Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2015 i Tracks

Wade Goodall knows the pain of a broken leg. It’s not a sharp searing white hot pain but a dull deep here-we-frigging-go-again pain. Three times he’s broken leg bones these last four years. In 2011 he crunched twin shins - tibia and fibula – after an awkward wipeout near Yamba. In 2013 he snapped the strongest bone in his body – the mighty femur – pencil-dropping onto dry reef at Spookies. Right now he’s recovering from a snapped tibia after attempting to dock an air on a malignant backwash. Serious injuries aren’t uncommon in elite modern surfing. Pushing boundaries in the ocean means accelerating the limits of the human body. Sports doctors see the results: ligaments stretched like hot mozzarella, cartilage ground down, vertebrae wrenched out of alignment, 16 inch…

LIB-TECH X LOST PUDDLE JUMPER COLLAB "Since I first saw Lib Tech’s ECO ISO construction, I wanted to build a board with it. The strength to weight ratio, eco minded materials and techniques was incredibly interesting to me.” – Matt Biolos. At the heart of Lib Tech’s new phase 3 ECO-ISO construction is Nitrogencell foam, loaded with nitrogen and engineered elongated cell structure for maximum compression strength and energy return. Nitrogenecell will not absorb water and is 25-40 percent recycled material. Lib-Tech also recycle 100 percent of the off-cuts into new foam. Hexzylon Fiberfoam surface skin enhances break strength, Basalt fibre, chosen for it’s high strength properties and vibration absorption is placed directly beneath the Hexszylon. Combined with a unique resin matrix that bridges the gap between polyester and epoxy.…

It’s been 10 years since Bruce Irons nailed the last section of Taylor Steele’s 2005 flick, Campaign. At the time the video part solidified his reputation as the best freesurfer in the world. His image forged by fearlessness in waves of consequence along with a radical rebellious spirit led to many labelling him one of surfing’s true rock stars. The million dollar contracts followed and at one point he was amongst the highest paid surfers in the world. However there have been lows. The inescapable pain of losing his brother, Andy, in 2010 almost triggered Bruce’s own demise. He disappeared from the mainstream and would appear briefly; often chasing a giant purple blob across the Pacific to places like Fiji, Tahiti and Mexico – his happy hunting grounds. But the…

By the time he arrived in Australia for the 1975 pro events, pint-sized Reno Abellira was the most Oz-savvy foreign surfer on the gipsy tour, a guy who had travelled far and wide and surfed waves that the other visitors didn't even know existed. Reno had first come as a very junior member of the Hawaiian team to compete in the 1970 world titles in Victoria, but he had already made friends with some of Australia's leading surfers and photographers through his outstanding performances on a scaled-down Brewer pintail gun at Honolua Bay in the 1968 season, and later that year at the world titles in Puerto Rico, where he, Russell Hughes, Wayne Lynch and Nat Young were the standout progressive surfers, riding a wide diversity of equipment. In 1973…

WESTERN WONDER My memories of the west coast of Australia feel sacred. The people were down to earth and as real can be. The countryside, although populated at times, contained certain places that were extremely untamed. The surfing locations were mind blowing. From back-beaches that stretched off in directions as far as one could see, to isolated, cliff hidden secret spots that opened themselves up at times to those fearless enough to try their luck. Local surfers that you would pass upon the streets unrecognised, in the water were absolutely phenomenal athletes, and would have attached an unspoken and revered legend status. These folk were very humble and possessed a quest that exists nowhere else in modern western society. Communities were tight knit, and people would seriously look out for…

CHECK OUT THE #FRIDAYHECKLE @TRACKSMAG INSTAGRAM AND ON TRACKSMAG.COM While the news that Dane had been given another wild-card, this time to J-Bay, had most of us fans salivating at the prospect, we can't help but wonder if some of the hardened WQS players might be feeling like the deck is stacked against them. Owen Wright's surfing at heavy Cloudbreak had his rivals feeling like they'd been cleaned out while the rest of us punters are forever in his debt having witnessed one of the most incredible performances in surfing history. They better be saving up for Teahupoo. With this intimate glimpse into his personal photo album, Charlie Rodrigues, stepfather and closest confidant to Gabriel Medina, shows that he's not going to let six months of poor results…

The first thing you notice about Filipe Toledo are his eyes. They appear wild, yellow and bloodshot red – battered by the sun, saltwater and wind. Look closer and they give way to light hazel. Then there are the tattoos that are as common as Instagram followers for pro surfers. A combination of tribal, neo-traditional and religious work decorates his arms, hands and legs. With ink and airs this quintessential gen-y poster boy has run riot in 2015. He blew minds on the Gold Coast with a win he seemed predestined for from round one and then did it again in front of the biggest home crowd ever recorded in Rio. World Title wasn’t a phrase you’d associate with Filipe twelve months ago, but the aerial whiz kid has silenced…

There were high hopes for this year’s inaugural Paskowitz Cup. Featuring teams from Turkey, Yemen, Cyprus, Israel, it was set to be the most prestigious surfing competition in the Middle East. There was, however, controversy from the start, when Hamas’ Minister for Surfing, Jalaal El-Ghazzawy, insisted that the competition be held at Sheikh Khazdein. ‘Gaza’s beaches are second to none,’ he said, ‘so why shouldn’t the Cup be held here?’ The claim was immediately rejected by the Israelis, who tweeted a statement saying, ‘Gaza’s beaches suck, Tel Aviv’s beaches rule, and everyone knows it.’ El-Ghazzawy immediately tweeted back that Hamas didn’t recognise the existence of Tel Aviv’s beaches or, for that matter, of Tel Aviv. Following an emergency meeting of the WSL, it was finally agreed that the event would…