Candidate Name: Solsty Kismet
SW: We understand you have announced your intent to run for SLSA Director this term. What qualifications, skills, competencies, traits, etc. would you bring as a director and why are you running?
SK: I am mostly running because I love the surfing community and see the SLSA as the backbone to that. Does that mean it’s perfect and that everyone loves SLSA? Of course not, that's not possible in any realm. But, I want to be part of the solutions to the problems, not part of the problems. I hope to take my RL legal and political background into the SLSA and maybe offer a fresh perspective to some of those issues. But more importantly, help to continue with the things that do work. Often times, we focus on the problems as the primary things and miss all the people working behind the scenes to make the good things continue. Surfing needs more people to step up and be a positive role model in the community. I cannot compete, due to RL obligations... so the least I can do is help elsewhere.
SW: What areas of improvement do you currently see for the SLSA as an organization?
SK: I can only give an uneducated response to this question, since I am not in yet. I don't want to be the politician claiming they have the answers then publicly admit it was more complicated than I understood. But, from a layperson's perspective.. I would love to do more inclusive events to bring us all together more, similar to what SurfWatch already does. I would like to offer more incentives for sponsors, I am not 100% sure how yet, but it’s a goal. I used to want to revamp the competitions but I am slowly seeing a bigger picture to that and not sure which direction I will go as I'm more educated on the inner workings. But I definitely think we need to get more of an interest in judging and staffing for the competitions.. so perhaps I will work on that.
SW: What do you see as the top issues facing SL surfing in general, and what would be your first priority as an SLSA director?
SK: I hear everyone say "drama" as if it only exists here. But if you spend any time on Facebook or at a RL job, you know drama is everywhere and seldom management stirring the pot. Drama reduction has to come from each individual member, it cannot come from the top. As a director, I would do my best to avoid the drama, but I think Directors should stay out of it as much as possible.
My first priority as a director would be judges for the competitions, I think. I hear from many people that is a constant challenge the SLSA faces. I would also like to make it a little easier for people to get involved. As a non-director, I had a lot of issues getting the SLSA to cooperate, respond to, or encourage people to do external things. I recognize this as a staffing issue, more than a blatant resistance, so I am not sure if there's an immediate fix, but I'm eager to investigate it.
SW: When you decided to run for Director, why did you feel you would be the best candidate for this job?
SK: I didn't. I just want to help where I can. I do think I have enthusiasm that only comes with newer members, so I'd like to harness it while it exists. The more you get in there and work on things, the more that fades. It's a natural and typically unavoidable progression. So I think , while I still have it, it's a good time to run. And when my enthusiasm fades, I hope there will be another me, eager to step in and help.
SW: What were you most satisfied with as an SLSA member last season? What were you most dissatisfied with?
SK: I was most satisfied with watching an understaffed crew work their butt off to do the absolute best job they could. Again, was it perfect? of course not.. but it was extremely impressive to watch them pull off everything they did. I am inspired by people like Petra who work tirelessly to keep everything going. I honestly can't say I was "dissatisfied" with anything. There were times I felt something could've been handled differently, but I am not so arrogant as to believe I have all the answers to everything. Perhaps there was a reason I didn't consider.. or a hurdle that was overcome that wasn't at the forefront. Until I get in there, I refuse to have an opinion on how things should be done. I would however like to see people WANT to participate, not have to.
SW: Anything else you would like voters to know about you?
SK: My #1 goal is to revive surfing. I was constantly told that surfing was dying in SL and that people were never gonna be as good as the old days. I don't love this mentality, but I feel it’s worth noting. As a director, I would like to use a 3-point plan to revive the community. 1. Bring back the older surfers by showing them the enthusiasm they crave from the old days. Bring back some of their ideas and hope we can incorporate them into the newer generations harmoniously. 2. Bring in the new. New surfers bring new enthusiasm but they need resources to stay interested. Surf classes, parties, events.. anything to look forward to. 3. Unite them all. Every single one of us has a passion for surfing. A common cause unites people. I think some of us have forgotten that we all still love the same thing. We have different opinions on how things should go and run and how waves should perform and which boards we should use.. but at the end of the day, we have so much more in common. We just need to be reminded that we're in this together.
Give us a brief statement or opinion on some of the major issues the SLSA faced in 2017 and possible issues moving into this upcoming term (listed below):
1. Were you concerned with the low number of competitors signed up for the recent competitions? What are your thoughts on how to get more riders to participate in competitions?
Yes, of course. You never want to see your passion dissipate. This is part of my 3-point plan to bring this all back. I think, personally, and I'm open to counter arguments to this, but I think there needs to be an excitement built up for it. Make the judges mini-celebrities. Make the surfers something special.. I know creating more competition is dangerous, but the people working so hard to compete would like a little extra recognition, and I think it’s a good thing. Of course, we don't want to encourage people who are only in it for glory, but I do want to give the people someone to look up to and inspire. When I first started, Neptune was the champion and there was so much buzz around him. I loved it. Just seeing him on the beach, made me feel like I had a brush with celebrity. I wanted to practice really hard to be as good as him. For some, that’s a turn off.. Some prefer Soul Surfing, and I LOVE that too. I want both, not one or the other. We all have different beliefs on what surfing should be about. I think it’s important to embrace these difference and work together in harmony.
2. While there are a substantial number of surfing sims in SL these days, there is still a continuing decline of surf sims with supporting neighbor full sims for spectators. Do you believe the current two sim requirement as being viable? If so, what can be done to support the sim owners and ensure smooth running competitions? If not, what do you envision as the alternative(s)?
I don't have the answer to that yet. I can see why it’s an issue but I also see what HummingBird Point did to counter that issue and I think it's brilliant. I would like to see what comes of that. Whether its SLSA or not, I think it’s exciting to see people create new ways to be involved. If I, as a director can help facilitate that, I will. If it’s outside of the scope of SLSA, then I will just personally encourage it.
3. Some people have expressed a feeling there is an overall decreasing interest in surfing in SL, or at least a decrease in the feeling of community within the SLSA. What are your thoughts about this, and if you agree, what ideas do you have for possible improvement?
I think it’s coming back now, but yes there was a major lull until recently. I am sure there's a natural ebb and flow to these things. But I also think, like I expressed before.. this is on the individual members mostly. The SLSA could be more active, specifically in group chats and updating people. I love that it’s a mecca for many and that should be continued. But SLSA is only a small part of what makes surfing amazing. What I would LOVE to advocate is.. rather than people standing around complaining about what they do not see, make it happen. "Be the change you want to see in the world" (-Gandhi) don't just wait for someone else to do it for you. Complaining about problems is the easy part and everyone is able to do it. Fixing those problems is the hard part. Come at me with viable solutions, and I will work my butt off to help you.
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