“The only thing that is constant is change.” ― Heraclitus
Since the start of the Digital Revolution and Information Age our societies have been changing faster than ever before, we are all witness to this, long gone are the days of rotary phones and most millennials would have trouble operating 8tracks players. Among a myriad of applications, our smart phones allow us to access the internet at lightening fast LTE speeds, send mail, deposit checks, scan documents, check the surf report, record video’s, light up dark spaces and snapchat for a goof.
The Information Age has been a catalyst in increased market efficiencies and in the ability to connect with others, setting the stage for the rise of the “Shared Economy” aka “Collaborative Consumption.” In a society like ours, the information industry facilitates the process where individuals can explore their personal wants, like renting a room in a surf town in San Diego or hiring a personal driver with UBER (Sidenote: Don’t use UBER if you do not value affordability, transparency, higher- lever customer service, no haggle, automated credit payment transactions and flexibility – Clearly, it’s not for everyone). As a result, the decision making process is simplified for transactions and lowers costs for both the providers and consumers via more direct connection.
We created Live Swell for many reasons most importantly, we saw the opportunity to create a community of like-minded people globally which could elevate the surf travel experience in ways and scale that has not been done before. By leveraging today’s technology tools and embracing the “shared economy” people of similar interests, like a surf community, can exchange information and conduct business in ways previously unimagined. The problem was that the framework did not exist.
As traveler’s we felt our best and most memorable experiences had a lot to do with the location and type of lodging chosen. We started renting traditional vacation rentals and eventually got into the “shared space” offering and the Airbnb movement. Hence, the stage was set to develop a platform for this idea to come to life.
None of this works, however without the participation and the growth of a community. So we encourage you to take the server approach. Consider if a few cool surfers in every surf town in the U.S. and globally offered up a room for rent, a couch for free an apartment in a duplex or even more simply a surfboard for rent in Mission Beach or even more impactful a local tour and personal relationship. What would that do? How would that change how we connect and travel as surfers? So if you share this worldview of surfing like a local you can become a member here www.live-swell.com