Exodus: "Surf Punk" Prototypes
Rabbi Nachum Shifren
"These first "surf punks" simply decided to paddle out, (into the Red Sea)
representing a tremendous lesson for us in faith,
heroism and hope! Our only hope!
They represent the finest attribute of true adventurers:
no lifeguard towers in sight, no "Baywatch" to
nurse them ashore -they weren't even real swimmers! Yet they went for it!"
How does one begin to fathom the most enigmatic of all of surfing's
characters? Anyone who has attempted to followed the "career" of Mickey
Dora -surfing giant (to some), phantom (to others) - over the last thirty
or so years probably should have heeded the talmudic dictum of our sages of
old: if something is true, it is true no matter who says it. Dora joins a
club of Bible "characters," no less colorful or enigmatic, whose truths are
often overlooked in an attempt to broad-brush them with negative stigma
they justifiably deserved (Bilam, Jethro, Elimelech, et al).
We refer to none other than the classic "Surfer Magazine" interview
of thirty years ago: "Mickey on Malibu." (You might want to look this one
up in the archives.) To the point: with his frustration mounting due to the
pointed questions from the interviewer, Mickey retorted that surfers
generally fall into four categories:
- kooks - novices or "wannabes";
- senile surf freaks (basically washed up, but still involved);
- himself; and
- "punks"
Now, regarding the latter group, he made the historic comment: ". .
. the punks . . . they're our only hope!"
What is so special about this cryptic comment and why do we
consider this truth "ingenious." I mean, really, "punks?!"
We are told that concerning the Exodus from Egypt, a fateful moment
came at the crossing of the Red Sea. Not having seen the handwriting on the
wall, Pharaoh, (whose stock in the pyramid-building industry plummeted
drastically) in a desperate attempt to re-invigorate the market, took his
"600 chariots" and the disheveled remnants of the 10 miraculous and deadly
plagues to recapture the slaves. The Midrash (a compilation of homilitic
sources explaining certain central biblical passages) tells us that as the
fate of Jewish nation stood in the balance, four different groups were
predominant. The first group simply wanted to go back to the drudgery of
brick-building (and thereby help Pharaoh boost his pyramid stock). The
second group opted to "end it all," and the third group voted to take a
stand and fight.
Enter Dora and his "vision" of things to come with a view of things
past. Yes! The "punks" were the fourth group! Hmmm . . . somehow this
doesn't sound too much like Surf and Soul genre, you say? Let's look
further! Just who was this fourth group? They opted to go
for it, the first surfers in history, jumping into the stormy abyss, no
fins, no wet-suits, dude - no boards! While everyone else is in disarray,
while the panicked Moses turns to G-d for advise as to dealing with the
onslaught, a small group of brave people "paddle out", heeding only G-d's
implicit instructions: "Just do it!"
Now lest someone claim our epigram smacks of revisionist biblical
history, consider again Dora's statement: "Punks are our only hope."
Yes, the first "surf punks"-the fourth group that simply decided to
paddle out, represents a tremendous lesson for us in faith, heroism and
hope! Our only hope! This punk, who is he really? There must be, after
all, something meritorious about him if he's our only hope! To wit: he
stands alone, buttressed in his faith that he is right and the rest of the
world has lost it. He is stubborn (stiff-necked?), clinging to his beliefs
despite all odds. These first "surfers" represent the finest attribute of
true adventurers: no lifeguard towers in sight, no "Baywatch" to nurse them
ashore-they weren't even real swimmers! Yet they went for it! Kind of
reminiscent of Phil Edward's first go-out at the Pipeline!
But where did Nachshon Aminadav, the courageous leader of this
group of "punks" get the courage to paddle out? The Talmud tells that
there is an intrinsic element of courage that they inherited from their
father, Abraham, another classic "punk". Now, he fits the bill: Avraham
does his own thing, a lone-wolf type, doesn't listen to anyone and shines
on the whole world! A nomad, he decides to do the ultimate "road trip".
This time it's for keeps- he can't go back! (G-d says to him: "Get thee
from thy house, thy homeland, and go to the Land that I'll show you" -
Genesis, Parshat Lech Lecha).
Again, the Midrash details his "punk-like" character and we now
learn about the word "Abraham", the root in Hebrew is "ever", meaning
"beyond." We are told that Abraham stood on one side of the river, and the
whole world stood on the other side, taunting him, daring him, testing his
faith. After having broken his father's idols, he earned the title of
"punk" by telling off the whole world: "Why do you prostrate yourself
before the inanimate, whose idols have eyes that see not, ears that hear
not - there is one divine Creator!" The Kabbala tells us that this aspect
of beyond - separate, aloof, - standing with invincible courage in the face
of incredible odds, is represented by the statement "ever la nahar" (beyond
the river), alluding to a faith that is beyond logic or understanding.
Avraham Avino, the "punk" to whom we owe our allegiance, this only
"hope" as pronounced so prophetically by Dora, is the model for the present
day surfer. "The deeds of the fathers are signs for their sons," we are
told. And truly, the surfer stands in many ways "beyond" the river, with
his back toward society, and his gaze upon the deep. Strengthened by his
faith that he is right , knowing that the whole world has lost it. We have
only Dora to thank for again reminding us of our unique heritage and
intrinsic connection with a force unchanged since the first days of
creation.
