Country Soul and Surfing

Some of the 6Ps staff were around when the Country Soul vibe was strong - Morning of the Earth - being one such example.

We love that movie here and try our hardest not to copy some of the style used back then. We are aware we would most likely lose a lot of our audience doing that. But the essence of the movie was a move toward simple living, using little energy and walking lightly in all respects on the earth.

The issues seem not to have shifted really. Over use of energy, pollution, greed in consumerism, money at the top of the "to do list" etc etc.,

Having said that, back then we hardly saw whales, the ocean was dirtier on the city beaches and paper and plastic were left everywhere. So, either things are better hidden, or there has been progress.

Surfers have gone in 2 main directions. Either full on competition WQS and WCT, or free surfers. In both instances depending on your looks, a living can be made from surfing. In doing this, consumerism led the charge. If it had not been for the Billabongs of the world, maybe surfers would still be living in the trees...........but happy.........maybe? Yes, the Country Soul movement had not factored in that one day surfers would become hungry consumers identifying with clever labels.

Well actually, Country Soul was pretty short lived over the life of surfing, but somehow the 6Ps crew seem to be meeting more surfers who are living simply. Admittedly, they are single and without families.

If we move away from the people aspect, and the pressures of forcing people into mundane spinning wheels of debt, there are the basic issues.

By basic, simply the core problems that once saw people abandon traditional work/rules and conformity to go and "love the earth". Not talking Hippies here, just intelligent people who surfed as well.

So the basic issues:

• The over use of energy in all its forms. As an example an air conditioner is standard in our world. Why? 
• The over use of packaging. Buy a memory stick and it takes you 20 minutes to get all the packaging off.
• The overuse of vehicles. Every home has at least 2.
• The demise of agriculture as being less important than keeping a car industry. That makes little sense?
• The demise of rail travel over air travel. Fuel inefficiency. Hurried world. 
• Vegetables that look like they have been on double doses of steroids AND have no taste.
• Milk in that many forms it has taken on a whole new universe for itself.
• Nothing is in bottles to be recycled except beer.
• If you live in a city, it is work and sleep for 5 days of the week and socialise, if you can, on at least one day of the weekend. So time has also been wrapped up in this pace and over stimulated consumerism - must have.

The list goes on and on, and becomes quite over bearing.

The point of no return - has it been reached?

Well I guess if you take away useless packaging, then a whole industry falls over, people lose jobs and the net result would be less pollution.

If you take away consumerism, or at least "over consumerism" people lose jobs, or some people lose jobs, in retail ,manufacturing, transport and IT support. Net result, less money would have to be earned because a lot of people would be out of work, therefore prices would drop. No need to earn as much.

Perhaps people could  be re employed in agriculture, and grow real vegetables and fruit. Maybe a pipeline from the Northern Territory to South Australia could be built to drought proof the country and green up South Australia? After all we built the Olympic Stadium........geez that's not very productive now is it?

Maybe a railway line could be connected sensibly that would give domestic air travel a run for its money - efficiency.

So.........Country Soul and surfing. Well I guess there has been a bit of a rant about the Country Soul aspect but what about surfing?

I would love to hear from some of our readers about the surfing aspect. I am beginning to think that surfers, and I am generalising, don't have a collective ambition for the world/environment except if it affects them as an individual. Yes, we do have some great stuff going on with Quiksilver and protection of reefs, surfaid and a few other branch outs. But they are entire organisations, the individual surfer doesn't see another surfer as a brother to leave the world a better place, it is grab it and run. 

So we leave you with a bit of fodder and trust you see what this article is trying to say. Our luxuries today will cost us tomorrow.

 Aloha