Abstract
In surfing culture, which is characterized as an escapist and resistant culture, surfers have actively developed social movements for social change. However, conflicts arise between surfers and other stakeholders when they advocate for environmental conservation. When surfers advocate for environmental conservation, what causes the conflict between surfers and other stakeholders, and what logic is behind the conflict?
Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the discussions between surfers, local residents, and experts regarding the environmental conservation movement by surfers, and to clarify the difficulties and possibilities of the movement by surfers themselves. Taking Ichinomiya Town as a case study, the paper will focus on the “Ichinomiya Attractive Coast Creation Conference.”
The analysis in this article reveals the difficulties that surfers face when advocating for environmental conservation in their communities. Surfers are positioned in a double distinction from local residents and professional knowledge due to the historical background of surfing culture's association with resistance, and the experiential knowledge derived from physical sensations brought about by immersion in the ocean. Thus, surfers were doubly misaligned, making their claims difficult to be heard by local residents and experts.
In addition, it can be confirmed that surfers' social movements triggered by their physical experiences through “play” have the potential to update the knowledge of experts. This paper is significant in that it reveals the difficulties surfers face when they develop social movements, as well as the possibility of being involved in the shifting scientific knowledge.
