Liquid lifestyles, mobile dreams. The threefold liquidity of a surfer-traveller lifestyle

ABSTRACT

This article studies three key liquidities of a surfer-traveller lifestyle. The first liquidity is mobility, or the ‘fluid’ nature of the lifestyle, following Bauman’s analysis of liquid modernity. The second liquidity is water: waves and sea. The third liquidity refers to oil, the ‘lifeblood’ of mobility. The analysis is based on 20 thematic life story interviews with Finnish surfer-travellers who lead a highly mobile lifestyle, one that often involves flying to distant surf locations. The results reveal that the three liquidities intertwine and blend in complex ways. Surfing deepens surfer-travellers’ relationship with water, which enhances their understanding of ecological issues. Surfer-travellers largely desire to continue travelling, and their relationship with ecological issues is ambivalent, but they often also seek ways to compensate for their individual ecological footprint. Furthermore, many of them engage in various forms of environmental activism. The findings are connected with issues of sustainability in surfing and mobilities.

KEYWORDS:

• Surfing
• travel
• mobility
• liquid modernity
• oil
• sustainability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Oskar Öflunds Stiftelse (2016); Finnish Youth Research Society (2016); Finnish Cultural Foundation (2021).

Notes on contributors

Mikko Piispa

Mikko Piispa is a doctoral student at the University of Helsinki Doctoral School in Humanities and Social Sciences. He has a master's degree in social science. He is currently conducting research on political participation of youth in climate issues and is working on his PhD thesis on the mobile lifestyles of Finnish youth. Piispa has worked at the Finnish Youth Research Network on various research projects.