Article
After the Apocalypse
In case the Mayans are right...
Photo: Foley
STRATEGY: “I’ve already thought this one through a bunch of times. Up in the hills is your safest bet. All the water tanks are on high ground on the North Shore. I’d go to the old bunkers up in the mountains—they’re fortified and you have the water towers. If you’re controlling the water, you’re controlling everything. Resources put you in a position of power, because money won’t be worth a thing.
“In terms of food, there’s already a feral pig problem, and dogs go feral pretty fast. So you could eat pigs or dogs for meat—either shoot ’em or trap ’em. You could use snares, and you could catch people who come to poach your snare.
“I’d lay low at the beginning, get what supplies I needed, then let people start canceling each other out. Once that happens, I’d head down to the ocean—that’s when you come out and make your move.”
LIKELY RESULT: As winter bleeds into spring, only two alpha males survive: Mark Healey and Kai Garcia. Healey is based in the bunkers, while Garcia makes camp in Waimea Valley. Garcia tends to a motley flock of survivors— all women and children—who have begun to farm the valley and re-domesticate the animals. Healey and Garcia know of each other’s presence; for many months, they have encountered their respective victims—a gruesome breadcrumb trail of death and dismemberment. The bodies tell no lies—they point to the approximate location of each fearsome man.
But while Garcia gathers and cares for the women, children, and animals, Healey soldiers on alone—too terrified to take on responsibility for another life. That unfortunate incident with Jericho the pet snake was enough for him, thank you. So Mark knows he must make the first move. He must study the habits of Garcia, and, when he least expects it, strike.
For many months, he watches the great man. Based on the corpses of Borg’s victims, he expects to find a cruel, blood-thirsty ogre. Instead, he examines from afar a savior—kind to the young, generous in his affection with the wahines. Mark cannot help but feel a tinge of something he’d never thought he’d feel again: shame. The more Healey observes, the more he comes to respect—even love—Kaiborg. The civilized world now rests on the shoulders of this large, unlikely man.
Healey becomes convinced that he must face this most worthy of adversaries with respect, instead of deceit. It is the only way to win and keep living, yet the most likely way to die. But Healey must risk it.
He lays down his rifle, un-straps his knife, sets down his spear gun. He marches naked into the heart of Kai Garcia’s camp, hands up, ready to offer Garcia a noble fight to the death: hand-to-hand combat. They guide him to Garcia, who is sitting on a toilet-bowl throne. He looks up at Healey, exhales.
“Game over.”
With that, Kaiborg raises his AK-47 and riddles Healey’s pale body with a veil of bullets.
TIME OF DEATH: 420 DAYS A.A.
By submitting a comment you grant SURFER Magazine a perpetual license to reproduce your
words, name and web site in attribution.
Comments may be removed at an administrators discretion. Your email is used for verification
purposes only and will never be shared.
Comments
January 8, 2013 3:09 am
Very stupid
December 22, 2012 6:40 am
Haha leave it to Slater to come up with a genius idea like a human sound machine.He could even dress up like a bat and soundwave his enemies to the apocalypse of hell! Great Article @ Surfer Mag thx for the laugh!
December 21, 2012 11:15 pm
I do not live in the US and therefore don’t have easy access to weapons, so I’m going to go with bad breath and colourful language.
December 21, 2012 9:30 pm
mmm. no. we don’t need guns. we dont “need” to kill people or animals. ok. maybe fish. but it can stop there. there’s too much time wasted on talking about violence. it has nothing to do with manliness in 2012. the violence culture is a cancer. there’s 26 families on the East Coast where there is no happiness this Christmas. the light of their lives was put out. 20 dead 6 year-olds!!!!! there is nothing sadder than this. nothing. find something else to write about Lewis Samuels. and whatever religion you are following? find something better. it’s not doing you any good.
Surfer doesnt need violence to sell magazines. either.
Surfers are not attracted to violence.
They’re attracted to happiness, the power of the ocean, and?
and beauty.
nothing violent about that.
December 21, 2012 1:15 pm
Stop being fairys it was like an episode of the surfer hunger games, awesome stuff I enjoyed reading the hypotheticals and Im not going to take it to heart, wwwwaaaahhhhh insensitive wwwwaaaahhhhh get over it putas
December 21, 2012 7:46 am
I’m no pussy but this article is really insensitive.
the last thing we as surfers need to be doing is associating ourselves with violence. especially after what’s happened the last few weeks.
it’s no surprise to anyone but this proves that not only are these surfers a bunch of idiots, so are the writers and editors at Surfer.
take this article down.
