ABSTRACT
This chapter explores multiple themes relating to the digitalisation and globalisation of information. The focus of the chapter is the surfcasting website Magicseaweed. Magicseaweed has emerged as one of the world’s foremost surf forecasting websites, with over 2 million unique users per year. The ability to see the quality of the surf at any particular surfing break has profoundly impacted on the way that surfers engage with the activity of surfing, affecting a surfer’s transportation plans, energy use and fundamental engagement with the surfing experience. Moreover, the chapter explores Magicseaweed’s evolution from simple forecasting platform to a globally interactive forum and the impact this has on surf culture and surf community. These insights relate directly to the relationship between surfing and sustainability as information mediums reorganise social space and represent a transition in the way that surfers and broader Magicseaweed users interact with the natural environment.
