Summer Issue

ISSN 1036-3491
NZ $18.95 incl. GST
AU $17.95 incl. GST

04 2024 Wrap-Up | Desert Point & Dirt Bikes | Hottest 100 | Humble Beginnings
9 771036 349005 City-Centre Surfing | Bathymetry Behaviour | Rocketing Rockers | Next Set
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Issue 373: Summer

Surfer: M.ilham Hadi

Photo: Ray Bisschop

SURFING LIFE 6
 THE DROP

hundu wanhtharra, fellow frother—welcome to

another Aussie summer!
No longer slinking in spring’s shadows, summertime vibes
intensify as the darkest hours become the shortest and daylight
stretches to its longest form. Bare feet dash across sadistic sand,
tanned torsos slash through sweaty air and launch into the
denim drink, adding more brine to those salt-matted manes.
From December to February, a seething heat beckons all to
the sea. To the sea! The Southern Hemisphere’s summer holiday
celebrates Christmas and New Year’s with many businesses
shutting up shop for their slice of sandy paradise, envious of
teachers and students who enjoy six to eight weeks of prime
beach time.
Summer’s aura is intense and bright. Her sunny disposition
is glaringly evident as she gazes at us reflectively. The
blistering days conjure thunderous afternoon storms, which
cool and calm the Earth’s outer crust (and its inhabitants)
while simultaneously unleashing a charged energy into the
atmosphere—a frothfestation preventing us from settling. Also
known as the wet season in Australia’s tropical and subtropical
regions, cyclonic-driven swell reaches our coastline, along
with eager weather stalkers who wait with waxed boards and
psyched minds.
Daylight is maxed out. Life jammed on full throttle. And
New Year gushes in a renewed hope of fresh dreams to be
fulfilled, opportunities to be nurtured, expectations to be
exceeded. With life’s highs and lows, our surf communities
become crucial as we ride watery valleys and mountains—
unable to grab, hold, or keep—chaos being a constant of
oceanic living. We join like-minded waterfolk whose riches are
found in a different kind of bank.
A bank of shifting sands.
Money can’t buy time or energy. Still, we measure wealth
in unquenchable barrels of joy, speed-demoning down aquatic
cliffs till our stamina is depleted, bodies are salt-swollen and
sunburnt yet, we’re fulfilled. An identity-driven satisfaction
wells from our depths, an indescribable intimacy between the
ocean and a deep knowing of being and doing and living in a
manner worthy of the life (or oceanic transaction of energy)
gifted to us. Yet all we can manage is an extravagant grin, telling
our mates about our “sick session”, knowing we’ll be back for
more. An insatiable thirst requires daily marine medicine and
more drawn-out sunlit days.
Is an endless summer a type of freedom surfing?
Claustrophobic wetsuits are left shrivelled in some dark
abandoned place. Sun-lovin’ surfers hold onto naive disbelief
that these lingering, warm, waterlogged days will, somehow,
last forever. Can those summer-filled memories maintain our
youthful souls through the harsher climate of our lives?
An endless summer is a mindset. An attainable hope. An
unlikely concoction.
The soul-surfer’s golden auro unites madness and
mindfulness, as we anticipate the rhythm on the horizon.
Each swell-seeker knows that feeling of illogical duality: a
sense of belonging while dancing to the beat of one’s ocean-
metronomed drum.
Ignore the ‘you should have been here yesterday’ trolls. Your
endless summer starts today; it’s up to you to carry it through
life’s other seasons. When it comes to summer in this great
southern land, one thing is sure ...
’Tis the sea-sun to be salty.

Lystra Rose, editor-in-chief,

and the SL crew

Lystra is a Guugu Yimithirr, Birri Gubba, and Mua/Erub (Torres Strait Islander)
woman of Scottish ancestry, living on Yugambeh-speaking Country (Gold Coast),
culturally connected to Elders and Traditional Custodians. “Nhundu wanhtharra”
roughly translates as “how are you” in Guugu Yimithirr.

SURFING LIFE 7
CONTENTS

S U M M E R

Features
Sections
22
TRAVEL: DESERT POINT & DIRT BIKES
Nathan Cook dirt bikes and surfs his way through Lombok, accompanied

06 - The Drop
by West Nusa Tenggara’s rising talent.

