“You’re semi-evil. You’re quasi-evil. You’re the margarine of evil. You’re the Diet Coke of evil.” -@waves_freaks_tubes
The Internet is one heck of a playground for creative types. The ability to instantly share words, images and video instantaneously is still as fascinating as ever. For those of us in the surfing community it’s like a giant digital newspaper with familiar sections: Politics (surf industry/sponsor updates), Sports (WSL/WQS/regional/fringe results), Public Interest (environmental), Advertising (product endorsements), Weather Forecasts (swell alerts and follow up awe-inspiring footage) and then of course we have the “Funnies.”
While funny and the Internet go hand-in-hand, surfers can sometimes (fairly) be accused of taking themselves…a little too seriously. For those of us who use Instagram as the online fix of all things surf, there is some relief coming from a handful of dedicated accounts that help us laugh at our infatuation. Whether it’s our obsession with riding waves ourselves or poking fun at the surfers we adore, it’s all entertaining.
These accounts have a simple premise: Take the plethora of surf-related images available on the internet and hack them to create something new. The objective is to produce something funny or unexpected. Some are so good that the comments sections cry ‘Fake!’ or ‘Photoshopped!’ which suggests we’re not all ready for a laugh. Kelly Slater himself occasionally uses images from these accounts for his own Instagram profile, so check these out and for crying out loud, loosen up a little, people.
As the name suggests, this account targets WSL surfers with face-swaps, bobble-heads and the best picture of a fat Taj Burrow known to man.
@waves_tubes_freaks – aka WTF –
This IG offers a hilariously skewed view of the surfing world. Touting the tag-line of “Heavily hacked, surf-related eye-candy for your viewing pleasure,” this account offers surf-heritage mash-ups, movie/celebrity tie-ins and a broad-range of wave-riding ridiculousness.
“Fake Surf News” fills this feed. A mix of funny photo shop jobs with obviously twisted headlines like “@john_john_florence has just become 12x World Champion at age 42.”
Unapologetically focused on Kelly Slater, you’re not likely to be fooled by anything here but you’re very likely to smile.
