Making intangible heritage more tangible

_{Part of environmental justice research at the University of Greenwich ©}

This surf heritage mapper is a form of participatory design research that maps your surf memories and notable sessions in the region. It forms a more interactive part of wider research into links between local wild-water access and mental health.

This exercise makes surfing's heritage more tangible, and therefore more conventionally valuable -- at a time when illegal sewage releases suggest that the safety of the sport (and adjacent watersports) is not valued As surfing doesn't demand permanent land allocation such as pitches, clubhouses or stadia, its intangible cultural heritage often flies under the radar of modern bureaucratic safeguarding.

If you would like to record your surf memories as part of this project, please contact Fred Preston at Greenwich University. Participants essentially scribble their first, best, worst and weirdest surf sessions or surf-related memories on the back of a surfboard.

_{The key/legend is "#1" for first session in the region, 👍 for best, 👎 for worst and a spiral for the weirdest session. Use Ctrl + scroll up to zoom in and read.}

One surfer's first, best, worst and weirdest sessions mapped on the rocker of a surfboard

One surfer's first, best, worst and weirdest sessions, plus an honourable mention, mapped on the rocker of a surfboard

One surfer's first, best, worst and weirdest sessions, plus an honourable mention for a Devon session, mapped on the rocker of a surfboard

Surfing in SE England: Put your sporting heritage on the map