Stereotypes Essays (1501 words) - Sports, Individual Sports

Stereotypes In Sports People today stereotype skaters and surfers as lazy, no good potheads. I would have to dissagree with that statement. Police harrass skaters for skating in parking lots and on the streets of their towns. It is like the police think that they are going to do more than skate. It is the same with surfers, people think they do not hold jobs, their lazy, and all that they do is smoke pot. Those things are (for the most part) not true. In my paper I will give three examples of people that do not live this stereotype; however, they have actually become pillars of the community. In addition to their community stature they also have become idols to thousands of children across the world. Surfing is an ancient sport first practiced by Hawaiian kings. Early surfers rode 14 to 18 foot wooden boards that weighed over 150 pounds (Tomalin1). Duke Kahanamoka introduced surfing to the United States in 1912 (Weir3). If you asked someone who is the father of surfing, they would probably say, "Duke who?" But mention Kelly Slater and they will not stop talking. Robert Kelly Slater was born February 11, 1912 in Cocoa Beach Florida (Tomlin1). He went to high school and actually graduated. The reason I say this is because most people like Kelly (surfers knowing they are going to go professional) never graduate high school. Kelly grew up in Florida all his life. He was a local hero in central Florida, because everyone knew he was destined to make it as a professional surfer (Tee Interview). From 1992 thru 1994 Kelly placed first in the Maui Pro, second in the Maui Masters, and third place in the Rip Curl Pro, the Chiemesee Pipe Masters, and the Gotcha Lacanau Pro (Solano1). In 1995 he, from surfing alone, made 57,750 dollars (Solano1). Kelly won four world titles by 1996, one in 1992, 1994, 1995, and again in 1996 (Solano1). In 1996 Kelly was a busy boy, he won his fourth world title as well as 50% of his WCT Tournaments; moreover Kelly collected over 300, 895 dollars in prize money alone. In 1997 he won 446,295 dollars in eleven events(Solano2). Kelly has brought so much popularity to the sport that it may even be a sport at the 2000 Olympic Summer Games. Surfing is not the only thing this master of the "green room" is involved with. He was featured on "Baywatch" from 1992-1993 as Jimmy Slade (Tomlin4). He has also been in numerous surfing videos. Kelly has been in surfer Magazine's : Island Voyage(1995), Pacific Rim (1995), Velocity (1995), Voluptous (1996), and On Edge (1996) (Salano5). Kelly also has his own band called "The Surfers". "The Surfers" consist of Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, and Peter King (Sullivan118). Kelly is also an owner of a longboard/skateboard company "Sector 9" based in Florida. At the "Longboard House" in Indialantic Beach, Florida they sell on average four "Sector 9's" daily (Tee Interview). Which comes out to over 480 dollars a day. The reason Florida has the biggest "Sector 9" sales, is because it is very flat there, and flat ground is the best surface for Longboards (Tee). They are made for crusing up and down the boardwalks and side streets on your way to the beach. Kelly also owns a surfboard shaping company. It specializes in shaping "fish". Fish are no bigger than five and a half feet. Ron Jon's (a well known surf shop) carries Kelly's boards more than any other brand, and Ron Jon's happens to be the world's largest surf shop chains. So you see how popular his boards are. Kelly has to be the most successful surfer-businessmen out there today. In-line skating is big and bigger than it has ever been. Among the 6 to 17 year old crowd, only soccer and basketball are more popular athletic activities (O'Conner 1). "In the skating world I'm extremely famous and it feels cool," says 23 year old Arlo Eisenberg (O'Conner1). Arlo has been called the Michael Jordan of agressive in-line skating. If every sport has to have it's idols, then put Arlo Eisenberg at the top of the in-line skaters list. This Dallas native has been in a countless number of in-line skating videos and featured on in-line skating magazine covers. Arlo started skating at the age of fourteen and never once looked back. Throughout the country at exhibitions, competitions, apperances - wherever he is around a skating crowd- he gets the full star treatment. Name chanting, autograph hounding, worshipful gazes, the whole bit.