I recently made a mistake. I took a photo at a spot in Santa Cruz and posted it on our WY Instagram account. I didn’t name the spot, but I did say it was a wave that rarely breaks in Santa Cruz. And the photo tells exactly where the wave is. Then came the comments…

Thanks What Youth for exposing a wave that breaks once in 5 years! They said.

Some made E- Appointments to surf the wave with their friends by tagging them.

Then one local said, “Just so everyone knows. Come surf here and I’ll burn you into the rocks!”

Which got me thinking. Yes, I may have fucked up in some people’s eyes by posting a photo of a wave that has been published in magazines and newspapers for decades. And sorry for exposing the spot, boys.

But I’d like to think that if I did send any unwanted kooks to this spot, that they will get burned into the rocks. A kook is a kook. And just because I’m a kook by announcing to the world that this wave is breaking, doesn’t mean kooks will paddle out and take over this wave. The locals here are a tight group of guys that will break your fins out and cut your leash with a swiss army knife they have tucked into their wetsuit if you don’t go about it all the right way.

I have faith in localism still, even if I am a kook now.—Nate