December 21, 2012 1:31 am
I think this was one of the dumbest and most pointless articles i have ever read in Surfer Mag. Pure sensationalism to say the least.Really ! Come on ! If there ever was an Apocalypse…Do you think any of us would care how and if any of these surf stars would survive it ? We would be concerned most about our family and close friends and in the greater circle of humanity itself ! Come on Surfer Mag. ! Get more intelligent writers to write more pertinent articles with more heart and soul ! I am surprised that a man as intelligent as Kelly Slater is/seems would even participate in such a lame piece of journalism ! And Kai Garcia take your AK-47 and stick it up your a.. and pull the trigger !!! What a lame and arrogant statement this guy makes ! Is there any grey matter between his ears ?
December 20, 2012 5:52 pm
Right, this is the last comment I will do on this article, I promise… In my humble opinion there is a really great article here about how Surfers are the pure breed, the chosen ones, the outliers, that through facing adversity day in day out in the water have made themselves (in Bruce Springsteen’s words) “tougher than the rest”
December 20, 2012 5:12 pm
Always good to see surf media firstly being oblivious to what is happening outside the ‘bra-boy bubble’, and secondly avoiding real stories and issues affecting the surf community.
The only time surf mags understand the term ‘sensitivity’ is when it applies to a piece that could ruffle feathers and affect ad sell and income.
If Surfer wanted to tie the potential apocalypse into an issue facing the surf community, why not have a look at next year’s tour and the loss of top spots, the upcoming take-over by ZoSea and how the desired addition of surfing to mainstream/ pop/ retard culture will effect surf spots and crowds…
Wait, that would require ACTUAL journalism and stepping on toes…my bad…
As you were…
“Yeah, High Fives!” – Ice and automatic rifles as a humor piece at a time when many people are questioning senseless violence…yeeeew!
December 20, 2012 4:36 am
Stupid article. You are a surf magazine, talk about surf. Explain me why the WCT as less level of surfing than the surfing we are watching everyday in the sites… why Jordy and Julian surf 50% of their surfing in the CT to get thru them heats… how guys like Yadin nichol, or Dusty pain get out… this is what you have to talk about…
Do you think the end of the world is funny?? So, you must be stupid like this article.
December 19, 2012 10:03 pm
Best article ever. Well done sirs, well done.
December 19, 2012 9:21 pm
Pretty sure I heard Dorian comment during the Pipe Masters that one of the animals he bowhunts is goat. Goat. You know, those animals that just stand there and eat grass. So I dunno – seems like if/when the apocalypse hits, he might have some trouble hunting all the scared-crapless animals and people.
December 19, 2012 7:44 pm
Awsome !!!
December 19, 2012 7:28 pm
Jimmy – In answer to your “when else can you put it out” question, I’d offer “how about never.” Some things are bigger than a Surfer Magazine. Even the edgiest of comics are setting their gun material aside right now – however unrelated to the shooting of 20 kids. I don’t really care what Kai Garcia’s weapon of choice is, but do I need to know it’s an AK-47 RIGHT NOW???
I can forgive the utter unfunny-ness of this concept/execution, but the timing? Bad bad bad. If anyone gave a crap about surfers/Surfer Mag, they would be pissed off. But all involved will be spared by the “bro-law” (bro, chill, it’s no biggie) that governs our culture.
December 19, 2012 7:01 pm
I for one thought it was creative and funny. Keep writing author.
December 19, 2012 6:30 pm
Ah come on guys, I didn’t like the piece, but let’s be fair to Surfer, I am sure offence wasn’t given by the timing of the piece, though offence may have been taken. This has nothing to do with what happened in the school and in my mind the timing is ok to put this out, when else can you put it out, definitely not after Friday!
December 19, 2012 3:40 pm
Nice photo of Healey by Foley there. Looks like Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now; getting reading to kill the Colonel.
December 19, 2012 3:01 pm
classy surfer
December 19, 2012 3:01 pm
Absolutely fantastic, the hilarious level of wit Surfer puts into its articles keeps me coming back for more. Bravo.
December 19, 2012 2:56 pm
Slow clap for Surfer Mag.
Might not be a bad idea to take current events into consideration before allowing something like this to be posted.
December 19, 2012 12:07 pm
Awesome and well-timed piece about surfers’ preferred guns. Not much discussion elsewhere at the moment about rifles, machines guns (dead children) etc., so good to see here.
THANKS SURFER MAG!
December 19, 2012 10:50 am
I think this was in “The Big Issue”, usually I enjoy the author’s work, but this struck me as pure filler… Pointless nonsense and not related to surfing in any other way than the fact that the guys being discussed are Professional Surfers. Having said all that my money would be on Mark Healy to be the last man standing.