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John Whittle / The Waterman Academy
The
term “waterman” hails from as far back as 15th century
London where cargo was portered and passengers ferried on the Thames
River by “The Watermen”, boatmen who plied their stretch
of river in tilt boats, wherries and sculls. These men lived a lifestyle
that was
based on craft, currents and weather and were the highest authority on
aquatic matters. People’s lives depended on their skill and ability
to manage the dangerous waters. In those times, in all the world communities,
were watermen of sorts – those who had chosen to master the seas,
basing their lives on it and developing a culture that revolved around
the tides and ocean conditions to make a living. Island
dwellers the world over had mastered this lifestyle with the hero’s
of villages being those that consistently harvested large amounts of food
from the oceans endless supply. Captain James Cooke’s discovery
of the Hawaiian Islands made known this culture in its most advanced
form
where no longer did men survive off the ocean but now chose it as their
place of recreation. The royal princes riding waves to display their
skills before the King and community astounded the British mariners
as much then
as it does to someone seeing surfing for the first time these days. Since
then, as “The Sport of Kings” spread throughout the world,
so has the waterman culture permeated the first world countries
as they have pursued a recreational and sporting lifestyle: Today’s
waterman boasts total mastery of all oceanic endeavors, he can fish,
dive, surf,
windsurf, kayak, bodysurf, interpret complex weather data, save the
odd drowning man, etc. Generally built like a tank and typically
soft-spoken (choosing to let his actions do the talking, the waterman
fears neither
tempest nor shark and rarely heads for higher ground. If need be,
he can survive entirely on self-harvested ocean bounty, spearing
his food
from
the nearby reefs he'll surf over when the swell is up. He's an intense
figure, idolized in the local community for his silent bravery and
meteorological
prowess. |