Localism

[Eleeski]

Surf locals can get a lot more aggressive than skiers.


Eric

 

[crgildart]

I think it may have been Jay Adams in Dogtown and Z-Boys who told the story of surfing their Venice Beach stash when some KOOK was poaching their break. They sabotaged the dude's car, paddled up to him holding the distributor cap, "hey man is this yours?" Plunk, dropped it in the water..

 

[James]

Ski Apache is close to White Sands and Trinity Site A-Bomb was tested before being used in WWII, one day a year the actual ground zero is open to the public.

It used to be two weekends a year, April I think and October. Could have been only 1 day each, I forget. I went to the Trinity Site in the early 90’s in October.

They scooped off at least a foot of topsoil in that whole area I think in the early 50’s to reduce the radiation. Not that you’ll find any, but the taking of Trinitite is forbidden. You only get to go in a fairly small chainlink fenced in area. At that time they zip tied framed photos of the blast to the fence. Then they had various objects in cases. Like pieces of Trinitite. Also everyday things that are radioactive. And a Geiger counter to demonstrate the radioactivity of the objects. Like a plate of orange Fiesta Ware from the 30’s. They used Uranium tailings for the pigment. It was way more radioactive than the piece of Trinitite as I recall.

It’s a desolate place. I would definitely recommend going if you’re interested in being at the spot where the history of the world changed forever. That’s where the big Genie left the bottle and there’s no going back. I spent a lot of time at what came to be called Ground Zero in Nyc back in 2001/2. I resisted that label at the time but you can’t hold back the tide. The true Ground Zero is in that desert at White Sands, NM.

 

[Jerez]

For a while I think it was reduced to once a year, but it is twice. First Sat in April and October I believe. Sobering. It's sad we have gotten so used to it that we name beers "Bikini Atoll" and don't give the nuclear genie the respect and fear it deserves.

 

[raisingarizona]

I’ve always felt that a real local means born and raised there.

 

[luliski]

I’ve always felt that a real local means born and raised there.

Well, then I've never been a local anywhere.

 

[raisingarizona]

I’ve always felt that a real local means born and raised there.

Well, then I've never been a local anywhere.

Me too. I don’t ever claim localism.

 

[Doug Briggs]

So I was born and raised in North Conway, but moved away in 1976, only to return to live there for a few months much later on. Am I a North Conway local?

 

[luliski]

So I was born and raised in North Conway, but moved away in 1976, only to return to live there for a few months much later on. Am I a North Conway local?

Maybe if you went back to live there? I think it does make a difference to have been raised there. I was born in Argentina, but we moved away when I was three years old. I am most definitely not a local when I visit there, even though my parents and all of my grandparents were born and raised there. We moved so much that I'm not a local anywhere.

 

[Eleeski]

Well, then I've never been a local anywhere.

I disagree with this philosophy. Be a local wherever you go! You just need to care enough to be involved and engaged.

Our Zonies who stay with us in San Diego several weeks a year in July are probably more connected to the San Diego vibe than we are. They have way more friends and social life than we do. They have been coming for 25 years! Definitely locals.

We have properties scattered around in fun spots (including Squaw Valley). We don't live there but spend enough time to get intimate local knowledge.

South Park did a great episode on the Coloradans who came 2 weeks every year to Hawaii and claimed to be locals - and saved Hawaii! Out of state locals rock!

Eric

 

[pchewn]

I think it may have been Jay Adams in Dogtown and Z-Boys who told the story of surfing their Venice Beach stash when some KOOK was poaching their break. They sabotaged the dude's car, paddled up to him holding the distributor cap, "hey man is this yours?" Plunk, dropped it in the water..

I think it was Stacey Peralta who told that story in the movie...

 

[4ster]

I’ve always felt that a real local means born and raised there.

= native.

 

[Doug Briggs]

= native.

Good point. I have lived in Breck for as long as I've lived in North Conway. I own a business, a home and take part in community. I feel I'm a local here. A native in NC. While NC looks a lot like when I left it, I'm not in tune with the community.

I did go see my buddy, who is a transplant from MA but now lives there, perform on the bandstand that I grew up playing 4-square. Its at the community center (now NE Ski Museum) that I went to high school dances at, played basketball (poorly) and shot pool in the basement.

Images of my home town from a recent visit. (You've got me all sentimental here.)


My home for my first 17 years.


The former (original) Carrol Reed Ski Shop sign post.


Schuyler Park with the train station in the background. We played pee wee football here, full contact. In the winter it was an ice rink.


The bandstand with the community band.


The former community center.


The new community center.


A memorial to my surrogate Dad, Kim Perkins who ran the community center. He broke up fights, coached us in football, led (actually swept) the weekly hikes, and in general was a great man to those that played at the community center.

My home town, where I'm a native, but not a local.

 

[luliski]

Be a local wherever you go! You just need to care enough to be involved and engaged.

Some times you just don't feel it, but I agree with the idea of becoming involved and engaged where ever you are. But that can be tricky if you're an "outsider."

 

[Kneale Brownson]

I'm native to Traverse City, MI, but I'm "local" wherever I live, which used to be as Doug's neighbor for 10 years and now 300 miles away in Utah, 1700 miles from my hometown.

 

[BC.]

This could be thread....

Native to East Stroudsburg, PA
Local to Lake Wallenpaupack, PA

 

[fatbob]

Is the locals only diss the tourist culture worse in Europe? ..

Sorry missed this previously. In Europe everone's a tourist so no conflict. OK so that isn't strictly true but the resorts are so big, people tend to be there a week at a time and the real locals are probably multi generational families making a good living out of the tourists supplemented with seasonal workers. I guess that changes in some places e.g. the hills in the Innsbruck will be predominantly weekenders and local residents/ students.

 

[Sibhusky]

I’ve always felt that a real local means born and raised there.

That to me would be a native. There is a difference.

 

[luliski]

That to me would be a native. There is a difference.

As @4ster pointed out up thread.

 

[David Chaus]

Maybe if you went back to live there? I think it does make a difference to have been raised there. I was born in Argentina, but we moved away when I was three years old. I am most definitely not a local when I visit there, even though my parents and all of my grandparents were born and raised there. We moved so much that I'm not a local anywhere.

I was born in the Seattle area, but my father was born in Argentina, and we lived in Buenos Aires from the time I was 6 until about 10 1/2. Didn’t feel like a local but people were friendly and they always seemed to want to try their English out on you. Many of the relatives I knew in BA are now living in Miami, where they’re as local as anyone else.