The new 09 Gear Guide issue of Transworld Surf sent Postsurf.com’s Lewis Samuels into a bit of a tailspin regarding the surf industry, advertising, publishing, and ultimately what will happen to surf publications when and if the economy recovers:
I’m tempted to believe that what surfers really want and need are waves – pictures of waves, insights about waves and surfers, thoughtful CONTENT that makes you excited to be a surfer. Even Transworld’s 14-year-old audience doesn’t want a catalog. They’re children, not morons. . . . Yes, the economy is fucked. The surf industry is crumbling. People will lose their jobs. I may lose my job, because of the garbage I write if not because of the economy. But I wonder… if people quit buying shit they don’t need because they’re broke, what will they do if they have money later on? Will they start buying useless crap again, or will they learn that consumer consumption isn’t the equivalent of happiness?
As funny as it is to see a buyer’s guide when no one is buying, we’re going to go with option one. People will always buy useless crap. It’s the American way.
[Link: Postsurf.com]
