by Sierra Beckstrom (class of 2020, major in Visual and Dramatic Arts)
Our local “master kayaker” has a much different view of the Gulf than the commonly held perspective. Eric Granquist truly enjoys spending his life interacting with Galveston Bay and other Houston waterways. Part of this is likely do to his status as one of the very few kayakers to interact with the Gulf regularly. Eric Granquist has earned the respect of the commercial boats that frequent the waterways and he takes all of the extra steps to in some way purchase access to the industrialized water. He does at times face the wrath of wealthy boaters who have been drinking, but they are out on the water doing very different things than he is doing. They are there for recreation – he is there for appreciation.
Granquist spoke to our class before our kayaking trip of Greens Bayou to give us a clearer idea of what the kayaking experience is like in Houston. His presentation, “Kayaking in and around Galveston Bay”, was also subtitled “Surfing ‘low energy’ Waves”. Here, he draws parallels between kayaking and the very beachy activity of surfing. If you do a quick Google search about surfing in Texas you will find that while it is possible to surf along the Texas coast, it is difficult because of the inconsistent, choppy waves. Granquist kayaks, which is not an activity that you would immediately associate with beaches, but he uses his kayak to catch those smaller waves and ride them like a surfer would.
In part, Granquist speaks favorably about the coast because he uses the space for less beach-like purposes. At his talk, he situated his relationship with the coast first through what most would imagine a beach to be from growing up watching Hollywood beach movies. He imagined the Texas coast would be like California. Of course, the real picture of the landscape is different vand people are quick to judge it as not being a “real beach space.” Often Texas beaches are talked about as dirty, sub-par places that you visit because other beaches are not within driving distance. I, for one, have lived in Central Texas for almost twelve years and have had enormous disdain for the Texas coast. Throughout all of these years I have only been to a Texas beach twice, and both times were for a high school trip.
I was born in Southern California and I am accustomed to those beaches, and, yes, I think of those beaches as the real beaches. They are marked by beautiful, clear water, fine sand, and a moderate climate – the ideal beaches. My dad grew up surfing every day before school and I don’t think I really believe him when he says that he never skipped class to go catch a wave. I grew up going to beaches like Pacific Beach and continued to swim in the Pacific Ocean even after I moved to Utah and then Texas. My family has many good memories made along the West Coast and those water spaces captured my childhood imagination. The California coast served as my standard for all beaches when I came into this class, and this bias has shaped how I view the Texas coast.
Leading up to our class kayaking trip, I was a bit apprehensive about the idea of being so close to a natural water space in Houston. This trepidation was enhanced by the way that the media covers the Gulf Coast and by my having been in Houston during Hurricane Harvey. When we hear about the Gulf, we almost always hear about the destruction in, and around, the water. Whether it is the latest hurricane or an oil spill, we will be sure to have heard reported just how dirty and dangerous the water can be. Everyone can still clearly remember the Deepwater Horizon oil spill from 2010. In fact, the texts we read in class surrounding our kayaking trip and the Gulf tended to err on the side of destruction. Four different readings about Hurricane Harvey were featured on one day of class when hurricanes were a topic. This is more than enough to make someone fearful about Texas water spaces, especially those of us living in Houston.
To combat these negative views, we need to create a narrative that doesn’t focus exclusively on the destruction in the Gulf area. Yes, I do encourage people to still talk about the hurricanes and oil spills because there needs to be more protection and planning in place for response to these events. However, we also need to mitigate the negative effects of the current view of the Gulf by also speaking positively about that space. For example, Granquist never mentioned destruction in his presentation, he even turned it around and talked about the Gulf’s natural protection systems. The moment that hurricanes were addressed was in relation to a question about barrier islands. Granquist explained how barrier islands serve to protect the Texas mainland from hurricanes. Instead of natural destruction, our class learned about natural protections.
To revise overemphasized narratives of destruction, we have to focus on learning more about natural history. Yes, there are natural water spaces in Houston, bayous among many other water forces. But the dominant industrial and oil perspective of the city does a thorough job of hiding the fact beautiful and calm natural spaces exist in Houston. Our class kayaked in Greens Bayou, which is a natural bayou that is not shaped by concrete. That area was incredibly serene and it helped begin to create my new view on Texas water spaces. I truly enjoyed the experience of being on that bayou and was surprised by how secluded the area felt.
We all have to adopt more of a Granquist view of the Gulf. When he speaks about kayaking in the Galveston Bay, his eyes light up and you can tell that he has a unique relationship with the area.
The Gulf Coast is not like the East and West coasts. We are not thought of as the “South Coast,” however, though it would make sense to call it by that name. This space is thought of as much lesser than others, too different to even compete with the two mighty titans. However, standing apart from the other coasts may be a good way to distinguish our ideas about beaches in general from beaches and water on the Gulf. Moreover, Gulf geographies encompass much more than just Texas, stretching to Florida (which has much “nicer” conventionally understood beaches than Texas). If there are many beaches and natural histories along the Gulf itself, we should stop comparing Texas beaches to Florida beaches. We should appreciate our local places not so much in relation to contexts of “standard” beaches. We should celebrate that the Texas coast is not a copy of other coasts.
How to find different ways to appreciate the water spaces in which we live? Granquist approaches the Gulf Coast by mastering kayaking and dedicating his time to this less beachy activity. If we continue to go to Texas beaches with the expectation that we will find a “California” beach and do beachy activities like surfing, we will continue to be disappointed and not really see the actual beaches and water places we are looking at. Maybe a way to live more in concert with the Gulf could be through kayaking, or other intense water sports. Adopting non-traditional practices for these beaches will help shift our perspectives and move us towards both more appreciative views as well as more environmentally sound values.
Becoming more acquainted with water spaces around the Gulf, like Houston’s hidden bayous, can be a source of regional knowing and knowledge. These water spaces are unique to the Gulf Coast and can set the worlds here apart from the East and West coasts. Bayous are special areas of Houston that are intertwined with the big city. They are overshadowed by the metropolitan vibe of Houston, which leads residents to not think of the city as having any natural spaces (other than parks). The bayous should no longer remain hidden from the public because they are perfect launching places to gain appreciation for the Gulf. I only spent a few hours on Greens Bayou, but that short time has proved many of my biases dead wrong. This did cost a considerable amount of money, and we are grateful to Rice University for sponsoring our research trip. But there needs to be a reevaluation of how we can gain access to those spaces for more frequent kayak trips.
Once we begin to love our Texas beaches and other Texas water spaces, it will be easier to convince others that they are spaces that need to be protected. Hearing about all of the disasters in the area has normalized the destruction of this beautiful natural space. If there is anything that the class readings have reinforced it’s that this water is currently being dominated by the oil industry, and we have inadequate protections in place to offset the effect of hurricanes. We need to generate more appreciation for this rich natural space and encourage others to visit and learn about how they can interact in new sustainable ways with the Gulf.
Work Consulted
Granquist, Eric. “Kayaking in and around Galveston Bay”. Rice University. 4 April 2018. Lecture
Scranton, Roy. “When the Next Hurricane Hits Texas.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Oct. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/10/09/opinion/sunday/when-the-hurricane-hits-texas.html?_r=0&mtrref=www.google.com&assetType=opinion.
“Jim Blackburn, A Texas Plan For The Texas Coast.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/video/jim-blackburn-a-texas-plan-for-the-texas-coast-d9rmbl.
“Harvey, Horror, and Hope: Prospects for Gulf Coast Climate Change Mitigation.” CENHS @ Rice!, culturesofenergy.com/harvey-horror-and-hope-prospects-on-gulf-coast-climate-change-mitigation.