Some of you may be aware of the controversy surrounding the Nelscot Reef Surf Contest. Not being a local down there, I've never offered an opinion other than I think tow-in surfing is largely bullshit. Anyway, some of the same people behind that contest now want to bring a giant action sports complex and resort to Portland as part of the proposed redevelopment of Portland's Rose Quarter. Sounds like a total fucking nightmare to me. But great material for foulweather #4 which will be addressing the nature of 'play' in modern society.Dear Action Sports NW,
You should know such a facility is the antithesis to how many of us Oregonians participate in 'action sports.' There is no need for an all-in-one/ one-stop artificial sanitized convenience store for the activities we live for. We don't want to pay to play. We don't want set hours in a for-profit private facility. We don't mind searching, waiting and working hard for our waves and bowls. We don't need a Seagaia in Portland. It is an insult to how we approach 'adventure' as ludicrous as skiing in Dubai. Furthermore, it can never be a fully sustainable project, like you propose. To be fully sustainable, just don't bother. Lend a hand with some DIY bowl builds, help keep our rivers, beaches, coast and mountains clean and accessible. Otherwise, I wish this project nothing but failure. I will be sure to organize my thoughts more thoroughly when I contact the city to object to such a monstrosity. Simply put, we don't need an eXtreme $tarbuck$. We champion individual initiative, DIY and the spirit of true adventure.
I wouldn't wish this horror on the suburbs of Sacramento, where it just might fit in. If you think Portland is the ideal place for such a facility, you've greatly misunderstood our city and state.
To the rest of Portland, let's insist this space is a commercial free, public space open to all.
