People, families, communities and even nations assess, legislate and engage risk differently.
When Australian Steve Cooney was first filmed surfing Uluwatu Bali, in 1971 for the film “Morning of the Earth”. The local Balinese viewed the ocean as the domain of evil spirits. A dangerous place where dark forces lurked. A stark contrast to Steve’s view at the time as a 14 year old there enjoying the pioneering of a new surfing location far away from home.
Still today, many people around the world view and engage the the ocean and its risks cautiously.
Trips to Japan and Taiwan over the last decade has given me opportunity to see glimpses of different cultures attitudes towards the ocean.
Japan, with a long history of tsunami’s and typhoons have what Wikipedia claims to be nearly 50 percent of their 35,000 kilometers (22,000 mi) of coastline covered or somehow altered by Tetrapods and other forms of concrete. Staggering!
Their own concrete armour wall to minimise the risk to property and life that the ocean presents.
In Taiwan, risk and the ocean is managed by local coast guards, who have the power to close beaches should they deem conditions unsafe. Such as when a typhoon is nearby. Unfortunately those days can often coincide with when the surf is pumping. Ouch!
Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Japan are just a few examples of different cultures and societies views of the ocean, and ways they manage the risks associated with engaging it.
When learning to surf what you have been told about the ocean and it’s risks are inherently part of the process of entering the ocean and catching your first waves.
Out of all the learn to surf images that I have seen, there is one from Taiwan that endures for me because it was so different to any others I had seen at that time. The image is of a young kid learning to surf with a life jacket and a helmet! Similar to this image here.
I was surprised at the time I saw it, and I don’t know whether the kid wanted or needed the life jacket and helmet or whether it was an insurance requirement. But risk was certainly being mitigated regardless of why these items were being worn.
So when we received a bunch of soft surf helmets, that image reminded me of some people we know in Taiwan who said they would be happy to receive them and use them in their learn to surf activities. We were stoked that there will be some kids that will feel far safer learning to surf risk free with a helmet on, then without.