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The Difference Between Subjective and Objective

An opinion piece by Crispin Hughes.

Photo. Mitch Cameron.

Spending some moderated time out from the world of the fine aquatic hobby of wave riding, the actuality of it becoming a full-on bonified sport seems as far from reality as it did all the ways back when 17 years ago. My irritation of how a sport can be marketable and profitable to an audience outside the actual wave riding culture always grated on me, so much so I questioned the validity of the riders who actually won heats and events, from club comps to the pro events where money was on offer. 

I can remember it as clear as day, I was 15 years young, watching a heat in a local club comp being run and judged, with results unlike my friends and mine watching and mentally judging it from the shore line thought should have been the winner. I am sure anyone who has ever witnessed a competition and had this similar familiar experience is nodding their head now and feeling a slight bad taste in their mouth at the judge’s decision? 

This questioning of how bodyboarding events were being run and marketed had a self destructing yet self fulfilling purpose and outcome of my following 10 year “professional career”. By the age of 18, I had decided not to follow competitions and tours, if my sponsors wanted me to enter they were going to pay for travel, accommodation and fees. I proposed an alternative contract and an agreement was made, the idea of 10 to 20 pages of magazine coverage annually world wide was a better deal for a dropkneer than a comp placing. 

The confirmation of my thoughts were voiced sternly and very loudly by Kainoa McGee in the Hawaiian winter season of  ‘93-‘94 at Haleiwa Beach clubhouse where  a gathering of the world’s elite body boarders and the contest officials running the world title event “Pipeline Pro” were to come together and form a new direction. Kainoa proposed a 6 event world tour where each comp destination had up to a month waiting period for body board suited waves, covered by multiple cameras from multiple angles in which all footage would be edited and sold to televised sports programs across the world. This idea seemed so ‘outside the box’ that the powers that be said it was too much of a gamble and it was best to follow the stand up surfings road of supposed success. In typical Kainoa style, he told them what he thought of the official’s lid tightening response by storming screeching out of the Haleiwa car park in a ball of dust and burnt rubber.

I couldn’t put my finger on the problem back then and seemingly still is one now 17 years later. A few months back I bumped into a good friend of mine on the sands of Avalon who is at the top of his game, won a world title and has his own signature board and accessories. Feeling a vibe I haven’t felt in a long time, I asked how his latest comp went and I could literally see fire in his eyes and it wasn’t the fire of burning desire, the steam coming out of his ears told me it was a fire of absolute frustration. After a full 15 minutes of venting he proceeded out into the two foot fun wedging reform shore break to flip, spin, carve, tube and style his way to dry sand on each and every wave he caught of a twenty minute time he gave himself (I personally gave him a 10 for each of the first 3 waves he caught in the first 10 minutes).

This vent of my friend re-ignited my frustration I felt when I was a weee’grommet. Noticing I still held onto this angst deep down, realizing I have not fully let go, I feel this is my chance to try and articulate what most still feel and what many will for years to come unless the box in which body boarding competitions are held and judged, will continue and perhaps keep the lid tightly screwed on, stopping a progression of a hobby which need not be confined to our brothers way of competing in the stand-up world of wave riding.

 I am currently putting myself through a university degree in Human Resources, which has turned a light on in my head and shone brightly on that niggling reason of why the wave riding sport is no where near the league of sponsorship from major companies like that of golfing or tennis events. It is the difference between ‘Subjective’ and ‘Objective’ decision-making. Apart from the limiting aspect of living near the coast where waves break, the population of any part of a coastline can pick up a tennis racket or golf club and know the easy to follow subjective rules (hit ball out of bounds more than the other player you lose) while the population who live to far to travel to the coast wouldn’t know why a 360 in the white wash is rated lower than a tube ride (where no-one can see you). 

Apart from that main difference, the ‘Subjective’ judging criteria is a hindrance. How can anyone take a professional sport seriously when results are made by subjective interpretations by the probability of sponsor-influenced judging? The reality of it could mean bodyboarding will never get passed the likeness to regional gymnastics or ice skating competition status. Knowing that, “up and coming wanna be pro’s”, will get a shock and be deterred like many have in the past is a reason why many budding professional body boarders lose interest or opt for the surfboard. It seems making a living from competition bodyboarding is as stressful as going to University and getting a degree. Kainoa’s idea is as valid today as it was 17 years ago, bodyboarding needs to pave its own brand of experience and package it for the world before any professional body boarder can retire on their well earned winnings.

After reading Crispin's piece we're interested to hear what you guys think, what should bodyboarding's brand experience be positioned on?

Air your opinion here.