The “Chappy Kiters,” September 8, 2019
The After Party
The scene is a group of kite surfers having a Sunday afternoon parking lot celebration after a day of kitesurfing at Chapoquoit. I'm lucky that they let me hover about and photograph them. They are a rare group of people that are happy to let me take their pictures. At least I think they’re happy to let me take their pictures.
Like me, many of them are very close to qualifying for senior citizen discounts. But their behavior during these impromptu parties reminds me of similar events I was part of in high school. They play music, praise each other for their surfing skills, tease each other, play practical jokes, and enjoy the camaraderie they share. They are, in the best sense of the word, a tribe.
With my camera, I feel like I'm documenting an aspect of human behavior that dates back to our origins as a species more than 200,000 years ago. Our tribal instinct is old and strong. Even older, and now extinct, human species like Homo Neanderthalensis (dating back 400,000 years) and Homo Erectus (maybe two-million years ago) must have grouped themselves into tribes.
I'm not a kitesurfer, which is why I'm so amazed to have gained admission to these after parties. I lack the primary qualification for being in the tribe. But this particular group of humans can overlook my shortcomings and welcome me, even though I’m pointing a camera at them.
When I look at the newspapers, I read about modern human tribes in our nation and around the world that seem to be driven primarily by their hatred for other tribes. I've developed a dim view of people as a consequence. But my experience with the kitesurfer tribe gives me a reason for hope.
Monte