Innehållsförteckning för #370 - Autumn 2024 från Surfing Life

Jingi wahlu? [Hi, how are you?] We greet you in Yugambeh, the language of the Kombumerri people, one of the nine Original clans in the Gold Coast region, where SL mag was birthed (in the mid-eighties) and has been continuously formulated by wave-hunting fanatics for wave-hunting fanatics. Our unique quarterly publication uses six surf foci: Travel, Surfers, Culture, Waves, Technique and Boards. Packed with pics (where play meets high-performance), armed with brain-warping stories, historical “Moments”, and exclusive SL “Sections”, we celebrate surfing in its raw and terrifying beauty with guys and gals and groms and grans and greats and grunts—all sharing the sea. Here on the GC, we’ve had power outages and flooding, causing sewerage-creek surfing and cyclone after cyclone—will this be a high-drama year? Well, 2024 started with more:…

“Surf travel” or “travel surf ”, these two action words are interchangeable. Is one more important than the other? When leaving down under to explore other cyan seas, should we prioritise “surf ” or “travel”? If your idea of surf travel is turning up to a location and having unlimited waves on hand with a fly-in, fly-out mindset, then maybe booking a trip to your closest wave pool is a better option. Because in our experience, surf travel is more than countless waves. We marinate in the travel experience, with surfing an added bonus. Sure, heaps of waves help, but the adventure is what it’s all about. Have we got it around the wrong way? Should we say “travel surf ” with the emphasis on the right spot, like the…

CULTURE What is “the surf industry”, and why does that phrase sound slightly dirty? Welp, the surf industry today is vastly different than it was back in the day, as in the heyday. Depending on who you ask, the heyday of the surf industry varies from person to person and company to company. If you want to talk vibe and hype, the surf industry from 1999 to 2009 was a decade of immense global growth, early corporatisation, rampant money spending, small players going big, big players going bust, and some of the wildest parties you can imagine. The surf industry was thriving before and after this time frame, but this decade featured a few key scenarios, making it a boom time for surf brands. One major factor during this time…

BOARDS Picking the right surfboard bottom is like backing the right horse at the racetrack; what horse will run well on one course won’t necessarily run as well on another. Adding the jockey and the condition of the track complicates the equation further. The same is true with surfboard design. It might look impressive to rock a high-performance sled under the arm as you stroll towards your home break, but once on the waves, will it respond how you need it to? Nuance is the name of the game when it comes to choosing the right contour, and there’s a solution for all abilities, body types and waves. But how can you best figure out what’s right for you and get the maximum enjoyment out of your surfing? Over 40…

One of surfing’s rising stars, number three in the 2023 Surfing Life’s Hottest 100, Joel Vaughan is a talent worth noting. Qualifying for the Challenger Series in 2022 at 18, continuing his rankings climb to number 29 last year, and sitting at number six in the regional Qualifying Series, Joel has a bright future ahead of him. Hailing from the Central Coast—from the same town as Molly Picklum—Joel’s explosive aerial game is undeniable. His massive alley-oop at the 2023 Corona Saquarema Pro event, where he scored a perfect 10, is indisputable confirmation. Vaughnie, as his mates call him, is a polite and respectful bloke who quietly invites us to learn about where he’s from and plans to go. SURFERS: JOEL VAUGHAN SL: So why surfing and not soccer? JV: I…

WAVES We all want it, and the waves have it: speed. That never-ending supply of pure raw energy tapped from Mother Nature’s bosom. So, where do waves get their speed from? The short answer is from the same place a wave gets all its characteristics—surface wind blowing on water, forcing a transfer of energy from atmosphere to ocean via friction. Wind at the surface comes from asymmetries in atmospheric pressure, exerting a fluctuating force over the ocean surface. WHAT CONDITIONS IMPACT WAVE SPEED? Surface winds provide a boundless supply of waves, forming and dispersing across our planet’s magnificent ocean basins before eventually unloading on a nearby coastline. And no two waves are the same. Every single one is defined by its specific deepwater parameters of height, periodicity, wavelength, speed and…

This land of open horizons and azure skies cleanses the soul. A misty sea breeze dances in our hair, and the sound of throbbing waves flush the space between our ears. Far from white noise and concrete jungles, we float in an oasis of aqua and deep blue. It’s our great reset, purposely lost in the stark remoteness of island life. Sometimes, we must leave what we know to discover who we are. Aperture value: f/6Exposure time: 1/1600Focal length: 50 mmISO speed: 250…

It’s 2024. Kobie Enright’s in her prime: the decade of The Twenties at age twenty-four. [Numerologist’s synapses will overfire at this!] Kobie has been sponsored by a surf-brand giant since she was fourteen years of age and is the new gen of Coolie Kids snaffling swell at Snapper. The Twenties, when being a pro, means sponsored and surf-marketable. Yet, for Kobie, it’s not about personal brand. It’s about celebrating the feminine side of surfing with style, power, and flow. Kobie’s style is innate. No matter the winds of change, swell size, rising or falling tide, shifting sands (and every other ocean-themed cliché), generations of groms feast off stories of surfers with style, especially ones whose stomping ground is Snapper. SURFERS: KOBIE ENRIGHT “I STARTED SURFING PRETTY MUCH AS SOON AS…

TECHNIQUE Remember when you were a beginner, flapping about in the shorey on a foamy, where unabashed giggles far outweighed any bravado goad? Perhaps you were 10, 20, or 30 years old. Fast track to now and picture the moments you hit the surf with a seriousness void of any play. You’re frothing about, weaving around any fool who comes between you and your rightful wave with zero empathy and a wad of narcissism. Your fist skims the ocean’s surface whenever you fail a desired turn or—gasp—fall. Those in your vicinity are subject to your stressed-out profanities the times you yank back as someone with right of way enjoys the ride from your inside. And eye contact or a friendly smile exchange with fellow ocean lovers? Forget about it! Which…