Semester at Sea Fall
2006 Voyage 
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Engulfed in Wakkiki
By Preston Price
I spent most of the day on Wakkiki beach in
Hawaii,
and it was an enormous amount of fun. The beach area was
beautiful with clear shallow waters, although it was cramped with the
masses of people. Being an amature surfer I was pleased with the
circumstances of having small steady waves, believing it was ideal
conditions for beginner surfers. My up close observation took
place in the water where I experienced the anthropological technique of
participant observation in becoming one with in the surfing
community. I rented out a surfing board for about an hour and
attempted to enter the surfing world. The competition was very
chaotic, with so many people trying to catch the same small wave.
It was a constant struggle trying to keep from getting hit by other
surfers as well as dodging others when I attempted to catch a
wave. Being in the mix of things gave me a true feeling for what
it is like to be in the inside world of surfing. Stereotypically,
one usually thinks surfers are a laid back and chilled out kind of
people. However, the unexpected chaos gave me a better idea of
what it really means to fight for a wave.When I decided to call it quits, I returned to sitting on the beach and observing from an outsider’s point of view. This became my zoom out version of the event scene. I saw things in a new light, which was more peaceful and easier for me to take observations of the whole scenario. I soon noticed that the surfers were grouped in clusters that covered very small areas of the ocean. This led me to conclude a bizarre comparison. To me, the masses of surfers appeared from a distance to be like a flock of birds resting on the surface of the water forming unusually tight groupings. I thought this symbolical comparison was simply hilarious because it made brought to my attention that regardless of being more intelligent or having a more intricate culture, we humans are ultimately just another animal.