Innholdsfortegnelse for #369 - Summer 2023 i Surfing Life

Surfing Life|#369 - Summer 2023

ISSUE 369: SUMMER

Jingeri Jimbelung [Hello, my friends]. This heartfelt greeting is in the Yugambeh language of the Kombumerri people, one of nine Original clans in the Gold Coast region. Every quarterly publication features six pillars: Travel, Surfers, Culture, Waves, Technique and Boards. Teeming with impressive imagery and stimulating stories (warning: the “Surviving Death” article is intense—made my stomach churn, yet I couldn’t put it down!), as well as surfing’s historical wax-ball “Moments” and exclusive SL “Sections”, we embrace everything a surf mag should be: thick-set, throatier, gargantuan, glossy, rowdy, and brazenly contaminating the world with Aussie (Aussie Aussie) surf culture to enj-oi oi oi. Yep, we add this kinda cringe-worthy Dad-inspo witticisms, too, for the crusty barnacle crew. Summer, it’s just better. Mangoes, stone fruit, melons and seafood, downed with South Pole-chilled…

3 min

Surfing Life|#369 - Summer 2023

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITORIAL Josh AllenKate AllmanJohn AndrewsTim BakerWill BendixTessa BerkeleyRussell BierkeChris BinnsMurray BourtonDaniel BrennanBrad BricknellMichael CiaramellaLiz ClarkNoah CohanHayden CoxRicky DannAndy DavisKeiran DeckRambo EstradaJaymie FaberSosefina FuamoliLachlan GaruttiMatt GeorgeJoey GriffithsCameron GroverKaipo GuerreroAshleigh HarnwellTim Hawken PHOTOGRAPHIC Jason AcottIbrahim AyazJack BarrippJohn BartonScott BauerLeroy BelletBrian BielmannDavid BinerIan BirdPeter BohlerPeter BoskovichJohn BrumfieldChris BurkardJosh BurkinshawJosh BystromJohn CallahanChloe CandarakisTom CareyKelly CestariJason ChildsAndrew ChisholmAndrew ChristieMitch ClarkAntony ColasRay CollingsRyan "Chachi" CraigMick CurleyHilton DaweJack DekortJeff DivineDamea DorseyMatt DunbarSam ElsomRambo EstradaSean EvansWayne EvansJoel EveradGreg EwingKim FeastIshka FolkwellLynden FossPete FriedenJorge GarciaLachlan GaruttiAdam GibsonStu GibsonJonathan GiovanniTodd GlaserMike GleesonPedro GomesWoody GoochTed GrambeauDavis HansenOdell HarrisJules Hatton-WardDan HaywardRyan HeywoodSamuel HollingsworthDick HooleSpence HornbyDustin HumphreyMark HunterBen JacksonCalin JonesPeter JovicJordan "Nugget" KeirJason KenworthyGeorge KettleMike KillionDavid KirklandRichard KotchKerry LangdonMike LatronicAlex LaurelNat LawrenceSteven LippmanJesse LittleAngela LouiseMorgan MaassenUri MagnusTim McKennaCait MiersRyan MillerTrevor MoranLance MorganBilly MorrisDomenic MosqueraRafael MouraTrevor MurphyMickey NattzMarc NicholsonShayne NienaberJack O’GradyNathan OldfieldRussell OrdRod OwenMatt…

1 min

Surfing Life|#369 - Summer 2023

HOTTEST 100

The 2023 Aussie grom search for our Hottest 100 is complete. When it comes to our youth, their feverish enthusiasm can’t be contained. They skyrocket the limits, rejuvenate traditional lines, and revise what’s “core”, leaving us wide-eyed and tongue-tied. For decades, Surfing Life’s Hottest 100 has been a benchmark in identifying and acknowledging Aussie talent. Peering into surfing’s future, we spot 100 pocket rockets dialling in on their pro dreams. Whether it’s hitting the CT or a sponsored freesurfer, these hyperfocused athletes are in tune with the sea’s rhythm. Questions of detonated turns, highest airs, power, flair, speed, style, technique, consistency, and X-factored confidence are fired at our panel of surf aficionados. The judging is complete. The formula applied. Final decisions made. Before we spray confetti and release the paparazzi,…

6 min

Surfing Life|#369 - Summer 2023

FOOTLOOSE

TECHNIQUE Foot placement might not be the sexiest topic when it comes to surfing, but unless you’ve mastered the art of levitation, you’re going to need to put your feet on the board. Despite carrying us through the world and bearing the weight of our existence, at the end of the day, our poor feet are lucky if they get washed. We chat to surf coaches to discover why our feet deserve more attention and how vital they are to getting the most out of our equipment. From the graceful style kings and queens with their narrow stances and rubbery knees to the wide-stance high-performance masters who exude power and aerial finesse, there’s much more to foot movement than you might think. Nicholas “Nic” Squiers, owner of Illawarra Surf Academy,…

