This communication will discuss ongoing doctoral research on the social and spatial practices performed by individuals who identify themselves as surfers. Different methodologies were conducted in three research areas: Madagascar, France and Morocco. A field survey was undertaken during one month in 2017 in three coastal localities in the east of Madagascar to collect direct and participant observations on beaches and semi-directive interviews with surfing stakeholders. In France and Morocco, only semi-structured telephone interviews with surfers could be carried out due to the pandemic context. Social networks are regularly consulted, especially groups or pages about coastal tourism or surfing in the three countries mentioned above to understand the new strategies to attract various profiles of individuals.
Three lines of research will be developed. Firstly, the tension between a potential and a resource will be analysed through physical parameters of the ocean – which fluctuate according to temporal and spatial scales – and the different stakeholders in coastal and surfing tourism. Secondly, the issue of surfboard materials raised during the Madagascar survey will be addressed. The development of the petrochemical industry since the 1960s has led to changes in the surfer's equipment, which has had an influence on the costs involved. That is why the first Malagasy surfers used to salvage pieces of used fishermen's pirogues to carve themselves a board. This issue either “eco-friendly” or economical is found to a lesser extent in France, with a handful of shapers who work with wood and who wish to initiate a transition at a global scale. Lastly, the dichotomy between the surfer-tourist and the surfer-traveller identified by the interviewees will be highlighted. The latter would be looking for authentic encounters and interactions with the locals while the other one would only move around without seeking to know the place where he is based and its inhabitants.
Mots clés : surfing|coastal tourism|ocean|beach|mobility
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