TC #3827
It is horribly difficult to understand the structure of professional competitive surfing. Apathy stands in the way like a brick wall. A healthy percentage of surfers are entirely ignorant of how the competitive circuit works. Of the surfers I count as friends, not one would be able to describe the roles of the various organizations and institutions, which range from the local Calvary Chapel Surfing Association to the international Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP). I once tried to explain the organization of "the tours" to Brett. He couldn't have cared less, and interrupted me when my diatribe became unbearably boring - two sentences into the discussion.
What is variously referred to as "the surfing world", the surfing community", "surf culture", or "surf industry" lends itself to a much more reasonable understanding. The entire structure revolves around the kid that I call "U.S. Teen Consumer #3827".
#3827 was a teenager that I saw walking to school several days in September. I was driving from the beach to my job in Irvine, and passing by Newport Harbor High School on Irvine Avenue. #3827 was slightly overweight. He had a mild but noticeable case of acne. He had brown, unkempt hair and dark eyes set into a soft and rounded face. He was slight of stature, and walked with a lazy slouch, focusing his eyes clearly on the sidewalk in front of him. Whenever I saw him, he was walking north towards the high school.
#3827 carried a black backpack that prominently bore the logo of wetsuit manufacturer, Rip Curl. His shirts consistently proclaim the names of similar companies: Volcom, Hurley, Billabong. While it was difficult for me to read a label from his pants or shoes, they are clearly of the styles sold in the surf shops.
What struck me most about #3827 was his body language. He had drooping shoulders that sagged heavily forward with each slow, dragging step. But #3827's real significance, his real place in the world, his value, his meaning, his purpose - is in his clothes.
#3827 is the target consumer of the surfwear industry. He may or may not participate in surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, bodyboarding, windsurfing, or kitesurfing. He may or may not own surfboards, skateboards, wetsuits, or surfing accessories.
Let us assume that #3827 purchased his clothes at a "core retailer". A core retailer is defined as a retail facility that sells "hardgoods". Hardgoods are actual surfing products. The list of hardgoods is short - boards, wetsuits, wax, leashes, fins, etc. - but essential to the core retail experience. It is important that #3827 buys his clothing at a core retailer so that he feels that the purchasing experience is authentic to the beach lifestyle. Weather #3827 ever surfs or not, he will felt like a part of the surf community when he bought that t-shirt in a shop where he was surrounded by hardgood products.
The core retailers are important to the beach fashion industry, and are given preferential treatment over other retail outlets. Beach fashion manufacturers provide core retailers with massive and elaborate window displays, posters, banners, outdoor signs, and other decorations. Driving down the beach roads, the exterior walls and windows of a core retailer are difficult to miss. To increase their visibility further as part of the surfing culture, core retailers may sponsor surfers, support local surfing organizations and contests, or contribute to ocean themed environmental groups. For the core retailer, the trick is to participate as much as possible and makes a profit. After all, we're not communists.
#3827 may visit several core retailers, but the shopping experience varies only by location. A homogeneous menu and retail experience is provided by the overwhelming presence of so-called "surfwear" fashion manufacturers. A "surfwear" company may produce products that are useful in the act of surfing, but not necessarily. Certain surfwear manufactures produce wetsuits in addition to clothing, thus making a portion of their product line directly useful to surfers in the water. Other companies, such as shoe manufacturers, have no direct function in surfing, but are considered "surfwear" companies. To be defined as a "surfwear" company, companies advertise in surfing magazines, support surfing organizations and contests, sponsor professional surfers, and distribute products primarily through the core retailers.
