Dear readers, today, your SurferToday is celebrating its 17 anniversary.
In the past 12 months, surfing and skateboarding have had the opportunity to get ready and present themselves as Olympic-deserving sports.
In other words, these unique board sports had a shot at bringing the best out of their culture and performing skills to impress the world and honor Olympism and its values.
In the past 365 days, athletes and the remaining 99 percent of recreational surfers and skaters continued having fun.
Gabriel Medina's iconic Teahupoo photo made headlines on all continents.
Also, minutes after winning her maiden world title at only 18 years and 322 days of age, Caitlin Simmers was clear about her generation's attitude toward surfing.
"I don't surf to win contests," the young Californian expressed.
And while the people of surfing were making Duke Kahanamoku proud of the wave-riding spirit, the industry continued its path of self-destruction.
The only motor spinning the creation and innovation wheel seems to be wave pool technology, which, one day, will also consolidate and stall.
Competitive surfing is not OK. Fans know that, and pro surfers know that.
Instead of listening to the people who make the industry viable, event executives focus on revenue stream opportunities.
Also, backstage, words are still being poured into computer screens to mock, disarm, harm, and dishonor the athletes, the stars, the idols, and the sports references who truly make these sports popular worldwide.
Words can be weapons or seeds. Each one of us decides what to do with them in our everyday lives.
Authentic, Original, Exclusive, and Meaningful Content
And then, amid these gloomy times where seeking attention at any price has been normalized, there are people like Tony Hawk.
The greatest skateboarder of all time could've been enjoying the fruits of a very successful career and riding for silly yet profitable marketing stunts.
However, Hawk chose a different path. He still competes for fun here and there and even relives old tricks in the half-pipe.
But here's the twist.
Hawk shares knowledge on podcasts, promotes skateboarding as a healthy sport for youth, and still finds time to run vert contests.
Tony Hawk's positive involvement in the skateboarding world should inspire others to have a similar impact on the millions who chose surfboards and skateboards to make their lives happier.
Authenticity and meaningfulness.
I guess that's something surfing is lacking, especially on the days when an amazing wave is quickly consumed and forgotten in the relentless and ephemeral social media feeds.
Consumers, too, have the right to choose between content that adds something meaningful to their surf-and-skate life.
Knowledge can be entertaining, and entertainment can be enlightening.
SurferToday will continue to privilege quality over quantity and give you, dear reader, a bit more meaning and juice to your sports life.
I am sorry our article titles aren't as catchy as the ones you'll find on other websites. We haven't yet found a way to be clickbaity and insightful.
There is good news, though.
The list of contributing writers at SurferToday has been growing fast - almost 150 - with more and more people wanting to share their stories, experiences, feelings, and reflections.
In the country where I live, people are buying more books and reading more, so there are reasons to be hopeful and optimistic.
We invite you to join our ever-growing community.
Meanwhile, count on us for authenticity and meaningfulness. It's why we're here, and we love it.
Have a good one.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com
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