Small summer swell, tired arms and a few glasses of blush left the surfer in need of some restful streaming and relaxation. Looking for something with a beginning, middle and end instead of another big wave session, he found an older, famous movie that he couldn’t remember watching. (After the movie, the surfer remained unsure.)
It was called Splinters and was about the people of a surfing community in Papua New Guinea. The movie was well known but the reviews all seemed to think it was about a surfing competition (and didn’t they do well to get to Oz). The surfer’s spidey senses surge with skepticism anytime cultural understanding is required of IMDB warriors and New York film critics. America must still win for a film to get more than four stars and stories about other people, especially poor people, are quite boring. The surfer was happy with the decision.
The plot centers on a village called Vanimo and the people of 2 kickass surf clubs there, their families and some events in their lives over the months approaching the country’s first, national surfing competition. There is very little need to mention an Australian surfer who visited in the 80s during the film, let alone in the description of the film. There is also no celebration in the film or the reviews, of the PNG godfather of surfing, other than when he had to mention it himself. Clearly, he wasn’t a white guy.
Vanimo as a surfing community represents elements of global society where cultural sharing has been limited and intolerant. The film description uses cannibalism (rather than genocide or religious persecution) because it was part of their history, negligently defining PNG in a way that elevates our complete western civilization and gives us white people a high ground perspective over the uneducated villagers of Vanimo. The movie is actually about people just like the surfer but without the relentless opportunities. The story follows how they experience politics, society, relationships, community, winning, losing, learning and loving. It highlights what little has been shared by the surfing community but how these shredders have still developed that surfer spirit. The characters have a genuine stoke for riding waves and want to rip. That makes them just like guys called Taj and Kelly, to the surfer.
Ezekiel, a central character and one of the best surfers in the village, humanizes the metaphor when he grafts a broken board back together and stitches his old, threadbare boardies. Surfing has been thriving since the 60s. In California and Durban, Australia and France. Just like everything else, surfing has failed to share more than just a little bit, letting down kindred souls of fully subscribed members of its global community.
It had taken 20 years from conception to host the national competition. It was driven by the locals. The surfer got annoyed by this and thought surely there were 1000s of white people that could swing this in a hot minute. What’s up Billabong? Not fit your metrics? More money in apartheid South Africa, hey?
All of their characters coped with the language barrier and the surfer always admired this of people condemned as uneducated. Only offered snapshots of their lives, the surfer felt although he’d chosen a movie that it did not have the required middle and end. Splinters should be considered as just the beginning and hopefully the director is more concerned with the story than being celebrated.
Judgements delivered by the director help create a them and us feeling and the racism of disadvantagement is painful to watch for the enlightened. Surfing belongs to everyone but it hasn't been shared as it should be and that casts a shadow on the validity of the industry. Surfers get it. The owners of Quicksilver, including Kelly Slater, don't have a fucking clue.
Hopefully, by the time the next installments are released, Rip Curl would have repaired the surf club houses and have the competitors decked out, nourished and invested in. Roxy will look after the ladies and keep them safe. And that dickhead judge who insulted the surfers can be relieved of his duty. Thanks dude but you are not needed.
The film left the surfer inspired. Inspired to get down to the souk and pick up a few fake polo shirts. To buy some Berbere jewelry and pet the street dogs. Damn the man. Save the empire.
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