Innehållsförteckning för #371 - Winter 2024 från Surfing Life

THE DROP Jingi wahlu? [Hi, how are you?] We greet you the way Kombumerri people—one of the nine Original clans in the Gold Coast region—have, and continue to do, since the Dreaming. Many moons after the first “Jingi wahlu”, this vast stretch of surfable “Sea Country” became the birthplace of Surfing Life. Publishing surf tales (some taller than others) and high-voltage action shots is a saltlickin’ unquenchable thirst. Surfing relies on balance—intersecting lines where art meets science, sport meets pastime, grind meets relaxation, meditation meets activity, and crowded locations meet solitary pursuits. Likewise, each publication interconnects surfing’s pillars: Travel, Surfers, Culture, Waves, Technique and Boards. Add historical “Moments”—Kelly Slater’s retirement mind games—and exclusive SL “Sections”, we celebrate the sea in all her moods as we tap into her energy, paddling…

Protagonists: Micah “Mics” Margieson and Blake “Neka” Neka, two Aussie aerialists, had the perfect platonic meet-cute. This is the kind of ocean-themed bromance-cum-gromcom they’d make into movies and market as T.S.S. (True Surf Stories). Except, every Hollywood scriptwriter knows conflict drives story—and to date, after hours of surf sessions, overseas travelling, late nights and early starts—our two heroes, Mics and Neka, don’t tiff, tantie, tube-taunt or leash-tug. Weird, we know! Their character arcs should begin woefully, so they can learn their lesson and transform into the flawed super-surf humans we love to worship, like Huey himself. Some tear-jerking and heart-tugging tales seem too utopian to be true—aaaaahhh, but this one undoubtedly is. Back-surf-story: Sixteen years ago, dark-haired grubby-kneed Neka and blond-mopped snotty-nosed Micah would dress daily in royal blue. All…

Snapper Rocks’ comeback tour: pinned as one of next year’s World Tour stops, we thought we’d rewind the clock 23 years. This is a forced reunion with the “2001” versions of Fanning, Parko, Occy, Egan, Dingo, plus more. Sometimes, looking back clears the way forward—just like these Coolie kids stormed the CT, where will today’s feisty up-and-comers be in twenty-three years?…

Wooden surfboard manufacturing isn’t new to surfing. First Nations people around the globe, most notably the nation of Hawai‘i, have been riding them for thousands of years. When the Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku came to Australia, in 1914, for a swimming and surfing exhibition, he was asked if he’d brought a board. The Duke thought surfing was banned in Australia but said he could easily make one. The five-time Olympic medallist pencilled an outline for the local timber yard to cut one out for him, which the Duke finished by hand.1 Surfboard design has come a long way since the Duke shaped his solid wooden board in Sydney. In recent times, more advanced construction techniques have implemented wood as a legitimate material for modern surfboard design. Surf progression goes hand in…

Surfing Life: After more than 50 years in surf business, do you see a positive or bleak future for the industry? Doug Warbrick: Well, I see a mix of both. There are positive elements right now and negative overlays and underlays. I think there are quite a few green shoots of the positive. I’m starting to see the green shoots, which gives me some confidence that it’ll grow and live again. Is one brand owning multiple surf brands an issue? Look, it’s challenging. I know a lot of other industries—even some of our allied lifestyle industries—are owned in groups like that, so as an absolute blanket statement, it’s neither good nor bad, but it can be good and bad. Having too many surf brands in one stable would make keeping…

With a string of classy successes, including the recent victory at Snapper Rocks, where she scored a perfect ten and then won the event, Erin Brooks may be the next goofy-footed world champion. We catch-up with the Texan-born Canadian to learn what’s ahead for this up-and-coming shredder ... only days before her Snapper success. Surfing Life: Welcome to the Gold Coast. Are you enjoying yourself? Erin Brooks: Thank you, and yes, I am. Where’s your favourite place in the world to surf? As a goofy-footer, I much prefer going on my frontside, so Indonesia or Fiji, but I do love long right-hand point breaks, so this is the perfect place to be. As a fellow goofy-footer, is there anything better than an upside-down backside hanger? Not really, especially if you…

For the second time in Olympic history, surfing medals are up for grabs. The French Olympic committee’s grand gesture to the surfing world is the world-infamous left, Teahupo‘o, in Tahiti, named as the exclusive venue for competition. Olympic officials cherry-pick four days from a nine-day waiting period, running from 27 July through to 4 August 2024. Forty-eight surfers from eighteen countries will trade barrels over four full days of competition, until six of them end up on the podium with medals around their necks. Before athlete’s collars are decorated with gold, silver or bronze, Teahupo‘o’s name warns them to protect their heads. In Tahitian, Teahupo‘o roughly translates te aha “to sever or split open” and upo’o “head”. 1 The Paris 2024 Olympic surfing event will be a stark contrast…

When the first big swell of the year hits, anticipation builds, sickies are thrown, life plans are shelved, and a swarm of pros and punters descend on the Superbank to feast on a veritable buffet of waves. While competition for rides can be fierce, only a select few find themselves positioned deep behind the rock, ready for the pick of the litter. Mikey Wright shows why he is one of those few, vanishing deep into a sandy foam ball, almost out of sight, before being spat out the front door like a magician. Surfer: Mikey WrightAperture value: f/6.3Exposure time: 1/1250Focal length: 50 mmISO speed: 100…

Before Fingal Head shredder, Dane Henry, packs his green-and-gold Irukandji kit to compete at El Salvador, we chin-wag with the co-captain of the 2024 Australian Junior Surfing squad about school, surf, and what’s helping him throw more spray. Two weeks post-interview, Captain Dane drops a perfect ten during his Round 4 heat at the World Junior’s. Ascending perfection, Dane wins gold at Surf City and is crowned the 2024 U18 ISA World Junior Surfing Champion. Adding more gold to his treasure trunk, Captain Dane leads Team Australia to victory in the ISA Junior World Surfing Championship. This interview becomes crystal-ball intriguing—was Dane’s zealous prediction correct? Surfing Life: So, you just came back from down the coast; how was that? Dane Henry: Yeah, it was super fun. I got a bit…

The barrel. The tube. The pit. The green room. It’s the holy grail of this beautiful dance we call surfing, and everyone’s got a different name for it. A hole. A cave. A nugget. A slab. They’re the things that make us travel to far-flung corners of the globe, dodge responsibilities at all costs and persist through wet wetsuits, broken boards, debilitating injuries and psychotic crowds, all for just a fleeting glimpse of a delicate falling lip. But when it comes to riding these crystal orbs, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution and choosing the wrong line can mean disaster. Tackling an almond runner with the same panache as a step-riddled double-up will send you on a one-way ticket to Underwater Town. Here at Surfing Life, we’re all about helping you become…