Is Surfing The Purest Form Of Capitalism? - Stab Mag

Episode 3 of EAST with Harry Bryant is LIVE, presented by Kona Big Wave and Vans.

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Is Surfing The Purest Form Of Capitalism?

The rich eat, the poor get eaten with Cam Richards.

cinema // Jul 25, 2025
Words by Pedro Ramos
Reading Time: < 1 minute

In a less-than-confidential tone, a former bottom-third CT surfer told me he felt he had a hall pass to burn people — because surfing was his job, and only their hobby.

With $100k within reach, Rasta Robb did not think twice about burning a pedestrian surfer at Scripps Beach to see himself through the fourth of seven qualifying challenges of Surf100 presented by Pacifico, the beer waiting to be discovered. Pacifico. Drink responsibly.

Pulling the “worker coming through” card seems to serve pro surfers in crowded lineups better than it should, with relative impunity.

Purely speculative, but could Cam Richards have kept himself in Surf100 that day had he employed Mr. McCormick’s tactics?

Cam’s recent incursion into Mexico has produced two clips, titled Raw Session: Empty Mexican Point Break and Surfing Crowded Right Point Break in Mexico.

It’s unclear whether Cam faded any overworked individuals during their annual leave, but from where we’re sitting — and judging by the South Carolinian’s wave count in both sessions — “crowded” and “uncrowded” seem like inconsequential descriptors when you possess wave-riding ability much superior to that of the gen pop.

Perhaps this is simply the natural order of things. Surfing may dress itself in boardshort egalitarianism, but at the end of the day, pros get sets while amateurs wait their turn like they’re in a bakery queue, only to be told, “We’re out of bread.”

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