The Price of a Barrel: Surfers are Feeling the Effect of Oil Shock

*article from September 2008 isse of surfer mag*

by Matt Rott

One hundred forty dollars per barrel. Two months ago this may have been a pretty good description of your last trip to the Mentawais. Today, it's the reason why your next one might just get cancelled. With oil prices rising faster than an Alaskan spring tide, it's now clear that the golden age of consumerism is coming to an end. At the very least, lifestyle changes are being made: Consumer confidence is at a 15-year low, and the average American is starting to prioritize spending, no longer purchasing fuel-inefficient vehicles or diving unnecessary miles. In a time when belt-tightening and the discarding of the superfluous are the norm, surfers my face a unique dilemma. The difference lies in the fact that our luxuries - waves - are also a necessity, a paradox that may be understandable only within our community. We don't actually need surf to live...except that we do. Like various types of addicts, we have shaped an alternative lifestyle that requires us to surf, no matter what. For this reason, the present energy crisis will hit the American surfer harder than his non-surfing peer, because while the average Joe can give up the occasional excess, our vice is one we cannot so easily go without.

Forget for a moment the fact that virtually every product associated with surfing is made from petrochemical derivatives - the rising costs of surf gear is soon becoming the least of our worries. Instead, consider the costs of direct petroleum consumption. Gone are the days when we each had our local spot, one within walking distance of our home. In a world of sprawling metropolises and a rapidly growing population of white-collar, forecast-savvy surfers, we have become a community extremely dependent upon our cars. Surfers, as a whole, are a very mobile group, willing to drive for waves, chase swells, and check multiple spots before finally paddling out. In other words, we burn a lot of gas while chasing our liquid dragon. And suddenly gas has gotten very expensive.

Our dependence on petroleum isn't limited to the roads, either. No longer the dirt-bag vagabond of yesteryear, the modern surfer has become accustomed to liquid-tripping in farflung destinations. What was once the privilege of jet-set pros is now the right of the average surfer, and boat trips to the Ments have become as common as SUPs in the Malibu lineup. But with rising fuel costs wreaking havoc within the airline industry - pundits are predicting billion-dollar losses this year, and major airlines are already canceling many flights - it's obvious that things are aobut to change, and probably not for the better. Ticket prices will continue to rise to accomodate soaring jet-fuel costs, and baggage fees will likely become more stringent as well. In May, a large number of carriers changed their baggage allowances, reducing weight and limiting customers to a single check-in bag. And board-handling fees continue to set arbitrarily ludicrous records, with one major airline now charging a staggering $660 for four boards in a single bag.

So what does this all mean for the average surfer? Obviously we are't going to just hang up our wetsuits and learn how to lawn bowl. Rather than giving up what is quickly becoming an expensive habit, we must take steps to make it less so. Buy fuel-efficient vehicles. Carpool to the beach, or better yet, ride your bike. Consider creative alternatives for your next surf trip: Take a road trip rather than flying, or, if you can't go without your Indo fix, price-shop your ass off, and then try to patronize eco-friendly camps and boats. Conserve fuel by turning off lights and AC units and driving the speed limit, thereby saving money that can be put towards surf. And whenever possible, utilize mass transit. Not only are these practices easy on the pocketbook, they are environmentally responsible as well. The truth is, we should have started behaving in this manner a long time ago. If we had, the specter of $200/barrel oil might not now be looming over us like a cleanup set at Mavs.

Ultimately, our society's consumer habits are in need of change, and as surfers, we should be at the vanguard of this "green" revolution - it's just too bad that it has taken the threat of an economic crisis to get us moving. With a little creativity, however, we should still be able to find our way to the ocean. And once there, the energy in the water is free of charge.

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