History

Because the alt.surfing newsgroup is a distributed, worldwide system with somewhat transient information, there really is no single repository capturing its essence. Compiling the history of the newsgroup has been doubly challenging because how each person perceives the group varies tremendously. Here's our best stab at highlighting the history of this unique media.

Up front, some disclaimers need to be addressed: Many threads spawn similar threads--the most relevant one tried to be chosen. While Google has the most extensive archive of posts, it does not have all posts submitted to alt.surfing, especially pre-1996. One neat thing is that the old Deja and Dejanews links still work in Google! The Wayback Machine is also quite incomplete, taking snapshots of the Web, but it's a great resource nonetheless.

Graphics key:

-- link to post/thread from Google
-- link to website
-- link to a website via the Wayback Machine
-- link to stored txt file post

1990

1991

APR -- rec.surfing is requested (another ng)
JUL -- Early post with description of alt.surfing as it exists today (another ng)
AUG -- Scott Thomas suggests that people post surf reports. Lud talks about his post
AUG -- About Bells Beach and about Ludwig Omachen
AUG -- Tim Berners-Lee announces the World Wide Web project (another ng)

1992

MAY -- The floodgates are opened as AOL gains access to USENET (another ng)
SEP -- Surf forecasting information from Lud

1993

MAR/APR -- The first World Surf Day is coordinated , the report format set , then run on April 3, 1993
APR -- Tim Maddux's very first post
MAY -- A proposed "How to Surf" FAQ
AUG -- One of Fang's (aka Nancy Jean Travis) first posts
OCT -- The original "Surf Rat Diaries" posted by Leo Dagum

1994

MAY -- One of Tom Tweed's first posts
AUG -- An old, reposted "fibreglass repair FAQ" from '94
SEP -- World Surf Day 94 is coordinated
NOV -- Bill Morris talks (a little) about his book, "Stoked!"
DEC -- Explanation on the demise of SurfNet (the first surfing website)

1995

Enter the Sandman (angry Washingtonian)
JAN -- The La Jolla Surfing website comes online, with lots of content from alt.surfing
MAR -- World Surf Day 1995 announcement
MAR -- Yearning for the "good old days" 1
JUN -- jb's (aka tbone's) first known post
JUL -- sponge's HI Surf Advisory website is launched
SEP -- Mountain Man explains about his Global Oceanic Surf Links website

1996

JAN-- Foondoggy, one of the best and most prolific writers, joins the fray
JAN -- Sandman creates the alt.surfing flame form
MAY -- "SurferBob gives his take on artificial reefs
JUN -- Cyberkahuna starts pissing people off with his surf cams--Jeff spouts
AUG -- "Surf Rat Diaries, Part 2" posted by Leo Dagum
SEP -- Fred the Pup talks to a pelican (lol!!!)
SEP -- Stephen "Da Hulk" Hull posts the Camper's Manifesto
NOV -- Surfer Bob distinguishes the Green Room from the Green Veranda
DEC -- Rick C. hates the Macarena
DEC -- Best Surfs of 1996

1997

JAN -- The alt.surfing FAQ is first announced by Ric Harwood
FEB -- Surffohio makes an alt.surfing trivia game
MAR -- "You know it's a big swell..." thread
MAR -- World Surf Day 1997 (archived by Tim Maddux)
JUN -- Snapshot of Yahoo's Recreation/Sports/Surfing page
SEP -- "Sandman and Foondoggy visit Neal Miyake" (series)
OCT -- "The Legend of Manresa Murph" is posted by Stephen "Da Hulk" Hull
DEC -- Cortical makes Surfer mag
DEC -- Best Surfs of 1997

1998

JAN -- The faces are revealed by Cam's alt.surfing Crew page (then abused elsewhere)
JAN -- Rell Sunn passes; alt.surfing mourns
FEB -- Mike Sepulveda asks for a free surfboard (again and again and again)
MAR -- Joe Jonak pimps the "JoeCaddy". It is immediately dubbed the Surf Rickshaw
MAR -- "Captain of the Team" quiz by sponge
APR -- "In God's Hands" opens in theaters. Most as'ers don't like it
APR -- World Surf Day/Week 1998 (archived by Stephen "Da Hulk" Hull)
MAY -- jb tells Fang to "bake some cookies." She drops out soon after.
MAY -- Bud Williams gets serious with his HTML and starts "Bud's Surfing Life"
MAY -- SharkPOD-mania hits a fevered pitch as accusations get slung against Jim Morris
JUN -- sponge's "20 Questions" poll reveals more about the personalities
AUG -- Close Encounters of the alt.surfing kind begins
SEP -- Peter Watkinson fractions alt.surfing by creating alt.surfing.europe and other regional groups
SEP -- Mr. Third Person, Carson, comes onboard
OCT -- GEO sings to Foon, who promptly picks up his marbles and leaves
OCT -- Gleshna suggests a shark scarecrow
NOV -- Ben Blake (aka Whirlawhip) joins the lineup
NOV -- Mick Evans reports that Bob Gleshna is dead
NOV -- The infamous alt.sports.gymnastics pantyraid
NOV -- Missy of alt.sports.gymnastics reports that Bob is alive and well
DEC -- The jb/Carson feud begins
DEC -- "Best Alt.Surfing Post of 1998" thread
DEC -- Best Surfs of 1998

