I sense that surf enthusiasts manage to monetize web properties for the surf community more readily than other enthusiast communities.<p>I remember surfline very early on in the life of the public internet, having a pay model sometime in the mid-90s, when many other websites were still completely free or ad-sponsored. (granted, it existed as a pay-per-call service started in the mid-80s)<p>The encyclopedia of surfing here is another example.<p>Granted surfing is attracted to people who live on the coasts, and tends to attract a well-heeled crowd.