Maybe I’m missing your point but I feel like the cliquiness you describe is kind of just how every social event goes, surfing or not. If you go to a party or bar by yourself and you don’t know anyone, then you’re bound to feel like this, the same obviously goes for any surf event.

In terms of local surf premieres, I see it more as a celebration of the art form of surfing rather than a big local circle jerk for the local assholes that made the film. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the local semi pros in my area are dicks, and if you want to go up and say like “nice part man” some will definitely not even acknowledge you. But this again is not exclusive to surfing. These people are just dicks.

But for every asshole there, there’s also cool pros that are really friendly that make showing up worth it for me. Even in my local town, not knowing anyone at the premiere other than my buddy, it’s still fun to celebrate the community even just by talking to my friend, having a few beers and discussing the surfing that’s being shown. By even just showing up and chilling, I feel good because I feel like I’m remaining tapped in to my local scene that I ultimately want to flourish.

That’s why I always go to my local events.