Why I think it’s important to do a documentary about gay surfers

“Surfing is the feeling of being part of a natural world where there are no divisions such as those existing on land. These moments provide an escape for me, a private act of defiance against a system that thrives on fear and control.

Surfing has no structure. There is no body of rules and regulations. There is no ball to hit down a fairway. Surfing is all rough – everything is out of bounds. We have no lanes, no lines, no nylon nets to limit our expression. We are not aiming for par and are not aiming to beat someone.”

As a surfer I embrace these beliefs, eloquently expressed by Shaun Tomson. Being part of a natural world. Moving away from a system that thrives on fear and control, with nothing to limit our expression.
As a gay man I am moved by these words. Knowing there should be no body of rules and regulations; that my goal is not to achieve par or beat someone. My goal is simply to create a world where there are no divisions such as those that define gay men and women with limited knowledge or insight.
I am a surfer. I am a gay man. I am a son, a brother, a marketing executive, an American Airlines platinum card member and a sucker for action movies with lots of explosions. All are part of me, none are definitive summaries of who I am.
Through Gay Surfers I have met teachers, photographers, astrophysicists, architects, carpenters, Internet entrepreneurs and many more individuals. Each of them also sons, daughters, friends, leaders, brothers, sisters, caregivers, people who make the world a better place. They are active, energized people who have rejected fear and control, in favor of defining new boundaries. They are surfers. They are Out in the Lineup.