A Tracks cover bestows a sense of immortality upon a surfer and a moment. Long after you’re done with your daily Instagram scroll, the cover will be there, commanding your attention, making a statement, echoing through time. That’s why it’s so tough to make a call on who or what to showcase on page one. So, sometimes we split the difference.
Issue #593 boasts two collectible covers. That means 50% of the print run will feature Michael Peterson whistling in awe as he clutches his Fang-Tail creation and radiates a distinctive air of mystique from behind his beloved aviators. Meanwhile, the other half will have Mark Richards tilting, slack-limbed into a bottom turn, in what MR called ‘probably the best photo ever taken of him’.
We think both covers look pretty cool and you can always buy one of each if you really want to. Meanwhile, the contents are exactly the same in either version. (click here to purchase)
THE FREE RIDE GENERATION
Mark Richards, Rabbit Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson and Peter Townend reflect on their halcyon, North Shore days. In response to the timeless photography of Dan Merkel, Steve Wilkings and Jeff Divine, the surfers riff on some of the moments that immortalized them. The imagery drips with colour-saturated mystique while the insights capture the fear, fun and tube-framed glory that defined the time. Read it and get pumped to go see one of our screenings of Free Ride.
WRITTEN BY LUKE KENNEDY
DARK LINEAGE: CHAPTER II: MICHAEL PETERSON & JOE ENGEL
Monty Webber continues to probe the complicated psychological profiles of our most mythologized surfers. This chapter zones in on Michael Peterson and Joe Engel. You may have read about this duo before, but Webber always finds a way to weave intriguing new insights and revelations into his narrative.
WRITTEN BY MONTY WEBBER
DOWN MEMORY LANE
Perhaps the ultimate goal for any sports person is to dominate in the competitive arena and then go on to cultivate a thriving career. Layne Beachley has pulled off this double act better than most. Find out what makes Layne’s World go round.
“Things hit a boiling point when Layne ripped the Billabong stickers off her board after repeatedly being told she was worth less…”
WRITTEN BY KATE ALLMAN
THE BALLAD OF THE BUSTED LUNG
When a funnelling, desert-fringed slab lights up on the other side of the OZ, a crew including Kipp Caddy, Dylan and Summa Longbottom, and Nathan Florence respond to the call of the 19-second period in the swell with mixed results.
“And the reef’s like pinnacles, it’s not flat, and I landed on a pinnacle on my right chest.”
WRITTEN BY LUKE KENNEDY
THE INDO MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
A quest to traverse the Indo Archipelago on two wheels, equipped with a minimalist quiver and an open mind. In this first chapter, Tom de Souza encounters G-Land sages, locals with ghost stories and an undercover cop escaping the demons of a past life. Eventually he lands at Desert Point and falls under the spell of wave’s coiling perfection.
WRITTEN BY TOM DE SOUZA
FROM DUST TO DREAM
A compelling look at the lives of five FIFO surfers, who earn big coin in the mines and then follow the scent of salt air, and swell in their time between swings.
“With an annual income of 140 k (minimum) on an even-split roster, you simply have to cash your cheques and get out as quickly as you can.”
WRITTEN BY ISIS FLACK
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