« China/Syria Fact of the Day | Main | Is there anything new to say about Barack Obama? »
The law and economics of surfing
When oh when will this be a Journal of Law and Economics piece? Here is one excerpt:
The norms (for visitors) of mild localism include:
1) Don’t arrive in a large group[156]
2) Ease into the lineup (don’t compete aggressively too early)[157]
3) Let locals surf most of the best set waves[158]
4) Take extra caution to avoid violating any ordinary surf norms (i.e. don’t get in a local’s way!)
Together, these concrete norms can implement the abstract norm of ‘respect the locals’. Observing these norms demonstrates deference to the locals and helps mitigate the effects of crowding for the locals.
Here is the full treatment, the piece is interesting throughout though it starts off a bit slow with the familiar. Thanks to Hugh for the pointer.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on June 24, 2008 at 01:08 PM in Sports | Permalink
Comments
This reminds me of a Tom Bell blog post about surfing and property rights from a few years ago: here.
Posted by: Gil at Jun 24, 2008 2:37:29 PM
"Point Break" is recent?
Posted by: DK at Jun 24, 2008 3:56:01 PM
After having dealt with some of the most intense surf localism during grad school in Santa Cruz, I can say the rules are consistently enforced. The steps down to Steamer Lane have etiquette rules of the lineup listed for visitors.
The basic motivation of a limited resource is obvious, but this means that the rules change based on the level of demand. With popularization and shift out in the demand curve, rules get more stringent so there's an excuse to force someone out at nearly all times from the top spots. While the novice from San Jose or the new undergrad flailing might be a quick and easy target, there's plenty of intra-local conflict too.
Short-boarders hate longboarders because they can catch waves sooner and are easier to control (=potentially less experienced surfers), same for kayaks and bodyboarders. Then it moves to parts of town, with eastside-westside rivalries, tenure (not just living in Santa Cruz but for how long, were you born there, even were your parents born there). New excuses to exclude and enforce violently will keep coming.
Posted by: markb at Jun 24, 2008 4:31:57 PM
After having dealt with some of the most intense surf localism during grad school in Santa Cruz, I can say the rules are consistently enforced. The steps down to Steamer Lane have etiquette rules of the lineup listed for visitors.
The basic motivation of a limited resource is obvious, but this means that the rules change based on the level of demand. With popularization and shift out in the demand curve, rules get more stringent so there's an excuse to force someone out at nearly all times from the top spots. While the novice from San Jose or the new undergrad flailing might be a quick and easy target, there's plenty of intra-local conflict too.
Short-boarders hate longboarders because they can catch waves sooner and are easier to control (=potentially less experienced surfers), same for kayaks and bodyboarders. Then it moves to parts of town, with eastside-westside rivalries, tenure (not just living in Santa Cruz but for how long, were you born there, even were your parents born there). New excuses to exclude and enforce violently will keep coming.
Posted by: markb at Jun 24, 2008 4:32:59 PM
It sounds like they need to charge a LOT more to get into the beach.
Posted by: Al at Jun 24, 2008 4:51:46 PM
This brilliant piece reminds me that the worlds oldest profession is not prostitution but protection. Best way to deal with the racket in PV is to build a breakwater upcurrent and watch their beach erode. This makes no sense to an economist but plenty of sense to a homo sapiens.
Posted by: themightypuck at Jun 24, 2008 8:51:44 PM
his axiom -- "one surfer per wave" -- is so out of date as to be quaint, as least in most of the U.S., mexico, etc. (many, many breaks are zoos now, every wave a party wave as anyone and everyone tries to get up (even if people may ultimately to someone barrelling down upon them).
Posted by: dj superflat at Jun 24, 2008 9:53:09 PM
You take your car to work, I'll take my board. And then when you're out of fuel I'm still afloat.
Posted by: Rivers at Jun 25, 2008 1:10:27 AM
There was an interesting e-fight on an Irish message board recently on this kind of thing. Somebody posted up a list of "secret surfing spots" which local surfers did not take kindly to. Of course the surfers claimed they were simply ensuring the safety of amateurs because, you know, some waves can be way out, dude.
Long story short: the surfers physically threatened the moderator of the forum. The message board community did not appreciate this and have now created a map on Google Earth and circulated it to an awful lot of people.
I love the hubris of it all.
Linkage: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055303279
Posted by: Enda at Jun 25, 2008 9:13:03 AM
Thanks for discovering my very very obscure paper.
Marc B - strangely enough, a couple of years after writing the Tragicomedy piece, I moved to Santa Cruz for a year and got to do a lot of 'field work' on surfing norms (though at pleasure point rather than the lane).
DK - fair enough with the snark. I guess Point Break is recent in geological time.
Posted by: Daniel Nazer at Jul 1, 2008 3:15:02 AM
Those are great norms. I totally agree! Don't get in the way of the locals!
Posted by: Bodyboard Sister at Aug 28, 2008 10:35:30 PM
"The Law and the Econmics of Surfing" was
good, with close parallels to a much more
deadly game (over 100 US deaths anually in
canoes and kayaks,from US Coast Guard BARD).
Read: http://www.sponsonguy.com/study.html
Tim
Posted by: Tim Ingram at Dec 15, 2008 8:55:25 AM
thanks for all
Posted by: seks shop at May 18, 2009 7:53:27 AM
