In 1999 Shawn Alladio formed a free web
advocacy service called ‘The Towsurfing Association’.
This came about for the Californian, Hawaiian, South African,
Tahitian, Portuguese, Brazilian and Australian athletes she
met at big wave surfing competitions she was hired to provide
the water safety management, friendships were made as trust
was earned. This became a grassroots compilation of many professional
athletes who were at the forefront of a revolution taking place
at big wave surfing locations. This new sport was experiencing
its first real growing pains. The original voluntary membership
was 56 members in 2000.
When towsurfing began to migrate as a sport, the migration brought with it
a new user group of PWC's enthusiasts who had little previous experience with
personal watercraft operations, rules and regulations. Alladio’s background
as a boating safety instructor, professional athlete and had been involved
with personal watercraft since 1979. She observed an entire new user group
creating a negative impact coming from another sport; surfing. The two sports
were about to collide, surfers were now entering a recreational boating activity,
there needed to be more awareness of responsible boating education. Unfortunately
in many areas, towsurfing or its offshoot sports have generated the waves of
change in the impact zone.
WHO
Paul “Pablo” Schulte
was one of these founding members. Paul Schulte was an ardent
paddle surfer at Mavericks, and made a decision to try out
towsurfing to get into the larger swells. Paul was in the
Underground, a core group of chargers who surfed big waves
before it became the scene. In 2000, he got together with
Davey Smith, John Tustin and Eric Akiskalian and a plan was
made to take a training course in Ventura. Pablo knew from
his professional super bike racing days, you build a team,
you do it right, and so he did. He and Davey have been tow
partners ever since. Nowadays, Davey and Pablo haunt the
central California coastline picking off their favorite hotspots.
WHAT
Safety, Education and Enforcement (S.E.E.)
are the means to secure the viability of this sport, especially
when user conflicts arise. 168 towsurfers came onboard in California
over the next few years to take K38 Water Safety courses for
Open Water Boat Rescue and Towsurfing Rules and Regulations,
setting the standard for PWC operations for the purpose of
towsurfing with a personal watercraft in practical applications.
Pablo became an instructor for the towsurfing courses held
in California, the best experience is the real world, and the
learning curve is less severe with guidance. Something we can
all appreciate firsthand as instructors, ‘been there,
done that’.
WHERE
K38 donated equipment and training
to others who had similar passion for stewardship, the big
wave locations worldwide were experiencing an explosion of
problems, these courses offered direction, leadership and
training in areas such as South Africa and the United Kingdom.
South Africa was the first region to experience a rapid and
negative impact from the migration of this seasonal sport
in just one season.
WHEN
The South Africans (TSSA) paved the
way for creating the first associate body that provided classroom
and practical instruction while governing their own membership
in an environmentally sensitive region. This began the trend
for other regions to begin addressing their own limitations
and to prompt the process of working with government intervention
or see their fledgling sport banned.
WHY
K38 originally extended over 140
scholarships to train towsurfers free of charge to assist
this community in saving lives and responsible use. Towsurfing
is an investment sport; it is not to be taken lightly. There
exist layers of responsibility and accountability issues
to multi task prior and while underway, it is a team activity,
not a solitary pursuit.
1-2-3
Those early days for the Towsurfing
Association email news alerts proved prophetic as the migratory
concerns revealed hot spots and community conflicts that
brought towsurfers together to form associate bodies worldwide
to work with government agencies and their compliance measures
as this new surfing activity merged with the boating community
into a viable sport, oftentimes reluctantly.
TowSurfingToday.com was the second developmental
level offered. This was a free internet news source for current
events, rules and regulations which took pertinent information
online and off the mailing list.
The third and final progression was due
to Paul Schulte’s guidance. Paul is the founder/owner
of Liquid Militia Core Wear and LQM Girl, and being an avid
surfer/towsurfer, he wanted to support the towsurfing community,
and thus TowSurfingJournal.com was created with a forum that
is direct, fun and loaded with personal histories and accounts.
It’s a place to tell your story, or enjoy someone else’s.
APPLY THE ALOHA SPIRIT LAW INTO DAILY
LIVING
The Aloha Spirit Law is
an actual law "on the books" in Hawai`i, encoded
in the Hawai`i Revised Statutes, section 5-7.5 and acknowledges
that The Aloha Spirit "was
the everyday philosophy of native Hawaiians that was adopted
by the many people whom have made Hawai`i their home today,
cause it fostered harmony between the various ethnicities
that make up Hawai`i.
All citizens and government officials of Hawai`i are obligated by law to conduct
themselves in accordance with this law, while performing their duties and obligations,
as well as in their day-to-day living. Likewise, those visiting our fair islands
are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with this Hawaiian law.
The Aloha Spirit elevates, empowers and
ennobles its people, and keeps Hawai`i the uniquely special place that it
is. The Aloha Spirit Law deserves our
unmitigated support and compliance. As a model law for the world, it can
serve the greatest number for its greatest good. [L 1986, c 202, §1]
THE WAVES OF CHANGE
Knowledge is a sacred trust; education and learning
have always been handed down from one generation to another through wise
counsel and appointments. No person can be taught anything unless they
have an open heart to learn, it takes desire, humility and a strong spirit
to accept change. That is what learning is all about, but it is a choice,
so choose well. Knowledge is perceived as power and power must be managed.
Surfing is a learning experience, every time you face the vast waters,
something stirs inside of you, it is a challenge, a fear and a test,
a spiritual journey, it can be anything you want it to be, even a negative
experience. Know Before You Tow.
Won’t you join is as guardians of
water safety, education and training to get the message out
about saving lives and enjoying the gifts that are given freely
from the Earth’s weather and waters? One world, one people
- watch your backside but never turn back - our future is our
past - we are guardians of the generations who come after us,
let us be responsible so we leave something worthy for their
enjoyment. Tell you story.
Remember: The Life You Save May Be Your
Own.
Semper Spero, (Me ke aloha o Hawai`i nei)
Shawn Alladio |
