your right he doesn’t look like an arse hole, he’s sertainly paid his dues and earnt the right for respect, but respect is based on current actions and well as past deeds and can be won as well as lost. Blame it on him having a bad day and taking it out on the new guy, but its more likerly he was just letting you know that there is a pecking order and he believes he’s at the top.
Mabye people give him space coz he’s earnt it, maybe they give him space because incedents you decribe are too commom, either way you don’t know the guy and you cant judge him from a single enccounter, I hate localism but it sounds like this was just a hazing, see it as a test, initiation or right of passage if you like.
You’re a good surfer but that only goes so far. Just keep you head down and carry on surfing, step one to earning respect is attitude and dedication.
always be polite and never reactionary. You’ll take crap from the older guys, but weather it and eventually they will accept you into the pack even if its at the bottom of the hirachy, you’ll still have to take the same amount of crap but it will be more light hearted.
The trouble is knowing the difference between that and jerks that see that happening and think that the hazing of the new guy/outsider is the actual way to earn the respect coz they see the old boys doing and think that by doing it aswell they will earn favor or are just plain violent pricks and use it as an excuse.
Crawford certainly doesn’t fall into either catogory so I’d say be humble and show him some respect, its worth building up some positive relationships in the surf or the land, just don’t expect to be best chumbs, more a tolarance, but is certainly cant hurt, you may even learn something or atleast beable to have a pleasant surf.
Let your dedication and surfing do the talking, if you show the required level of respect to the hiarachy system then you will be accepted once they realise your not going to go away.
You don’t have to choose this path, you don’t have to acknowlege the pack or that there is a hirachy atall but that make you a rogue and life will be tough for you, you’ll have to be able to back that up with skill and tanasity or you’ll get hurt, people will see you as a threat to thier own standing and will want to “pull you in line”, “take you down a peg or two” or “show you your place” (in the hiarachy)
Any line up can be cracked with persistance, but you need to know the rules they are playing to, probably the closest thing to a tribe your likerly to find in modern society. Find out who the chiefs, pay your respects until they let you in, once you’re in youll find out who demands you’re respect and who are the pratenders.
give it a few months and you’ll start to see the benifits.
