Localism at New Zealand surfing destinations: Durkheim and the social structure of communities

ABSTRACT

Surfing’s popularity has seen substantial growth over the last 50 years, resulting in an increased number of surfers worldwide. With a greater number of individuals in the water, many surf breaks have become overcrowded, thus leading to management issues. At these crowded locations, some local surfers are protective and maintain ownership over a site or break through the practice of localism. Localism may produce aggressive behaviour, including verbal abuse, damage to property and violent confrontations. Previous studies on localism have mainly focused on residents’ perceptions of tourists and newcomers. To further our understanding of the relationships and social interactions between local surfers and outsiders, the following research draws on the experience of 94 foreign participants who travelled to New Zealand with a surfing tour operator. Based on a participant observation and informal interviews conducted from 2011 to 2016, this paper reflects on experiences of outsiders at seven New Zealand surfing locations. The argument draws on the neo-tribal understanding of surfing and localism in reflecting on the concepts of masculinity and intersectionality, as well as in exploring Durkheim’s theory of social organization. This paper concludes that localism is an expression of a coercive social structure belonging to the global, yet heterogeneous, surf community.