SW: There has been a time when there was a sense of quite a bit of rivalry between teams. Do you feel that is the case now? If so, do you feel this is a positive or negative thing? If you feel like it, please elaborate.
Although many teams have their Team 'shouts' that they like to use during comps, it appears to me that all the teams are very friendly to one another. Since the focus of teams in SLSA is to rank them according to best member performance, you would have to expect some rivalry. But that doesn't stop the members from being friendly towards others.
i haven't noticed a whole lot of rivalry.. i don't really see teams besides tags and rooting from team mates.. but everyone roots for everyone for the most part..
Don't feel the rivalry too much. The bantering can easily annoy some. Team Surfcrazy celebrates SURFING and the joining of the tribes SLSA style :)
no, teams are groups of friends, all part of surfing family in SL.
The rivalry I see now is nothing but friendly. I don't see anyone letting the air out of anyone's tires, or egging another team's HQ (actually that'd sounds kind of fun!), or badmouthing other teams. I get the feeling that team affiliations mean little anyway--everyone seems to surf for the SLSA.
I dont see why it would be a bad thing, it just gives people another reason to try and better themselves. Competition is healthy :)
I feel there is NOT ENOUGH competitiveness. There is no buzz, there is no story lines, there is no "positive drama" (negative drama is well ... fighting, sarcasm, etc etc .. the bad stuff) , there is no team pressure to do well against other teams, there is no hype, there is no supporters, no title races.
The Hall of Fame I think is funny because, while I am not in it, 80% - 90% of SL SA surfers are. There is no value in it if everyone becomes a Hall of Famer. Some perhaps become multiple entry Hall of Famers, but, come on ... its like a diluted currency, no value.
Competition is needed to be stronger. Competition is needed to create a buzz. Competition can create a strong following if it is dramatized and leveraged throughout SL. It creates something interesting and it will bring traffic.
Competition will make better surfers. Competition will result in better surf boards. Glorifying this competition will attract people in SL to SL SA.
Look at ESPNs coverage of NFL, NBA, College sports , there is so much hype and stories and drama as a result, people are hooked.
Look at the English Premier League soccer. IT is CRAP compared to the Spanish and Italian and Brazilian leagues. England has a CRAP national soccer team. But English Premier League has the strongest global following. Because it is MARKETED brilliant and the story lines are AMAZING.
"Media Coverage" is important and I feel , Surf Watch and other sources should start drumming up the story lines and the buzz.
This is something that is missing and could possibly generate more traffic and interest.
How about giving it a go to see? Can't hurt to try? :)
I can't speak for the current moment, but one of the reasons I was majorly turned off of comps was the so-called "friendly rivalries". Teams would sabotage other teams (tapping boards / waves in an organized way), tag opposing beaches with their colors (leaving calling cards or other scripted objects), and create hostile environments for opposing teams. It also created a strange dynamic where team members were also judges in comps, and that created an air of distrust. It also detracted from the social side of SL surfing. Several teams would suddenly stop talking when a rival member came onto "their beach". "Trade secrets" were not shared, and the only way to figure out how to do things was to literally spy on other people, see them do it, and then figure it out yourself. The "fluffy hop" comes to mind, in which instead of bringing it up for the group it was handled as if it were nuclear secrets, and it became a bigger mess than it needed to be.
The reason I stopped surfing in SLSA comps is competely different, and has no bearing on this discussion, but the "team" aspect was a big part of that.}
I don't think it's the case now. That or I haven't really noticed it, lol. But I have seen the case of competitive streaks coming from individuals, mainly pertaining their scores. I think as the whole team rivalry thing, I don't really see anyone scratching someone's eyes out because their team scored higher. As individual surfing, it looks like a different story. I think everyone has a different outlook when surfing in competitions which makes it more of an interesting bunch. I think when it comes down to it, everyone should just have fun. Competition is fine, as long as you take it with grace.
Again,being absent for a whole season ,I cant say what the rivalry's like now,but it used to be hectic when I was there, and I think most other people from all teams loved and thrived on the rivalry, but it was all meant in fun, never got nasty like someone trying to tie a lead weight under another teams board (winks) hmmmm
The rivalry was as much a fun part of comps as the actual competing to me,gave us all a laugh,and it didn't matter which team you were on ,if you (or another team) won,we all cheered just as loud as if it were one of our own,and thats a special kind of sportsmanship,one that shouldn't be lost.
For sure......defecately. Haters Gonna Hate....... LMAO
I believe that there is competition, but in a positive way. We compete, but we also root for each other. A good example is that Wicked and Kat are two of my favorite surfers and although they surf for another team, I still root for them. I can't forget that Wicked was one of the first people to welcome me and help me, when I first started competing. It didn't matter which team I was on, she just helped me and really cared.
(Editor's note: Stay tuned to SurfWatch for the final part of the SLSA Team Member Informal Survey!)
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