As one of the most productive wave chasers in the world, Josh Mulcoy is used to keeping his finds to himself, whether on a remote beach or in his backyard on Vancouver Island, British Columbia (Canada). But these days Mulcoy, a professional surfer and photographer, is more careful than ever about what information he shares — and what he doesn’t.
“If I know something and I want to keep it a secret, I practically don’t tell anyone except a friend or two — and we have a pact not to tell anyone else,” he said.
Publicizing certain surf spots, especially those off the most popular routes, is like breaking the first rule of Fight Club. You just don’t talk about certain surf spots. For years, surfers, magazines, and photographers have mostly lived by this unwritten law to keep secret places a secret. Do not take pictures and, if necessary, identify them by anything more specific than region, country or even continent.
The consequences of violating these rules can sometimes evoke a real-life Fight Club: those who spoke up or posted images of certain waves faced threats, harassment, vandalism or even assault.
Dozens of waves around the world transformed after their locations were shared with many people. Teahupo’o, a famous surf spot in Tahiti that will host competition at the 2024 Olympics, was once a secret wave. Salina Cruz in Mexico is now a tourist destination and home to a surf camp. And already popular waves like Rincon and Lower Trestles in California became incredibly “crowded”.
But then came Instagram. Its “geotagging” feature can pinpoint the exact location of a photograph. This has affected many natural spaces, from once-quiet national parks like Joshua Tree to waterfalls once hidden far and wide that are now overrun with crowds, cars, noise and trash, leading to rules, fences and even closures.
Surfing’s response to the phenomenon could only be a little different. The sport has treated knowledge and waves, in San Diego or semi-rural Oregon, as things that are earned, not given — the way fishermen value secret fishing holes.
Exposing a well-guarded wave draws attention, which attracts crowds. An overcrowded wave means fewer waves for everyone, and the “one surfer per wave” etiquette tends to be broken, leading to accidents and confrontations. Some surfers have long guarded against this situation, enforcing their own rules at their local spots, deciding who can catch waves, and making those rules clear to newcomers.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has added to the unrest sparked by social media, as more new surfers enter local “lineups” without learning the etiquette of the place. The exploration and rites of passage required to find these places, their secrecy or access maintained by generations of surfers in some cases, can disappear with an Instagram post. And one Instagram post with “geotag” spawns another and another.
“There are people who feel like they’ve been tending a garden for years, and then you come in with a dirt bike, give a few hobbyhorses and go, throwing dirt in their faces,” said Devon Howard, former editor of Longboard magazine and a figurehead in surfing.
Dropbox, a fun, once-quiet spot near Mulcoy’s Tofino home, is now so full he doesn’t want to surf there anymore. If someone shares a photo of the wave one day, the break will be full of new surfers the next day, he said.
Some photographers have modified their careers to respect local breaks. Chris Burkard, a photographer with 3.8 million Instagram followers, gained fame for portraying extremely distant locations. It wasn’t his original plan: the central coast of California, where he’s from, is full of big waves — and ill-will to photographers.
“One of the reasons I was drawn to remote and wild places is that I was tired of dealing with things at home,” Burkard said, using a swear word when he said his car was vandalized and he received death threats.
He and other photographers see no reason to identify a place, even if it is photographed.
“For me, the mystery and anonymity of the surfing experience is critical,” Burkard said. “I grew up seeing those remote beaches on the cover of Surfer, and you just got to know the name of the country, it was so cool! What made me want to pursue this profession was literally this lack of information.”
In the digital age, the surfing old guard still practices discretion. Grant Ellis, photo editor for The Surfer’s Journal and former photo editor for Surfer, is extra careful when publishing images of certain waves. It cuts out terrain features, snaps pictures of out-of-season waves, or simply waits long enough for a sandbar to shift — allowing residents to enjoy the wave while it’s good. These editorial strategies can hide the particular wind and swell directions that make the wave especially large, something only people who have studied the wave for years can understand.
Even though the waves are constantly exposed and overcrowded one by one, however, Mulcoy is confident that world-class waves remain hidden throughout the world. The only people who surf them are the ones who keep the secret, he said.
“There are guys who know about waves that would surprise people, but they keep it to themselves,” Mulcoy said. “And I’m happy for them – I don’t even want to know where they are!”
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