Squid - you left an important word out: suburban (14 year old suburban kids). Yes, I agree. I never buy that mag myself. But everyone who decides they are gonna buy me a pressie seems to think I read it avidly :}
The further away a break is from a major city the better the vibe seems to be. At least, in my experience.
Well I saw the movie last night at home, no surprises and actually quite a good little film. I don’t think for a minute the filmakers were attempting an objective doco and I don’t think the punters would’ve expected one.
I thought it was a good insight into how the bra boys think and how they want to be portrayed, nothing more or less. I don’t feel any different about them, they’re a group of local guys a lot of them are alright while some are really, really bad!!!
The only part that made me really cringe was the inane ‘locals only’ comments from Sean Doherty, Tracks editor - came accross as a real tool.
I did think there was a lot to be learnt from this film - it really illustrated the importance of a stable upbringing and having good role models to learn from. I wouldn’t want my kids hanging with the bra boys but I do think the circumstances of a lot of these kids and the descions they had to make at such a tender age - the sense of family they found through a gang tho’ not ideal, probably has saved a few guys from worse fates.
Of course it would be better not to run in gangs and walk away from all that shit - but try telling that to a neglected fucked up angry kid who has no one else to show them there’s another way. Even being so close to the beach, some areas of the housing estates here are so run down and decrepid - you have to expect to have a few rats breeding amongst the filth.
Without surfing things could be worse.