10 - Forecast
14 - The Lineup
20 - Framed 40 SURFERS: HOTTEST 100
Down Under heats up in this summer edition as we introduce the upper echelon
of Aussie surf groms: the top 50 girls and the top 50 guys of 2024.

110 - Next Set

58
CULTURE: HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
112 - Subscribe When boards, leggies, rashies, boardies, fins, wax—every surfing accessory seems to have been
113 - BookStore around for eons, we turn back time to get the genesis of all things surf and all surf things.

72
WAVES: CITY-CENTRE SURFING
Moments Wave pool technology doesn’t get as environmentally friendly as this inner city canal’s. It’s
one of a kind and has Rotterdam’s city slickers swapping collared suits for neoprene ones.

16 82
2024 WRAP-UP
TECHNIQUE: BATHYMETRY BEHAVIOUR
Gain expert advice on how to surf different types of bottoms so you don’t end up
on the bottom.

We waxed lyrical about 2024, an end-of-

the-year analysis, picking at the build-up

96
of old wax with salt-crusted-eyed scrutiny.
No matter how manky old wax gets, the BOARDS: ROCKETING ROCKERS
New Year is about scraping off the old Success loves speed. Murray Bourton, shaper connoisseur, breaks down the
and applying a fresh coat to gain ample accelerator pedal of every surfboard so we can grasp our need for speed.
grip on your surfing life.

