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This is an Open Access document downloaded from ORCA, Cardiff University's institutional repository: http://orca.cf.ac.uk/87337/ This is the author’s version of a work that was submitted to / accepted for publication. Citation for final published version: Anderson, Jonathan Mark 2016. On trend and on the wave: carving cultural identity through active surf dress. Annals of Leisure Research 19 (2) , pp. 212-234. 10.1080/11745398.2015.1106327 file Publishers page: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2015.1106327 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11745398.2015.1106327> Please note: Changes made as a result of publishing processes such as copy-editing, formatting and page numbers may not be reflected in this version. For the definitive version of this publication, please refer to the published source. You are advised to consult the publisher’s version if you wish to cite this paper. This version is being made available in accordance with publisher policies. See http://orca.cf.ac.uk/policies.html for usage policies. Copyright and moral rights for publications made available in ORCA are retained by the copyright holders. Annals of Leisure Research For Peer Review Only On trend and on the wave: carving cultural identity through active surf dress. Journal: Annals of Leisure Research Manuscript ID RANZ-2015-0019.R3 Manuscript Typ : Original Articl K ywords: surfing, cultur , dr ss URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ranz Email: [email protected] Page 1 of 45 Annals of Leisure Research 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 On trend and on the wave: carving cultural identity through active surf dress. 11 12 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 1 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ranz Email: [email protected] Annals of Leisure Research Page 2 of 45 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Abstract. 10 Clothing, as both functional and fashionable, has become a key marker in signifying and 11 12 shaping personal identity. This is particularly clear in a range of ”lifestyle sports‘ (after 13 14 Wheaton, 200 ), includingFor the array Peer of practices associated Review with the culture of surfing. Only This 15 16 paper examines the ways in which companies market performance clothing to surfers. By 17 18 critically analysing the ways in which wetsuits, rash vests, bodygloves and neoprene-boots 19 20 are advertised by companies such as Billabong, 'uiksilver, RipCurl and O‘Neill, this paper 21 22 outlines how particular engagements with waves are designed into these forms of dress, and 23 24 how specific cultural performances and identities are encouraged through their marketing. 25 26 The paper suggests that four cultural ideals become integral to the ”dress code‘ for 27 28 performance surf wear, namely: 1) -ni.ue Surfing 0erformance, 2) Cultural 1uthenticity, 2) 29 30 Transient Engagements, and ) Cyborgian Skin. The paper will argue how this marketing of 31 32 active surf dress is important as it not only signifies particular types of identity within surfing 33 34 culture, but also valorises specific types of communion with the surf 4one. 35 36 37 Keywords: 38 39 Surfing, marketing, dress, performance, culture, engagement 40 41 42 43 Introduction. 44 45 Clothing, as both functional and fashionable, has become a key marker in signifying and 46 47 shaping cultural identity (Shields, 1552, 6eatherstone, 1588, 15519 Dunn, 20089 48 49 Hetherington, 20119 Whiting and Hannam, 2015). 1s part of the process of 50 51 ”individualisation‘ (Beck, 2002), individuals in the developed world make particular dress 52 53 choices as =agents of their own livelihood mediated by the market“ (Beck, 1552, 120). 1s a 54 55 56 2 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ranz Email: [email protected] Page 3 of 45 Annals of Leisure Research 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 conse.uence, =small decisions ?such as] what to wear“ contribute to the reflexive proAect of 8 9 forming an identity (Biddens, 1551, 81). Clothing purchase and performance is thus 10 inextricably tied by both producers and consumers to people‘s sense of themselves and the 11 12 cultural groups they wish to feel, and be seen to be, a part of. 1s a conse.uence, clothing 13 14 manufacturers play aFor key role in commoditising Peer aspi rantReview and desirable lifestyles, andOnly even 15 16 creating them. This is perhaps particularly clear in the arena of lifestyle sports. 17 18 19 20 Cifestyle or ”whi44‘ sports (see Wheaton, 200 , Didol, 1552) refer to a range of cultural 21 22 activities including rock climbing, sky-diving, skateboarding, and snowboarding. However, 23 24 of all lifestyle sports, surfing is perhaps the activity that has most currency in the popular 25 26 imagination. 