Hollow Ambitions, Unicorn Waves and Morocco’s Dark Knight. Mexican sojourns, Criminal Networks and Standing on the Shoulders of Giants. Guess you’ll have to read it to solve the riddle.
THE DARK KNIGHT OF MOROCCAN SURFING
The blessed existence of North African surfer, Jerome Sahyoun
By Ben Mondy
“I’d say few people did it better than Jerome,” said Dylan Longbottom. “I can’t think of a man who has travelled further, surfed harder, explored as heavily, or lived a life more dedicated to the ocean and waves. He is also a really talented surfer and barrel rider. He’s inspirational.”
SOPHIE MCCULLOCH:TAKE NOTHINGFOR GRANTED
Sophie McCulloch shines light on the rehab roller coasters she has ridden since qualifying for the Championship Tour
By Kate Allman
“The biggest takeaway from each of my injuries is just how easily we fall into the trap of taking surfing for granted. I’ve promised myself I wouldn’t fall back into that habit.”
THE HOLLOW
A spooky offshore reef where no one can hear you scream.
Written by Luke Kennedy
We take for granted the delivery of these briny delights, but it’s impossible to overestimate just how tricky these waves are to ride and photograph. Both lensman and surfer must operate at the razor’s edge, dancing on the brink of disaster in their pursuit of barrel bliss. The phone-screen just doesn’t do justice to shots like these, so as you flick through, take a little while to consider the variables and risks at play.
THE INDO MOTORCYCLE DIARIES:CHAPTER VII
The end of the road.
Written & photographed by Tom de Souza
“It’s good there aren’t too many surfers here. But for the fisherman and their families, it would bring money if people came here. I empathise with both sides.” Now, Ependi makes a living by mining gold illegally in a clandestine shaft he and three friends have drilled down to 50m with an excavator and a jackhammer. He brings me to it. Beside the shaft is an air compressor and a pulley system made from an old wheelbarrow wheel and 125cc motorcycle motor.
THE UNICORN
Chasing a wave worth losing your job over.
Written by Louie Hynd
The chain-smoking, larrikin skipper agrees to a discounted ratefor the swell since he won’t have to rig the fishing gear. As we pull into the harbour the following morning, the signs of carnage make it apparent the swell wasn’t a flop. A large Chinese fishing boat has run aground, colliding with the rock wall and tipping on its side. A luxury yacht’s hull is crumpled after continuously thrashing into the dock overnight. Amidst such omens of destruction we pile surfboards, camera gear and ourselves into our unscathed boat and motor out of the harbour. We’re nervous but visions of waves spitting on unnamed sections of reef ensure we are on a collective high; drunk with anticipation.
NOTHING TOO SERIOUS
Behind the lens with Ben Jackson.
Written by Luke Kennedy
As a qualified tradesman capable of making his own money, Ben could travel on his own terms, free from surf industry pressures and expectations. He fit in easily with this punky clique of rippers who were making rumblings across the surfing world. The friendship also ensured he had access to some of the most progressive surfing being done on the planet.
GRACIAS MÉXICO, TE QUIERO
An Australian photographer finds purpose and meaning while immersed in Mexican life
Written & photographed by Emy Dossett
The daily rhythms of the colourful streets, the constant presence of music blasting from somewhere, and the sounds of the tortilleria when I would walk through town for my early morning surf, are fond memories of my everyday life there. But life as a foreigner in Mexico is a privileged existence, and these memories, however much I cherish them, are examples of that. Sayulita, and my life there, was largely insulated from the greater intricacies of corruption, and I only knew of that world because it would occasionally brush up against mine. Those encounters left me with a glimpse of that other world and a better understanding of my own.
FROM THE BAY TO THE BUSH
Stuart D’Arcy reflects on a shaping career that spans four decades and reveals why he is content with living as far away from the surf as possible.
Written by Jake Stolte
“It’s a craft, a therapy. It’s not about me; it’s about me and the customer. I’ve always strived to use the best materials I can get and utilise the best craftsmanship available. The people I work with now on the Gold Coast have made my move inland so easy. My friends on the coast is what allows me to be here, they make it so easy because I can trust them to produce quality and if you ask anyone I’ve worked with, they know I’m a narc when it comes to quality.”
STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
Waves, pop culture, and the mainstream collide in this provocative take on Australian Surfing History.
Written by Monty Webber
By the mid-50s, surfing was everywhere in Australia. Midget wrote a weekly article in a national newspaper and, in 1967, presented a 10-part television series, The Midget Farrelly Surf Show, for the ABC. Surf shops opened at many beaches, and even non-surf-related companies began using surfing to sell everything from hair gel to pimple cream. While Midget represented the clean-cut and articulate side of surfing in Australia, others were already straying from his well-groomed path.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY EXCERPT: ‘THE OUTSIDE’
Larry Blair exploded onto the surf scene with a win in the 1978 Coke Surfabout, followed by back-to-back victories at the Pipe Masters. But that was the glossy side of the story, as Larry had been raised by one of Australia’s most notorious criminal families. The compelling new autobiography ‘The Outside’ by Larry Blair is the Lock Stock and Smokin’ Barrels of surfing.
… Once the dust began to settle after Dad’s death Mum started spreading her wings. She was moving steadily up the criminal ladder, fulfilling many different roles with the Kangaroo Gang, but the specialty for which she was most sought, even celebrated, was as a ‘head puller’.
This is what I know of the typical head puller job description:
1. Look strikingly beautiful and carefree.
2. Engage in conversation with guards and staff.
3. Divert attention and block lines of sight, with props if needed.
4. Leave the scene slowly and calmly after the job is done. Never run…
As a teenager I already knew, without much being said, that I was a part of this ‘family’ whether I liked it or not and I had to keep its secrets at all cost.