9 min

Surfing Life|#369 - Summer 2023

WITH JAY “BOTTLE” THOMPSON

Affectionately known as “Bottle”, this Burleigh Heads icon has competed for most of his life; first as a grom against the Cooly Kids—Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Dean Morrison. Then, Bottle kicked off his career on the World Tour in 2006. In 2010, he scored a perfect 10 during the Billabong Pro at South Africa’s J-Bay. As we all know, former pro athletes make the best coaches: they’re hardworking, understand what it takes to be a pro (in and out of the water), and maintain their uber-competitiveness. Jay proves the rule: those who can, coach. Now a father of two, Coach Bottle firmly believes in balancing lifestyle and training. “Success,” he defines as “learning from your mistakes”. Jay has been coaching the likes of Liam O’Brien, Matt McGillivray, Morgan Cibilic…

3 min

Surfing Life|#369 - Summer 2023

TIME TO SCRAPE OFF YOUR BOARD

Though 2024 sparkles through our freshly clean windscreen, pro surfing’s rear-view mirror has left various dusty mileposts in its 2023 wake. You’d think the disastrous COVID lockdowns would provoke an awe-inspiring tour where wave-riding commoners could celebrate post-solidary confinement and, once again, vicariously “live the dream” of a globe-trotting professional surfer. After the pandemic ended and freedom to travel returned to the masses, we would never have expected the subpar yawnfests of World Tour mediocracy. What happened to revelling in the professional boundary-pushing performances at the best waves in the world, where we watch and hoot with mates while guzzling beers, the way Aussie cheer squads have done in bygone eras? Where is the glorious dream tour? Are we still in a COVID-induced coma, or is 2024 a chance to…

5 min

Surfing Life|#369 - Summer 2023

SEVEN SURFING SUBCULTURES

Surfers are like snowflakes; no two are the same, except for the top 20 on the Challenger Series, and they’re all pretty much clones of each other. Just kidding, every surfer is a unique being. Still, sociological research allows us to present a categorised smorgasbord of surfers, seven subcultures that make up our current culture. MUMAGERS AND SUPERGROMS The supergroms are multiplying by the day. These are boys and girls with mums and dads who grew up reading surf magazines, watching FUEL TV, and standing on the beach when the pro tour came to town, cheering for their favourite surfers. The parents surf well enough to have fun but, in most cases, not good enough to “make it as a pro”. There’s nothing wrong with supporting your kids and helping…

10 min

Surfing Life|#369 - Summer 2023

THE REIMAGINING

BOARDS In the late sixties, surfboard design underwent a massive shift where it seemed shapers were carving down boards by almost a foot of foam a week in the board design race. Many design innovations were achieved, dismissed, or moved past so quickly to the next concept that countless ideas were left in the foam dust. Surfing Life grabbed legendary shaper Murray “Muzz” Bourton, and together, we hunted down five of these early designs: To take a long look at them. To dream. To reimagine. We used these old, often-underrated plan shapes and added modern design principles to achieve something quite distinctive. When it came to selecting a surfer, the choice was easy. Luke “Louie” Hynd surfs with such style and flare it was hard to go past him. He’s…

11 min

Surfing Life|#369 - Summer 2023

THE LINEUP

LYSTRA ROSE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lystra, a First Nations multi-award-winning writer, has a background in design and education. She won the Ethel Turner Prize, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award, and the Black & Write Fellowship. Lystra shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Readings Prize, and NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and longlisted for the ARA Historical Novel Prize. Lystra loves surfing—it hydropowers her creativity. ANDREW SHIELD PHOTOGRAPHER Senior SL photographer, Shieldsy, was born in Brisbane and spent his early years surfing from Noosa to Byron Bay. He moved to the Gold Coast at seventeen and has been a full-time surf photographer since 1997. This internationally renowned surf documentarian shoots for numerous surf brands worldwide. RAY BISSCHOP PUBLISHER Ray is an award-winning designer and photographer with over three decades of experience. As a…

2 min

Surfing Life|#369 - Summer 2023

THE ZEN TAWAIS

TRAVEL When was the last time you lived in the moment? Modernday humans are constantly plugged in. Broadsided by emails, phone notifications, crowds and pressure, our animal brain is in a constant fight-or-flight state. Though it seems the dream job, a pro surfer’s livelihood hinges on every heat. Gruelling training schedules, funding travel, fluctuating emotions, and the need to appease sponsors with a social media presence leave little time to let go of the “athlete” mindset. Imagine the benefits of unplugging for a moment. Can we find “Zen” in a place where the journey is an enlightening adventure and escape from our complex lives by experiencing the simple joy of being? Australian junior champion Marlon “Marsy” Harrison and perennial contender Charli Hurst had just competed in the Nias Pro QS,…

16 min

Surfing Life|#369 - Summer 2023

SURVIVING DEATH

There are a lot of ways to die while surfing. This is not a subject to be taken lightly, as seemingly every year, we tragically go through the surfing-related death of surfers ranging from hometown heroes to elite-level pros to beginners just trying to figure things out. The list of tragic losses in surfing unfortunately grows by the year as well. The recent death of Mikala Jones, who suffered a life-ending fin cut in Indonesia, was another reminder that even the greatest are susceptible to mortal injury at the hand of a wave. In 1994, Mark Foo’s death at Mavericks shocked the surfing world. Through the years, the list of lost surfing heroes keeps growing—Malik Joyeux, Sion Milosky, Todd Chesser, Peter Davi, Kirk Passmore, Donnie Solomon—big-wave legends, both world-famous and…

16 min