Subjects 1 and 2, throughout their lives. These differences can help to account for the differences in behavior exhibited between younger and older surfers.
It is easy to fall into the idea that design of surfboards and rider’s style are strictly determined by psychoanalytic factors and nothing else influences them. The repressive force of the ocean’s waves is a large factor and so is the shrinking of the phallic symbol, but we must consider that these are not the only influences. It is not to say that psychoanalysis is not a major factor but there are other influences that determine how these objects develop and how a surfer’s style changes. We must consider that there is economic influence in the creation of surfboards; consumerism must be present for people to consider buying into the idea of needing a new surfboard. Outside forces in a person’s life could also be considered into why a person chooses to use a certain board and ride a certain style. Through my own answering of my interview questions I determined that my choice of board does not always have to do with the waves but has to do with my mood before I even step foot out of the car. Interview subject 4, myself, writes that, “Sometimes I’m in the mood to longboard, or shortboard, and no matter what the conditions I will bring the wrong board out first and probably switch to a more suitable board.” This conscious choice to choose the wrong board, even if the repressive factors of the wave are greater, is not the choice that would be expected. Other forces are at play in choosing which board is used and determining which style one will ride. The media has a great influence, if a surfer sees a video where a person is longboarding and perform very captivating maneuvers, then they will likely attempt these maneuvers themselves the next time they are surfing, even if the psychoanalytic factors point to using a shorter board.
A rider’s style will also be influenced by outside forces. Subject 2’s response when asked if his style changes depending on the board he is using shows this idea. He responded “no.” Ife he was solely influenced by psychoanalytic forces his style should have changed when using the repressed phallic symbol, the shorter surfboard. Instead some outside influence, such as how he was taught to surf, or what sort of surf media he observes, will change his decisions on how he chooses to ride.
Surfers, and their decisions, may be affected by other influences but the psychoanalytic influence on surfboard design and rider style are the most prevalent. The history of surfing developed as a result of the psychoanalytic influences, as a result of the repression/aggression dynamic and as a result of the concept of oceanic oneness. The repressive forces of the ocean force the surfer to behave aggressively through a number of methods. The surfer may ride in more aggressive or larger surf. A surfer may choose a more aggressively designed board as a result of the wave’s repressive force preventing the surfer from satisfying their desire. Surfers all desire to become one with nature and to connect to a level that satisfies the desire to go back into their past and become totally oceanic, as well as narcissistic. The need for oceanic oneness or total connectivity provides the desire that will help to drive surfers to take the sport to new levels. A surfer wants to achieve this oneness and will act out aggressively if they do not receive this state of mind. The repression/aggression dynamic will influence a rider’s style through two ways, the wave repressing the surfer’s desire for oceanic oneness, and through the repression of the phallic symbol, or the surfboard. A shorter board is more suited for larger waves, as a result the phallus is shrunk so a surfer will behave more aggressively in the water, attempting to surf larger waves as well as attempting more aggressive maneuvers. Through my interviews I learned that my theories were correct in that the repression/aggression dynamic is a large influence on surfboard design and rider style but these interviews also inspired some new ideas. The idea of age, and time under the repressive force of the ocean were new ideas but were vital to my psychoanalysis of surfboard design and rider style. The idea of oceanic oneness is unique to each individual person and as a result everyone’s decisions, with regard to surfing, vary greatly. Despite the unique quality it still stands that the repression/aggression dynamic, and the idea of oceanic oneness are very influential on surfer’s behaviors, their decisions, and the boards they ride.
Works Cited
Crotty, Ken, Email Interview. 26 March 2014
Freud, Sigmund. Civilization and its discontents. New York: W.W. Norton, 1962. Web.
"The Golden Age and Evolution of Surfing." The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. <http://h2g2.com/approved_entry/A688205>.
Lawler, Kristin. "Oceanic Futures: Mataroa And The MediterraneanImaginary."Situations: Project of the Radical Imagination 5: n. pag. Situations: Project of the Radical Imagination. Web.
"phallus." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 29 Apr. 2014. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/phallus>.
Schmitt, Karl, Email Interview. 26 March 2014
Schmitt, Robert, Email Interview. 26 March 2014
Willis, Ellen , Stanley Aronowitz, and Heather Gautney. "The Mass Psychology of Terrorism." Implicating an Empire. New York: Basic Books, 2003. . Print.
Wilson, Shane, Email Interview. 26 March 2014
Ethnography interview #1
1. Age?
- 50
- Male
- one
- I only own one surfboard (though I have access to several others), a longboard that suits me well. I am not good enough or adventurous enough to go out in big surf, so the longboard is perfect for me on smallish waves.
- Ten foot long, foam top Doyle Board.
- I don't know if I can claim to have a style. I just try to catch the waves and stay up on it as long as possible. No cutting back or anything like that, just hopefully pick the right direction and go.
- I suppose my style would change on a shorter board, but I have never really gotten up on more than a couple of waves using a shorter board.
- If I were to ride on a shorter board, I would use it in bigger surf to give me more maneuverability.
- I like to try to go out with my son, but he is much better than I am, and surfs for longer periods than I do. I will also go out alone.
Ethnography interview #2
1. Age?
- 46
- male
- seven
- Three boards for my kids. I have short boards and long boards
- The boards range from 9’, 8’, 7’2”, 6’, 6’, 5’10”, 5’2”
- longboard
- no
- I ride shorter boards for bigger waves
- I ride with my kids or alone.
Ethnography interview #3
1. Age?
- 20
- male
- . I own two surfboards
- the reason is because some days you need one type of board and the next you may need a different type of board.
- My short board is a 5 foot 9 inch 7S Superfish and my second board is a 8 foot fun board that is used to catch smaller waves.
- My style of riding is cool and collective, I like to keep it simple and just ride the wave for as long as possible with little to no tricks or moves.
- I have a tendency to try new tricks and moves while using my short board and less while using my long board.
- One board is for bigger waves while the other can be used for smaller waves.
- I have always been taught to never ride alone for many different reasons, specifically I ride with one person every time and his name is Karl Schmitt, me and him were both taught to ride in groups so we tend to migrate towards the crowded areas in the surf.
Ethnography interview #4
1. Age?
- 19
- Male
- 4
- I sort of just stumbled upon them, only two I purchased. My blue board is for teaching new surfers, my red longboard is for small days or when im in the mood to walk the nose or just to relax. My superfish is designed for everything so that is my work horse. My stone tyler is used for bigger waves.
- Blue: 10ft
- Red: 9ft
- Superfish: 6ft 6in
- Stone tyler: 7ft 2in
- I would say I ride a smooth style, I do not do any big slashing turns but more smooth drawn out maneuvers
- Yeah definitely because with certain boards you cannot do certain things, longer boards cannot make sharp turns or move fast, and you definitely cannot walk up and down a shortboard
- Short boards are mostly ridden from 3ft waves and up. Longboards are ridden 4ft and down. Sometimes I’m in the mood to longboard, or shortboard, and no matter what the conditions I will bring the wrong board out first and probably switch to a more suitable board
- I ride them alone or in groups mostly I surf with a few friends and my dad or I go by myself.