01-07-2025
Hey Dibi: Shoud I Encourage My Kid to Chase the Pro Surfing Dream?
Editor's Note: Have a question for Dibi Fletcher? She's definitely got answers. Or at least a perspective. Don't hold back, shoot her a DM on Instagram and ask away. Here's this week's dispatch from the Matriarch of Radical…
Hey Dibi… My daughter wants to be 'sustainable' but also wear whatever's trending on TikTok. How do you raise kids to think long-term when everything they see is built to be disposable? - EcomindedMomFirst, I believe it's an illusion to think everything is 'built to be disposable'. Synthetic fabrics used in fast fashion are often non-biodegradable and contribute to the plastic pollution in landfills and the ocean. With an estimated 85% of all textiles ending up in landfills annually. That translates roughly to a staggering 11.3 million tons of textile waste pre year in the U.S alone. I do not know what the long-term solution is to the massive global problem, but I do know according to what you said, your daughter wants to be 'sustainable', that's a start. I was raised by a mom who sewed almost all my clothes. She knit bikinis for me and all my friends; she even crocheted my sister's wedding dress out of ribbon. She taught me to recycle my clothes by adding patches, drawing and painting on them to make them uniquely my own. Perhaps you and your daughter can start a new TikTok trend by taking something you might think of discarding and creating something new and fantastically unique out of it. You might not be thrilled with the results at first but keep at it as you build skills. I'm sure it wouldn't take much coaxing to get a few of her friends to join in. Before long you've started a new fashion happening and created a new way for you and your daughter to share time together.
Hey Dibi…I used to be a surf competitor in my 20s; I now work full time and still surf most weekends. My teenage son is really ripping and has dreams of being on tour, should I encourage him? - SurfLocal2You didn't mention whether your son is now competing and consistantly finishing in the top, which is the first step in the preparation to being on tour. As you know from your own experience the tour is fierce and your son may rip, but the pressure of competing is different animal all together. Going to all the contests on the amateur circuit and getting the experience that only comes from competition is the first consideration in the decision process. If he's doing that, I believe the next issue is financial. Is there some sponsorship that is going to help with travel, has he worked and saved money, or are you going to pay the full freight? It's not cheap and there aren't the travel budgets in the companies there used to be and there isn't the sponsorship money that surfers previously could live on. These are a few of the things to consider off the top and I'm sure he has heart set on the dream of being on tour. It's your job as his dad to understand the harsh realities and help him make the right Dibi… Ma'am, I'm 19 and arrived at Pendelton from Iowa thinking out here in SoCal surfers would be completely chill, good vibes and all that. But every time I go into San Clemente, I feel like I walked into the wrong movie. Cold stares, no eye contact, what happened to that groovy, endless summer scene? - ScusethehaircutPlease let me say 'Thank you for your service' and apologize for those who are so dimwitted and small minded they don't know or have forgotten what it means to be gracious. It speaks volumes about them as your choice speaks clearly about you. I hope for your sake you shake it off and don't let a bunch of spoiled kids keep you from enjoying the time you have here and making it the surf scene of your dreams.
Hey Dibi… I grew up idolizing style and soul surfing. Now the same surfers seem to be pitching everything from sunscreen to protein bars. Is it possible to have a soul surfing career? - DisillusionedSurfFanI think 'growing up' and idolizing someone's surf life is a bit unrealistic to start with. Before social media in the era of big surf brands, surfers were paid by their sponsors to go on exotic trips with magazine photographers and would appear in fantastic picture editorials and occasionally sponsors print ad programs. So, the advertising aspect of their careers was a bit more sublime and not so easily recognized. With most of the big sponsorship now gone surfers must be their own magazines and advertise themselves with social media posts, so it seems much more in your face. The truth is that like it or not it's expensive to 'surf' for a living and the surfers who relied on sponsors now find themselves in a position where they are forced to be more entrepreneurial. If you want to be that 'soul' surfer, I suggest you get a great paying a job that gives you a couple weeks off and you can surf without ever having to hawk some product yourself to enjoy Dibi… Every time I go to my in-laws for dinner the whole evening is spent arguing about politics. When I mention it to my husband on the drive home, he always says 'Don't worry about it, we always discussed politics during meals.' I find it very uncomfortable; I like his family but don't want to get into politics over dinner. What should I do? - NeutralmindsetWhy don't you invite his family to your home for dinner? Make a special meal, set the table like you would for a party. Maybe invite another couple or mutual friend. Changing the setting will change the routine that your husband and in-laws naturally fall into at the table. If politics do come up, you can politely steer the conversation in another direction with a gentle prompt or having enlisted the cooperation of your husband beforehand he can say something about how great it is to have you all together and perhaps suggest spending time like this more often. The conversation has changed and you're creating new ways to enjoy having family meals together.
Hey Dibi: Shoud I Encourage My Kid to Chase the Pro Surfing Dream? first appeared on Surfer on Jun 30, 2025
