You would think I learned my lesson about newspaper articles and online commenters after Zach Waddle's tragic death in 2008. What I saw then disgusted me to no end. People who had no clue what went on would hand out judgment like there was no tomorrow. It started me down a long road of believing that most people are selfish assholes.
Now I'm sorry (again) that I chose to read the comments posted on the various linked newspaper articles about Kevin. Seems that most of the commenters are lazy couch potatoes to whom crossing the street to get more Cheeseburgers is just about too great a risk.
I see this attitude frequently here in the Pacific Northwest whenever there are hikers or mountaineers missing up high. People start crying that "those people" should know better. That they shouldn't take those terrible risks. That they, the good people, would be stuck paying the rescue or recovery bills. That the stupid risk takers should be charged the entire bill of the operation.
And I see it in the linked articles: "you can't fix stupid" (actual comment), "there is no cure for stupidity".
Those comments make me rage inside. People that have absolutely no clue feel the need to comment in the most rude ways possible.
Maybe I'm looking at this from the inside of the hobby/sport and can't have an objective opinion. But I don't think that riding surf in adverse weather conditions needs to be a life-endangering hobby to be scoffed at.
Obviously, this incident is proving me wrong.
Still, many of those people are so careful not to take risks that they never live.