1999

MAR -- Fergie apologizes for accidentally posting an (interesting) image to the group
APR -- World Surf Day 1999 (archived by Mark Sisom)
MAY -- SurfGEO speaks of "Jap'ing longboarders"
MAY -- Cyberkahuna goes to WindanSea to talk about putting a cam up
MAY -- "A schism in alt.surfing" is suggested by Surff
JUL -- "Ripples," a surf epic, is posted
JUL -- Foondoggy throws down the ultimate ruse with "In Search of the Sandman" , Mrs2, Mrs3, Mrs4, Mrs5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, reviews
JUL -- Troll Jackson Eskew says goodbye to alt.surfing
AUG -- A thread with some decent discussion on the history of alt.surfing
SEP -- Guidopalooza 99 goes off at Hatteras (by M@rk)
OCT -- "The Emerald Planet" is posted by the Mountain Man
NOV -- Boolahulaking insults Texans, and SurfGEO threatens
NOV -- Foon@50 Tour--Island Odyssey 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
DEC -- Best Surfs of 1999
DEC -- The alt.surfing Hub is announced

2000

2001

JAN -- Oregon Local (aka Clay) arrives; Clay compliments EB; Flek detects Clay and EB come from the same ISP
FEB -- Google acquires Deja archive
APR -- World Surf Day 2001 (compiled into one post by Dan King)
JUL -- Mountain Man defines the all-powerful Huey
JUL -- Kira talks about the death of husband Clay
AUG -- The Hawaiian contingent hook up with Wavslav
SEP -- Kira Riley-Fubuki laments husband Clay's death and admits to carrying Clay's baby
OCT -- Guidopalooza 2001 goes at Hatteras (by Rod Rodgers)
OCT -- Marty's Golden Wave by Surf Dope (7 parts)
NOV -- Flame Warrior link describe the crew
DEC -- sponge solicits help (again) for the AS History page
DEC -- Tim Maddux visits Ocean Beach

2002

JAN -- ASKOTY01: Nominations, Second Nomination--Carson
JAN -- Miki Dora passes; alt.surfing doesn't care much
FEB -- alt.surfing legend Will Borgeson passes; Surfer Bob eulogizes
MAR -- Bill Andrews rants on video: 1, 2, 3, 4
DEC -- ASKOTY02: Nominations, Vote, Winner--Alvin Donovan

SurffOhio's remaining suggestions

When the So. Cal crew entered the scene. It would be Airey, Dagum, Borgenson, Rick C. and who else?
John Airey was nicknamed "Blowtorch Airey". His inception date with a blowtorch graphic?
Tom Tweed interviewed by Surfer Mag. (could not find--nm)
Rick C's inception date, and a Wedge graphic.
Tom Tweed's being the Guardian of netiquette.
Mountain Man and his web page.
When Hotcakes entered the scene. A hot chick graphic?

Rick Ciaccio's remaining suggested threads

the donkey callin the chicken longears and Windswell by the sea, report
Geriatric surfers who still surf
Wedge 7/25-- big, sick and over 1,000 people...
Ricky and Timmy, legendary disco queens
H.B. Surf Contest - Slater ditches board... surfs barefoot!
apologies to Mr. Morris, and another observation, heh, heh, heh
Me and the Pt. Dume Boys
Hey Nazi breath - Cancel your application...
How do you duck-dive a rubber duckie?
Standups vs. Maggots and Half-Men
Hunger in the lineup (was Re: etiquette dilemma)
Well No, Ms Travis, it's Not like riding a bicycle.
Robert Kieffer creates Off The Lip page
the infamous flame wars between Hotcakes, Rick C. and the Sandman
Surffohio's first goofy apology to the group for someone else

Neal's remaining suggestions

alt.surfer of the year awards
San Onofre get together
Foondoggy at 50 tour
Tom Keener's Four Points bike tour
Polls
Press releases anyone?
Dot-com demise
Ben Rak--Israel
Jose on Pratte's Reef
Clay and Kira married
Something on Keener
Something on Fang
Something on Flek
Johnny Appleseed surf tour -- Denny Waller
Malcolm Gault-Williams