Teens and Surfing
Teen Culture and Surfing
In the 1950s (post-World War II), Los Angeles began to develop suburbs, which were essentially a "bubble" of neighborhoods that contained middle and upper class white people. Although these uniform houses were supposed to be a part of the American dream desire that men returning from war desired, this lifestyle eventually led to minorities rebelling as in the Civil Rights Movement and the second wave of feminism. There were even white "minorities" that rebelled as well: adolescents.
White teenagers attempted to fight against the uniformity and responsibilities that living in the suburbs provided. How exactly did this occur? Well, teen culture subdivided itself into various subcultures, such as surfers, or eventually, as an evolution, skate culture. This "macho" lifestyle that provided an escape from the suburban status quo also helped men feel less emasculated post-war.
Although the older suburban generation was initially against this counterculture, they eventually accepted it through their appropriation of it as simple just a "phase" that teenagers went through. They made the status quo treat it as something that would go away once young adults became "normal" adults. These ideals were shown in the influential "Gidget" movie series, in which a physically underdeveloped girl takes up surfing like "one of the guys" rather than lays on the beach with the girls who are trying to attract those same guys. Eventually, once the summer ends, Gidget "grows up" and gets married and settles down with one of those surfers for a "happy ending." (Chris)
White teenagers attempted to fight against the uniformity and responsibilities that living in the suburbs provided. How exactly did this occur? Well, teen culture subdivided itself into various subcultures, such as surfers, or eventually, as an evolution, skate culture. This "macho" lifestyle that provided an escape from the suburban status quo also helped men feel less emasculated post-war.
Although the older suburban generation was initially against this counterculture, they eventually accepted it through their appropriation of it as simple just a "phase" that teenagers went through. They made the status quo treat it as something that would go away once young adults became "normal" adults. These ideals were shown in the influential "Gidget" movie series, in which a physically underdeveloped girl takes up surfing like "one of the guys" rather than lays on the beach with the girls who are trying to attract those same guys. Eventually, once the summer ends, Gidget "grows up" and gets married and settles down with one of those surfers for a "happy ending." (Chris)
Popularization of Surfing
Surfing was widely considered as an outcast and rebellious activity when it first came to Southern California. However, as the sport spread across Socal, so did its popularity. A large influx in surfer culture can be seen when the film industry chose to romanticize the activity, starting with Gidget (1959). Gidget told the story of a young girl who was taught to surf by a band of men who simply did only what they wanted. This film began to inspire various surf culture including Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), the TV series Gidget (1965-1966), and Gidget Goes Hawaiin (1961). However, as these films began to be released, a rush of in;amders flooded to the coasts to engage in the new culture, and with such an influx of consumers, surf shops began to spring up all over California in order to capitalize on the sudden popularity. In addition to the popularity Gidget brought to the surf culture, the "California sound" also became well known with pioneers such as the Beach Boys.
The Beach Boys formed in 1961 and released their first single in the same year. Their sound revolved around the California vibe and highly around surfing. In fact, their first single played homage to the sport as it was named Surfin'. It was released on 7-inch vinyl and was later added to the Surfin' safari album in 1962. The Beach Boys created a genre of music that could fit the sport perfectly, and as the two went hand in hand, as one grew in popularity, so did the other.
Yet as surfing culture grew, surfers felt obligated to show the sport as a way of lifestyle and what it really meant to them. Because of this, "locals only" beaches sprang up over southern California and surfers developed a violent territorial nature. In addition to their change in attitude, The Endless Summer (1966) chose to remove the Hollywood aspect from surf films and instead followed surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August on a tri around the world in order to catch the best waves and to constantly be in summer. this movie once again displayed surfing as a lifestyle, and represented the willingness surfers went though to preserve said lifestyle.
The Beach Boys formed in 1961 and released their first single in the same year. Their sound revolved around the California vibe and highly around surfing. In fact, their first single played homage to the sport as it was named Surfin'. It was released on 7-inch vinyl and was later added to the Surfin' safari album in 1962. The Beach Boys created a genre of music that could fit the sport perfectly, and as the two went hand in hand, as one grew in popularity, so did the other.
Yet as surfing culture grew, surfers felt obligated to show the sport as a way of lifestyle and what it really meant to them. Because of this, "locals only" beaches sprang up over southern California and surfers developed a violent territorial nature. In addition to their change in attitude, The Endless Summer (1966) chose to remove the Hollywood aspect from surf films and instead followed surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August on a tri around the world in order to catch the best waves and to constantly be in summer. this movie once again displayed surfing as a lifestyle, and represented the willingness surfers went though to preserve said lifestyle.
A Change in Stereotype
As surfing became more and more popular, enough that there were professional competitions, surfers' image changed from the "lazy bum" to fit, athletic men and women. They started having the same celebrity status as athletes in a sport. Surfers who were previously criticized for being a surfer are now doctors and lawyers, and still surf. Suburban men and women, who initially belittled the sport, started accepting surf culture. The language changed a little by adding some "surf lingo." People bought Hawaiian shirts and some boards to make themselves seem like surfers, which the "real" surfers felt insulted by. Despite it's contemporary popularization as a sport, however, it still consists of some people in modern society who treat it as the carefree lifestyle it was intended to be. In a way, it is somewhat of a palimpsest, which although has changed in the past, today still has some of its old roots. (Chris & Nissa).