Editor’s Note: Have a question for Dibi Fletcher? She’s definitely got answers. Or at least a perspective. Don’t hold back, shoot her a DM on Instagram and ask away. Here’s this week’s dispatch from the Matriarch of Radical…
Hey Dibi… What do you think about these wave pools opening up in Orange County?? Like steps away from the ocean? Do we need that? – Dangerous_Deeee
Hey Dangerous_Deeee… I have thought about it and from a business point of view it probably makes sense. You have a substantial user base in close proximity that I think is very difficult to create in areas that have no surf community. Wave pools are expensive to run, and I assume, difficult to maintain and that cost is passed on to the consumer which makes it cost prohibitive for the beginner who would have to spend a small fortune to get to the point of proficiency. Being in OC you have a couple of generations of consumers who grew up at the beach surfing and can buy a session with a few buddies. There are also other opportunities with companies who can afford to use the facilities for product research, events and other types of team get togethers. So do we need it? Who’s to say? As a viable business model, perhaps. Time will tell…
Hey Dibi… What do you think about 3I/Atlas? – Alien Traveler
Hey Alien Traveler… From what I’ve read regarding the interstellar object 3I/Atlas: it still seems to be creating debate about its several unusual traits, including a lack of tail after passing the Sun that would be a sign of a traditional comet, non-gravitational acceleration and sudden changes in brightness and color. It is expected to make its closest approach to Earth at 170 million miles distance around December 19, 2025, with astronomers using the most powerful telescopes, including the James Webb and Hubble to gather more data. Will we know then? I doubt it, I’m still trying to figure out the pyramids…
Hey Dibi.. It took me a bit to find your new Instagram account, me and a lot of my friends really enjoyed it your old one. You must have been pissed to lose it. What happened? – Socials Suck
Hey Socials Suck… I must admit I was annoyed, for about a minute. It took me a while to build a 400,000 + community, but in the scope of life’s bummers, it was trivial. I started a new account, and I figure it won’t take long for anyone who’s interested to rejoin @_dibifletcher_ and down the yellow brick road we go.
Related: Hey Dibi: If Surfing’s Supposed To Be Chill, Why’s Everyone So Angry?
Hey Dibi…Your family is pretty exceptional in the surf/skate arena. Do you think it’s nature or nurture? – Biology Major
Hey Biology Major…I’ve thought about it to the point of using #fletcherdna to describe what I called a “gene pool of cool”. But I think it probably has more to do with access. Neither of my sister’s kids surf, none of my cousins or their kids. My Dad & Uncle both surfed so it seems we were all exposed, but Herb and I were in the surf business, selling surfboards, surf traction and making surf movies so our kids hung out with all the greatest surfers, surfing the best breaks with state-of-the-art equipment. I do believe they’re naturally coordinated that is genetic, but had Herb been more into dirt biking as a career instead of as a hobbyist, I’m sure they would have probably pursued something more in the moto realm as that would have been the road of the least resistance.
Hey Dibi… I get that progression matters, but has chasing the next trick, killed the soul of the surf film? – Film Fan
Hey Film Fan… I think with the popularity of social media and the easy access to see the most awe-inspiring waves at the click of a mouse, has made the job of the new “surf film” maker a challenge to be a better storyteller. Technology has changed the old formula, like it changes everything and it’s an opportunity to dig deeper and offer something a 60 second action clip can only hint at. The heroes’ journey is a story always worth telling and surely there’s plenty of material in the surf community at large worth sharing in a long format.
