Post #212991 by aquarj on Mon, Feb 6, 2006 12:44 PM

Common historical and popular roots? Definitely. If some surfers like gangsta rap it doesn't mean they're related, but in contrast surfing and tiki do have connections at their roots.

Common geographic epicenters? Definitely.

Both about escapism? Definitely.

Both can go beyond escapism to total immersion? Sure, but it's not necessary. You can live your life so that "surfing is life" or even "tiki is life", or not.

Possible to be interested in one and not the other? Yes, and that's true for a lot of people, but that doesn't mean the two aren't related.

The connections are there, whether you're looking at 40 years ago or today. But like Chongolio said, there's really no "average joe surfer" these days, and there isn't really an average joe or jill tiki person either. With surfing you have longboarders, shortboarders, groms, watermen, dawn patrollers, weekend duffers, pros, shapers, big wave nuts, home break locals, world travelers, and even the spongers if you wanna be inclusive. With tiki there's the dabblers, Howard Hughes ebay collector types, mughoarders, coco-jonesers, menubians, Target tiki lovers, vintage styleniks, tiki temple trotters, grog connoisseurs, social organizers and scenesters, authors and archaeologists, carvers and artists, home bar builders, and even the parrotheads if you wanna be inclusive. The fact of this diversity within interests is also one reason that the connections between surfing and tiki may be less apparent to some, but completely inescapable to others.

With surfing, you can go to Waikiki and take a lesson and be up and riding on your first day. You could go home and not pursue it beyond having a fun story. Or you could buy a board, move to the coast and make it your life. With tiki, you could pick up a little tiki keychain on the same trip to Hawaii and hang it on your rearview mirror when you get home and that's the end of it. Or you could join TC and literally get as immersed as you could possibly want, not just in collecting geegaws but truly in day to day life.

-Randy