Trident cannot quite recall when Black Friday actually became a thing in South Africa. Nor can we actually recall the annual date of Black Friday. Although logic dictates it’s a Friday (but don’t hold us to that.) Nonetheless, we all know what this auspicious day holds in store – some half hearted discounts, and people stampeding in Checkers like a herd of wildebeest spotting a drooling lion. Fun times. And to our knowledge, all of this madness occurs this Friday.
Black Friday has something to do with the weekend or something after Thanksgiving in the States. Although said event should just involve some sweet deals on deflated Swiss Balls and plastic braai grids and such, all hell tends to break out at large department stores. Anyhow, South Africans don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, unless it’s a vague prayer of thanks that your car wasn’t stolen during your last surf. Yet somehow, we too have been sucked into this whirlwind of greed, capitalism and discounts on last year’s waffle iron model.
Yet, Trident believes this day can really hold value for us surfers. We just need to view Black Friday through a slightly different lens. Indeed, Trident is suggesting instead of crass materialism and greed, we approach surfing as if we were allowing for some specials for Black Friday (and beyond). So here goes our magnanimity:
Number 1: Every surfer gets a wave.
Dear Reader, you’ll quickly see a theme in this Top Five list. Namely, these specials shouldn’t only apply on Black Friday. But that’s up to you dear Reader; use – don’t use. Anyway. This one is easy, and really should apply to every surf. Why shouldn’t every surfer out there each get at least one wave? Perhaps even a handful of waves? Why not even more waves than that? Who says you deserve more waves than others, ‘coz you can put it on the rail and shout at groms? Skill and experience may be important, but that’s not to say the less skilled and/or experienced shouldn’t get a turn in the queue. Unless they ride a SUP or some other equal crime against nature. But that goes without saying.
Number 2: Two surfs for the price of one.
Many surfers opt for two, even three sessions per day. However, for most of us, who work, go to school, study – or sloth professionally find fitting in one surf session in a day tricky, let alone two or more. So, around the weekend of Black Friday, Trident declares all surfers must surf more than one session a day. For how long this applies is up to the individual. Or how long their employer will tolerate said double or triple session nonsense before canning their slacker butt. Then they’ll have all the time in the world for multiple sessions daily.
Number 3: Cheering for every surfer on every wave, regardless of skill and wave quality.
Whether it’s whistling, hooting, cheering, a ticker tape parades, a brass band, a slow clap, a flash mob dance (is that even a thing these days?), or singing Queen’s “We are the Champions” off-key (or here’s something cool – getting the whole lineup to do the “We Will Rock you” clap), on Black Friday show the lineup around you some love. Even if the surfer you’re cheering on surfs with all the finesse of a zombie freshly resurrected from the dead, everyone deserves a hero’s reception this Black Friday.
Number 4: Letting a few waves go.
Sure, you can argue this is similar to the first point. But no – Trident is going one step even further here – and saying even if a wave is by rights yours – let a few of them go. Show some generosity for once, you entitled egotistical doos.
Number 5: Being thankful for surfing itself.
Just look around you bru. Look at the sea, the sun; the beautiful, strange, or even downright terrifying creatures around you. (Nooit bru, we mean like sharks and stuff, not Ogre, the heavy, cross-eyed local with the sloping forehead and only one brain hemisphere.) How wonderful is it to simply sit on your board and take in the glory of the natural world around you? So do this all the time, but start this Black Friday. And be thankful for this gift every time you paddle out, you entitled egotistical doos.
