Surfpolitik Bobby Blows It

In: Surfpolitik by Stu Nettle 49 Comments Thu 18th Aug '11

Tags: bobby martinez , asp , pro surfing

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Yesterday, in an interview on the Channel Islands website, Bobby Martinez announced he is quitting the tour, and that he was doing so to take a stand against the ASP. It was the culmination of a long bout of public blow ups and bizarre Twitter outbursts.

On the surface the ongoing Bobby Martinez drama has all the appearances of a playground tantrum, yet despite the callow protestations, the BIG TALK, and the I'm-taking-my-bat-and-ball-and-going-home threats it invokes a classical argument.

That being: Is it more effective to change the system from within it, or from outside of it?

By quitting the tour Bobby has chosen the latter and is gonna try and shake shit up from outside the fortress walls. He can now say whatever he wants, with CAPS LOCK permanently depressed, and without any fear of reprisal. I imagine he is feeling relieved.

To draw historical comparisons, Kelly Slater was similarly disillusioned with the tour in the mid-90's. Feeling maligned by a judging criteria that didn't reward his aerial approach he began making noise, venting his frustration in magazine interviews. Hawks were circling too: Dekka Hynd with his IS tour ready to scoop Irons, Beschen and whoever else would sign.

Yet history also shows that Slater rallied the surfers and shook shit up from inside. He had a vote, he had a voice and he had resolve. The pen pushers listened and the system changed.

The reality for Bobby Martinez is unfolding differently. He's relinquished the only two things that can lead to change: his surfer's vote, and his standing as a pro surfer on the tour. His voice won't be heard within the system and pretty soon it won't be heard from outside of it either.

Bobby Martinez the pro competitor has reduced himself to Bobo the internet commentator, throwing bombs across the web, but unfortunately for Bobo he defuses them all with his slippery grip on language. He will be listened to, of course, but only in a way that people listened to Charlie Sheen. His capacity to influence will go the same way.

Meanwhile, the tour will bounce along happily without him. Bobby's gone, there's 852 more ready to take his place. 852, that's the number of surfers registered on the One World rankings, which is Bobby's big bone of contention. Yet going on the interview it appears that Bobby simply doesn't understand the system. So while he rails against it perhaps he should consider what Yadin Nichol thinks of it, or JJ-Flo, or Mig Pupo or any of the young fellas about to clear out the deadwood via the cut. Viva la revolution!

Toward the end of the interview, an exasperated Bobby says of the surfer meetings that shape the tour, "It's just too much politics", which is barely concealed code for, "I'm not getting what I want". So now, free of censure, Bobby can broadcast an unrestrained voice across the internet – which is still politics, even if he isn't aware of it – but alas, he'll never get what he wants by doing that.

Read the full interview here. And if you haven't heard Dane is another Tahitian no-show, though at least he has a plan.

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