The North Shore is pretty famous for its localism. Like most other things in life, though, that localism is heavily dependent on how non-locals act. Be kind to get kindness, right? And on the North Shore, there is one surname that is synonymous with localism: Rothman. Of course, it’s not even close to how it used to be on the North Shore. The days of the Black Shorts and the Wolf Pak handing out cracks in the water and on the beach are pretty much over, but there’s still a hint of it out there. More so than in places like Malibu, that’s for sure.
A few years ago, Eddie Rothman was kind enough to let me into his house with a camera. He was surprisingly nice, considering all the things I’d heard about him. We had a very good, extraordinarily interesting conversation in which Eddie told me a lot of things, but half an hour after we finished, my phone rang. It was Eddie. “My lawyer told me you can’t use any of that,” he growled. Which was disappointing, but understandable. We talked a bit about localism in that conversation, and although Eddie himself is a transplant to Hawaii, his take on it was similar to Koa’s in the video above.
“If a lot of people are coming to your home place, locals will regulate the surf spots,” he explained. ‘They’re going to take waves from people. They’re going to drop in on people. Especially if they’re not super nice or respectful. North Shore is definitely known for its localism, dating all the back to my dad and Black Shorts — the Da Hui — keeping order in the lineup.”
While localism certainly has its drawbacks, there is something to be said for it. Without it, according to Koa, the North Shore could become more like Malibu or Snapper Rocks. That point of view, however, ignores a glaringly obvious fact: the Gold Coast and California have way, WAY more people. But still, I get where Koa’s coming from. The North Shore attracts a whole pile of surfers, all looking to taste some of that famous Hawaiian juice.
“A place like here,” Koa continues, “if it’s not localized you’re not going to get any waves as a local. People just come in and they will take waves from you. If you’re not assertive and being dominant with where you’re from and where you are, you’ll never get waves.”