Surf magazines and contests are the two major marketing outlets of the surfwear manufacturers. Like their counterparts in the fashion industry, surf magazines devote a majority of pages to advertising. Pages that are not specifically designated as advertisements are filled with product reviews of the advertiser's products, interviews, profiles and biographies of the advertisers' professional surfers, coverage of contests won by the advertisers professionals, and photographs of the surfing trips taken by those professionals. Professional surfing trips are a staple of the industry. Financed by sponsors, they provide content for magazine articles, content for sponsor's advertisements. Video footage of the trips can also be sold under separate cover. Contests are a similar endeavor, providing photo and video content, recognition for the advertisers’ professionals with trophies and prizes, and a physical spectacle on the beach that attracts consumers to the marketing message and the nearby core retailers.
So, #3827's money spent at the core retailer funnels through the core retailer to the surfwear manufacturers, who in turn finance magazines, contests, and professional surfing endeavors. All that happens after the manufacturer takes out their profits. After all, we're not communists.
Ideally, #3827 subscribes to one or more surfing magazines. Though, even if he doesn't, he will see them at school. Surfing magazines take great pride in what they call their "pass-on rate", wherein the magazine floats around a classroom and ten people can see the same advertisement. In the US, the same publishing house, Primedia, owns three of the widely distributed magazines. Primedia describes themselves as "the leading targeted Media Company in the United States." Ownership of a similar group of titles enables the publisher to spread costs, work better advertising deals, and increase profits. After all, we're not communists.
The structure of professional surfing, while difficult to understand from an organization perspective, makes perfect economic sense. It makes so much sense that companies outside the traditional surfwear clique recognize the benefits and flock to participate. Mobile phone companies, car companies, fast food companies, and even Tony the Tiger from Kellogg breakfast cereal all sponsored surfing contests at Huntington Beach in the summer I surfed there.
In my office, one of the part time workers is a community collage student who wears long sleeved Quicksilver shirts exclusively. The style fits him well. He is lanky, with thin arms and a long neck, and walks with a jerking motion in the upper body. I queried him on the trend, and he confirmed that he liked Quicksilver "a lot", and wore their shirts by extreme preference. On further inquiry, he told me he has never surfed, skateboarded, or snowboarded. He has no idea who won the recent US Open of Surfing contest in Huntington Beach, and doesn't’t care. His passion is modified racing engines and accessories on Honda cars.
Honda was a principal sponsor of the 2004 US Open of Surfing.
More Later
Copyright 2004 Travis R. English
What is variously referred to as "the surfing world", the surfing community", "surf culture", or "surf industry" lends itself to a much more reasonable understanding. The entire structure revolves around the kid that I call "U.S. Teen Consumer #3827".
#3827 was a teenager that I saw walking to school several days in September. I was driving from the beach to my job in Irvine, and passing by Newport Harbor High School on Irvine Avenue. #3827 was slightly overweight. He had a mild but noticeable case of acne. He had brown, unkempt hair and dark eyes set into a soft and rounded face. He was slight of stature, and walked with a lazy slouch, focusing his eyes clearly on the sidewalk in front of him. Whenever I saw him, he was walking north towards the high school.
#3827 carried a black backpack that prominently bore the logo of wetsuit manufacturer, Rip Curl. His shirts consistently proclaim the names of similar companies: Volcom, Hurley, Billabong. While it was difficult for me to read a label from his pants or shoes, they are clearly of the styles sold in the surf shops.
What struck me most about #3827 was his body language. He had drooping shoulders that sagged heavily forward with each slow, dragging step. But #3827's real significance, his real place in the world, his value, his meaning, his purpose - is in his clothes.
#3827 is the target consumer of the surfwear industry. He may or may not participate in surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, bodyboarding, windsurfing, or kitesurfing. He may or may not own surfboards, skateboards, wetsuits, or surfing accessories.
Let us assume that #3827 purchased his clothes at a "core retailer". A core retailer is defined as a retail facility that sells "hardgoods". Hardgoods are actual surfing products. The list of hardgoods is short - boards, wetsuits, wax, leashes, fins, etc. - but essential to the core retail experience. It is important that #3827 buys his clothing at a core retailer so that he feels that the purchasing experience is authentic to the beach lifestyle. Weather #3827 ever surfs or not, he will felt like a part of the surf community when he bought that t-shirt in a shop where he was surrounded by hardgood products.