SURFING LIFE 8 Photo: Bisschop

FORECAST

With Rod Brooks

Our global ocean community brims with unexpected characters. Sometimes, they’re famous. Most times, they’re more
knowledgeable than us. Ofttimes, they glimpse into what’s coming: lines on surfing’s horizon. Forecast predicts a future
event or trend; we yarn with former ASP Chairman of Events, former ASP Board Member, former ISA Technical Chairman,
and 25-year veteran at Quiksilver before retiring, Rod Brooks, as he peers into the distance.
Surfing Life: After serving as the ASP “postage stamp” size vision on the web team or women’s event. G-Land is a very
Events Council Chairman leading up to page along with the live scores on audio. remote location, and the cost of providing
the sale to the WSL, do you think the Freezing and buffering became a big everything necessary for today’s CT events
direction of the World Tour will hold its problem with the live vision for the next is difficult to manage. I always liked the old
current form? few years. It has come a very long way Dream Tour locations like Snapper, Bells,
Rod: The old ASP was really on its last legs in a fairly short time and at a very high Margaret River, Pipeline, Sunset, Trestles,
when it was sold in 2013 to the WSL. All broadcast cost. Fiji, Tahiti, J-Bay, and Hossegor (France).
the events on Tour were financed along
with the TV broadcast by three major As a previous chairman of the ISA, do Do we need changes in the women’s side
surf companies, Quiksilver, Billabong and you think they are poised to create a of the WSL, possibly evening up the
Rip Curl and one or two others from time second World Tour and compete with numbers with the men?
to time. By 2013, that surf industry was the WSL? I think it’s too early just yet to increase the
running into trouble financially, and ASP I think the ISA will be working on getting women’s side of the WSL, even though the
WCT events were costing about three paraplegic surfing into the Olympics, along current crop surfs amazingly. But it’s not
million dollars each to run. The WSL with some other surf-related events. The too far away. The numbers on the men’s
offered a new plan that would allow for a ISA has almost 200 member countries, and side would need to be reduced to keep the
better broadcast for fans and more prize many are still new to surfing. They have competition window for good waves about
money for the surfers. Since that sale, the the World Surfing Games, which train and the same.
WSL has been finding new sponsors and cater for member countries, providing an
playing with the old format, attempting to excellent pathway to the Olympics as they Having men’s and women’s events at
create a permanently viable Tour. are the recognised global surfing body for different times and locations was very
the amateur side of the sport. To qualify as difficult cost-wise. Also, juggling event
Some of the old “Dream Tour” locations sponsors was difficult. Many events are
an Olympic sport, the ISA and the WSL
were difficult to gain full support from government supported now, too. They like
came to an agreement (basically live and
the government locally for a while. Some men and women at the same time, which
let live) in order to have five contestants
were dropped off the Tour because of a keeps the cost down for every sponsor
and the best surfers in the world represent.
lack of support. However, in 2025, two involved. Also, fans enjoy the broadcast
They all still need to have had a surf in the
Dream Tour locations, Fiji and Snapper, when men and women are at the same
ISA World Surfing Games
have stepped up and will return. Also, event.
to qualify.
Fiji will hold the finals for the world titles
instead of Trestles. So, the 2025 Tour will [Editor’s note on publishing day: Rod’s
look a lot more like the old Dream Tour Can the WSL maintain its trajectory, and
prediction of “it’s no too far away” is
(with three events in Australia). Overall, how would it improve on what they are on point. At the time of writing, the
it has taken the WSL time to sort out the currently doing? WSL Commissioner Jessi Miley-Dyer
commercial viability, and we always knew They can still slightly improve tour announces, “… starting in 2026, the
it would, given the state of the old surf locations, including better wave pools. Women’s Championship Tour will expand
industry and the attitudes of some local The judging needs to be better understood to 24 surfers.”1]
governments. by the fans, and this was done well by the
ISA at the recent Olympics where they With all of the wave pools opening up
For those surf fans who aren’t pleased controlled the broadcast. I think a camera around the world, do you see a wave pool
with how the WSL is currently run, what in the judging area with comments from world title competition forming?
can be done to get them back? the head judge would create interest in Definitely, wave pools will develop and
Hopefully, surf fans will appreciate the the broadcast, particularly with some improve. Several technologies are being
new changes made to the 2025 Dream of the clock stoppers. Judges don’t like used by different companies and other
Tour locations. The surfers all seem much cameras and audio, but if something could new ones are still being developed. They’re
happier going forward. Internally, the be worked out, that’s fine. I didn’t like the all a bit different, like surf locations. So
WSL has a surfers’ advisory group, who ISA sending home that judge from the a tour going around to several different
help steer the rules and direction of events. Olympics, but I think more info on judging types of wave pools could be interesting.
Also, for fans, the broadcast is still FREE could prevent that type of stuff. Longboard comps in wave pools are also
and available on multiple platforms. Extra another choice. Some companies are
camera angles, drones, and broadcast You ran one of the greatest events ever looking to make the waves bigger, but not
quality are excellent. at G-Land. Should we go back there, or yet developed. Things are moving forward
what 10 locations would make up the with wave pools, and it will be interesting
I can remember in 2000, at Cloudbreak, best World Tour? to see the next stage.
only broadcasting audio and live scores G-Land proved difficult to run when the
Notes:
and only on the ASP website. Tim Tour went back a few years ago. I’m not
1. Miley-Dyer, Jessi (2024, 14 Nov). WSL Announces
Bonython was shooting a TV-sized camera sure why, but it’s still a great location for a Expanded Women’s Field for 2026 Championship
from the tower. We hooked Tim’s camera CT event. When I ran that event in 1995, Tour. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/
up to the internet and were able to run a ’96 and ’97, we had no major broadcast jessmileydyer/

SURFING LIFE 10
Young during Bells Beach events.
Photos: Courtesy Rod Brooks’ collection

SURFING LIFE 11
The World’s biggest
surf playground

• Pitstops
• Rifles
• Kandui
• Bank Vaults
• Hideaways
• E-Bay
• Burgerworld
• Beng Bengs
• Nipussi
• 4 Bobs
• A-Frames
• dozens more to choose from
Photos: Vere Dixon Smith

Surf stoke lives here!

With the Pitstops wave this close to your bungalow and so many other breaks
to choose from, there’s no wonder why more surfers are booking
Mentawai Surf Retreat as their number 1 surf destination.

