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50 Issues of Surf Europe
Over the past eight years, SE’s consumed a few zillion airmiles, a several generations of Macintosh computers, one dune-top house at La Graviere, four Ed-in-Chiefs, one office in Soorts that melted, untold blagged boards and wetsuits, one or two contest beers, one Chrysler Voyager that blew up, a few thousand Big Mac Meals (Laurel), very little jail time and only a few minor lawsuit threats. Onwards and upwards.
50 Things To Do in Europe Afore Ye Croak…
Pull In, Go to a Festie, Surf in the Arctic Circle, Eat Pintxos, Fly Fish in the Pyrenees, Run with the Bulls, Drink a Pint of Guinness, Go Budget Airline, Surf Naked
HOW TO: Survive a Great White Shark Attack
Paddling out on a gray, overcast day at a beach on NSW’s Central coast our timing sucked, and a solid set nailed us to the inside for a good five minutes. It was me and a mate, Gav, other than that the usually crowded spot was empty. Release finally came, and we both got waves quickly and started paddling out again, Gav about 10 feet ahead of me. At that point we noticed another mate, Luke Mahoney, paddling out down the line a bit, and I remember being thankful for another punter in the water.
HOW TO: Get a Rounded Off Fin Screw Out
While modern surfing technology strives to constantly improve itself, there are occasions when one of surfing’s convenience innovations go awry, and a rounded off fin screw is one such occasion. Anyone who’s ever done this will recognize the heart-sinking agony when the fin key turns freely, ineffectively in a hole worn by time, tide and whatever else. Add to this the time pressure of needing to make a flight, a tide or wind window, an ill-timed misadventure with that little piece of metal can seriously fuck up your day.
Read It: James A Michener - ‘Hawaii’
A thousand-page epic that chronicles the history of the Hawaiian Islands from their volcanic eruptions up to the modern day, Michener’s classic is best known for telling the stories of all the different people that came to Hawaii, from pre-history through to the annexation of the sovereignty by the US government, Pearl Harbour and the decade following.
HOW TO: Look After Your Inner Ear
There are many ways you can injure yourself surfing, one of both the more common and more nasty is to damage your inner ear. Tear or perforate your eardrum (by slapping hard on the wave face or flats, or getting hit by your board) and your trip is done, son. If you’re away somewhere you can’t even fly home with ear drum damage, you’ll just be watching perfect waves unable to venture in the drink, or even into the shower properly till it’s healed.
The Trouble with… Water Housings
Of course, it’s not just the surf photographers themselves that are unpredictable, capricious, temperamental, cantankerous – sometimes their equipment can be too. Here are some favourite anecdotes from a series of Euro shooters that have each had their grubby mits on a certain Kobetich water housing, before flogging it on to another of their kind.
2007 WCT Preview
Don’t let the routine appearance of Kelly’s achievements cloud the battles that are going down in the backstreets of the World Championship Tour right now. In the dressing sheds and competitors areas of the events, there is a call for his blood, a questioning of his aging ability and a challenge from a new mould including Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Jeremy Flores. This year’s top 45 is full of fresh faces and stories – as well as weapons sharp enough to draw blood at any event on the ‘Dream Tour’… Let’s break it down
The Art of… Couch Surfing
A time-honoured tradition of the surfer, there are numerous advantages to crashing on couches as opposed to paying for accommodation. Longevity is the key to making real savings, and by adhering to a few rules of couch etiquette you can dramatically increase the length and comfort of your stay. Not only do you save money, but normally you get a better taste of the local surf and social scene. Parties, bar-b-q’s, local knowledge on the waves, intel on interesting neighbours, the list of pluses really is endless.
The Mountain & the Wave, The Quiksilver Story
Quiksilver have announced that the much-anticipated 320-page, full colour book 'The Mountain & the Wave, The Quiksilver Story' which will be available in Quiksilver Stores and select retailers starting next week, priced at $49.95.
Dodging the Horns
The last days of Warren Bolster were marked by a flurry of energy and ideas. Calls to editors. Book projects. Photo concepts. A trip to Puerto Escondido. He was riding an artistic high. At the same time, they were filled with pain and anxiety. He’d been rear-ended in his car by another vehicle, aggravating injuries that had plagued him for years. He was broke. Depressed. In pain. “I’m so very poor and worse,” he wrote in a late email to his former Surfer Magazine boss and current Surfers Journal publisher Steve Pezman shortly before his death. “Lowest in 40 years. Sad, very sad. I’ll send you an ear or something.”
The Truth About… Claiming
Not all that many moons ago, claiming a wave was about as cool as a French kiss at a family reunion. It just wasn’t the done thing, shunned, even considered a ‘Brazilian’ phenomenon, and not in a good way like Reef girls, Pele or the samba.
How To… Become A Surf Photographer
Surf as often as you can. If surfing isn’t your thing, then maybe it’s better to try shooting something else. From your own little sessions you’ll learn to appreciate what surfers are experiencing when they’re being pounded in heavy situations, like when there’s a cover shot to get but it involves taking some beatings in the process.
All-Season Quiver
Gabriel Davies leads a pretty charmed life. He’s got a nice house with novelist wife Lauren about a two-minute drive from the ocean on the golf course in Seignosse, south west France, and when he’s not surfing or hanging out with Kelly Slater on the North Shore or in France, he’s probably towing in to big peaks outside Estagnots or hollow lefts in Ireland, or running his successful surf coaching venture, Surf Solutions. Gabe talked us through some of his current quiver favourites.
Surf Camps 2006
Fancy going on a packaged surfing holiday? SE’s got the low down on Europe’s best surf camps for 2006.