1s it is generally understood, =surfing is the deceptively simple act of riding a 27 28 breaking ocean wave on a surfboard“ (Eampion and Brown, 2002, 28), or as Warren and 29 30 Bibson describe it, surfing refers to =an ancient interaction between humans and the 31 32 environment, a fluid and exciting pastime where breaking waves, the body, and a surfboard 33 34 interact“ (201 , 1). Surfing as a cultural activity shares many of the defining features of all 35 36 lifestyle sports (Tomlinson, Ravenscroft, Wheaton, F Bilchrist, 20059 van Bottenburg F 37 Salome, 2010). Surfing is individualistic in nature (as opposed to team-oriented)9 it is 38 39 participatory (rather than spectator-focused)9 it is centred on skill, risk, and hedonism, often 40 41 shows resistance to regulation and institutionalisation, and remains ambiguous in its 42 43 relationship to competition (see Wheaton, 200 , 12). 1ssociated surfing cultures generally 44 45 occur in coastal environments that are often spectacular, exciting and pictures.ue. With these 46 47 elements combined, surfing is not simply a cultural practice that brings together humans and 48 49 the sea, but has also been portrayed as a =metaphor for life ?that has] almost universal appeal“ 50 51 (Eampion F Brown, 2002, 28). 52 53 54 55 56 3 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ranz Email: [email protected] Annals of Leisure Research Page 4 of 45 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thus, as Barilotti (2002) states, =everyone today wants to be a surfer“, and although such 8 9 claims are hyperbolic in nature, reports claim that 25 million people participate in surfing 10 worldwide (Surfer Today, 2012). The surf dress industry is therefore a lucrative market9 11 12 Surfer Today (201 ) estimates that the industry is worth over -SG20 billion, whilst 13 14 companies such as 'uiksilverFor report Peer annual turnover s Reviewin the multiple billion dollars Only (e.g. 15 16 -SG1.81 billion in 2012, as cited in Surfer Today, 201 ). 1s is clear from even a cursory 17 18 glimpse at mainstream culture, the hedonistic thrill, adrenalin-fuelled risk, laid-back lifestyle, 19 20 and even spiritual understanding that are commonly understood to be integral to surfing 21 22 practice (see Didol 15529 Tomlinson 20019 Rinehart F Sydnor, 20029 Wheaton 200 , 23 24 Stranger, 15559 20119 1nderson, 2012a) means that the activity has cultural capital not 25 26 simply within the boundaries of lifestyle sports. Dany non-surfing products have been 27 28 inAected with a dose of surfer culture in order to add economic and social value. This process 29 30 of (hyper)commoditisation (Scott, 2001, see also Crook et al, 1552, and Stranger 2011), has 31 32 been used to sell travel destinations (e.g. Hisit California, 2015), cars (e.g. Toyota Hilux 33 34 Surf), perfume (e.g. Chanel No.5), and of course, clothes (see also Dondy, 201 ). Due to the 35 36 cultural appeal of this lifestyle sport, these products are not solely marketed to active surfers, 37 but also to aspirant or even armchair surfers9 in other words, those in the wider population 38 39 who are attracted to the images, identities, and practices associated with surf culture, but are 40 41 not engaged with the activity directly. These associated markets are crucial to surf dress 42 43 companies, as Surfer Today notes, 44 45 46 47 =surf companies don‘t live off selling ?active surf] gear, that‘s for sure. ?6or] the ”Big 48 49 6our‘ - Billabong, O‘Neill, 'uiksilver and RipCurl I ?shore-side] surf wear is where 50 51 the profit is. 6orget wetsuits, surf fins, traction pads or surfboards. Surf brands want 52 53 54 55 56 4 57 58 59 60 URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ranz Email: [email protected] Page 5 of 45 Annals of Leisure Research 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 you to buy boardshorts, shoes and sandals, sweatshirts, t-shirts, trousers. That‘s where 8 9 the coin meets the pocket“ (201 ). 10 11 12 Thus due to the popularity of surfing culture and their role in promulgating it, companies 13 14 manufacturing surf dressFor have developed Peer their produ ctReview range from the niche provision Only of surf 15 16 dress for the water-world (including wetsuits, rash vests, bodygloves, and neoprene-boots) to 17 18 a range of fashion clothing items (including t-shirts, hoodies, coats, trousers, and shoes) that 19 20 are sold to surfers and the mainstream market (see Stranger, 2011). 1 number of corporations 21 22 dominate this surf dress industry9 long established surf companies (including RipCurl, 23 24 Billabong, 'uiksilver, and O‘Neill) vie with newcomers to the scene (e.g.