The core retailers are important to the beach fashion industry, and are given preferential treatment over other retail outlets. Beach fashion manufacturers provide core retailers with massive and elaborate window displays, posters, banners, outdoor signs, and other decorations. Driving down the beach roads, the exterior walls and windows of a core retailer are difficult to miss. To increase their visibility further as part of the surfing culture, core retailers may sponsor surfers, support local surfing organizations and contests, or contribute to ocean themed environmental groups. For the core retailer, the trick is to participate as much as possible and makes a profit. After all, we're not communists.
#3827 may visit several core retailers, but the shopping experience varies only by location. A homogeneous menu and retail experience is provided by the overwhelming presence of so-called "surfwear" fashion manufacturers. A "surfwear" company may produce products that are useful in the act of surfing, but not necessarily. Certain surfwear manufactures produce wetsuits in addition to clothing, thus making a portion of their product line directly useful to surfers in the water. Other companies, such as shoe manufacturers, have no direct function in surfing, but are considered "surfwear" companies. To be defined as a "surfwear" company, companies advertise in surfing magazines, support surfing organizations and contests, sponsor professional surfers, and distribute products primarily through the core retailers.
Surf magazines and contests are the two major marketing outlets of the surfwear manufacturers. Like their counterparts in the fashion industry, surf magazines devote a majority of pages to advertising. Pages that are not specifically designated as advertisements are filled with product reviews of the advertiser's products, interviews, profiles and biographies of the advertisers' professional surfers, coverage of contests won by the advertisers professionals, and photographs of the surfing trips taken by those professionals. Professional surfing trips are a staple of the industry. Financed by sponsors, they provide content for magazine articles, content for sponsor's advertisements. Video footage of the trips can also be sold under separate cover. Contests are a similar endeavor, providing photo and video content, recognition for the advertisers’ professionals with trophies and prizes, and a physical spectacle on the beach that attracts consumers to the marketing message and the nearby core retailers.
So, #3827's money spent at the core retailer funnels through the core retailer to the surfwear manufacturers, who in turn finance magazines, contests, and professional surfing endeavors. All that happens after the manufacturer takes out their profits. After all, we're not communists.
Ideally, #3827 subscribes to one or more surfing magazines. Though, even if he doesn't, he will see them at school. Surfing magazines take great pride in what they call their "pass-on rate", wherein the magazine floats around a classroom and ten people can see the same advertisement. In the US, the same publishing house, Primedia, owns three of the widely distributed magazines. Primedia describes themselves as "the leading targeted Media Company in the United States." Ownership of a similar group of titles enables the publisher to spread costs, work better advertising deals, and increase profits. After all, we're not communists.
The structure of professional surfing, while difficult to understand from an organization perspective, makes perfect economic sense. It makes so much sense that companies outside the traditional surfwear clique recognize the benefits and flock to participate. Mobile phone companies, car companies, fast food companies, and even Tony the Tiger from Kellogg breakfast cereal all sponsored surfing contests at Huntington Beach in the summer I surfed there.
In my office, one of the part time workers is a community collage student who wears long sleeved Quicksilver shirts exclusively. The style fits him well. He is lanky, with thin arms and a long neck, and walks with a jerking motion in the upper body. I queried him on the trend, and he confirmed that he liked Quicksilver "a lot", and wore their shirts by extreme preference. On further inquiry, he told me he has never surfed, skateboarded, or snowboarded. He has no idea who won the recent US Open of Surfing contest in Huntington Beach, and doesn't’t care. His passion is modified racing engines and accessories on Honda cars.
Honda was a principal sponsor of the 2004 US Open of Surfing.
More Later
Copyright 2004 Travis R. English
posted by travinator @ 3:40 PM
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