The origins of localism: a legacy from Hawaii and the Californian counterculture
Localism has its roots in the 1960s, when surfing exploded on Californian and Hawaiian beaches. In Hawaii, the historic birthplace of surfing, this form of cultural appropriation is combined with a strong claim to identity. For Hawaiian surfers, surfing is not simply a sport, but a spiritual expression rooted in the history of the indigenous people.
Faced with the growing influx of white American surfers, often perceived as disrespectful of local customs, groups such as the "Da Hui" have sprung up to claim a right to certain spots. In California, the phenomenon takes a different turn, more rooted in a logic of territory and preservation of wave quality.
A codified, defensive culture
Localism then spread to numerous spots around the globe, from the beaches of Biarritz to those of Australia and South America. In each case, it relies on implicit codes: priority for locals, respect for paddling rules, implicit hierarchy in wave catching. Failure to respect these codes exposes "surftourists" to sometimes violent reactions: intimidation, sabotage of equipment, even physical altercations.
These behaviors are designed to discourage overpopulation of the spots, maintain the established order and protect access to limited natural resources: the waves.
Ambivalent consequences for surf culture
On the one hand, localism has helped preserve a form of community culture in surfing, reaffirming a territorial and social dimension in the face of globalization. It also plays a role in the transmission of values, notably respect for the sea, tacit rules of conviviality, and hierarchy based on experience.
But it has also introduced exclusionary logics, sometimes marked by sexism, racism or social isolation. In a world that aims to be free and open, localism can quickly slide into a form of symbolic or real violence, hindering access to the practice for neo-surfers or occasional visitors.
Towards a recomposition of localism?
In the age of social networks, beach cameras and the massification of surfing, notably with its entry into the Olympic Games, localism is changing. While it persists in some of the world's most popular surf spots (Pipeline, Uluwatu, Hossegor...), it is tending to fade elsewhere, replaced by community-based educational initiatives, such as surf schools and local initiatives to raise surfers' awareness of the importance of mutual respect.
Some local surfers now use their status to regulate practices rather than reject them, by establishing clear rules or time slots. This form of regulated localism appears to be a more peaceful way forward, reconciling tradition and openness.
Localism in surfing reflects the tensions between cultural appropriation, environmental protection and the democratization of a practice. Inherited from identity or social struggles, it raises profound questions about each person's place in the water, the management of shared resources, and models of transmission in a discipline that is always seeking a balance between individual freedom and collective life.