2024/25 bookings now open!

www.mentawaisurfretreat.co
 CONTRIBUTORS
THE LINEUP
EDITORIAL
Kate Allman Lauren Hill
John Andrews Lemon Holliday
Tim Baker Jake Howard
Jackson Barron Brad Hutchins
Will Bendix Luke "Louie" Hynd
Tessa Berkeley Phil Jarratt
Russell Bierke Craig Jarvis
Chris Binns Jonathan Jenkins
Murray Bourton Scott Johnstone
Daniel Brennan Candice Land
Brad Bricknell Ben Macartney
LYSTRA ROSE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RAY BISSCHOP PUBLISHER ANDREW SHIELD PHOTOGRAPHER Michael Ciaramella Craig Macintyre
Liz Clark Andrew McKinnon
Noah Cohan Kate McMahon
Lystra, a First Nations award-winning Ray is an award-winning designer Senior SL photographer, Shieldsy, was Chris Coté Toby Mossop
writer, has a background in design and photographer with over three born in Brisbane and spent his early Ricky Dann Graeme Murdoch
Andy Davis Taylor Paul
and education. She won the Ethel decades of experience. This creative years surfing from Noosa to Byron Keiran Deck Tom Pearsall
Rambo Estrada Chris Peel
Turner Prize, the Victorian Premier’s genius hosts Surfing Life TV (on Bay. He moved to the Gold Coast at Jaymie Faber Derek Rielly
Literary Award, and the Black & Write Garage Entertainment, Fetch, Fuel TV seventeen and has been a full-time Sosefina Fuamoli Michael Saunders
Lachlan Garutti Steve Shearer
Fellowship. Lystra shortlisted for the and The Surf Network), Surfing Life surf photographer since 1997. Matt George Chas Smith
Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, Radio with Matt Grainger, Surfing Life This internationally renowned surf Joey Griffiths Jed Smith
Cameron Grover Jesse Starling
Readings Prize, and NSW Premier’s Travel (Season one out now on above documentarian shoots for numerous Kaipo Guerrero Luke Surplice
Ashleigh Harnwell Kerry Wright
Literary Awards and longlisted for channels) and is a Red Bull Illume surf brands worldwide. Cert no. L2/0101.2016 Tim Hawken Sam Zubevich
the ARA Historical Novel Prize. Lystra photography judge. A mad-keen surfer
loves surfing—it hydropowers for over four decades, Ray loves the PHOTOGRAPHIC
Jason Acott David Kirkland
her creativity. “three-foot rule” lifestyle. Ibrahim Ayaz Richard Kotch
Jack Barripp Kerry Langdon
John Barton Mike Latronic
Scott Bauer Alex Laurel
Leroy Bellet Nat Lawrence
Brian Bielmann Steven Lippman
David Biner Angela Louise
Ian Bird Anuanua Lucas
Peter Bohler Morgan Maassen
Peter Boskovich Uri Magnus
John Brumfield Tim McKenna
Chris Burkard Cait Miers
Josh Burkinshaw Ryan Miller
Josh Bystrom Trevor Moran
John Callahan Lance Morgan
TRAVIS JOHNSON WORDS AND PICS JACKSON BARRON JOURNALIST TESSA BERKELEY JOURNALIST Chloe Candarakis
Tom Carey
Billy Morris
Domenic Mosquera
Kelly Cestari Rafael Moura
Trav is a skilful wordsmith and an Jacko is a Gold Coast-based Surfing is Tessa’s second love. Her Jason Childs Trevor Murphy
Andrew Chisholm Mickey Nattz
award-winning photographer. This scribbler who is probably in the first came when she put pen to Andrew Christie Marc Nicholson
Gold Coast-born lensman captures water while you are reading this paper. These two passions have Mitch Clark Shayne Nienaber
Antony Colas Ricky Nomad
elite surfers in solid swells—doing sentence. A former suit-wearing dictated her life, from competing Ray Collings Jack O’Grady
Ryan "Chachi" Craig Nathan Oldfield
anything to nail the perfect shot— reporter turned shirtless copywriter as a surfer on the ’QS to pursuing Mick Curley Russell Ord
from Pipeline to maxed-out Margies. and freelancer, his words have been journalism. Nowadays, Tessa Hilton Dawe Rod Owen
Jack Dekort Matt Owers
published in various surf mags and explores the Australian coastline, Jeff Divine Marcus Paladino
Damea Dorsey Tom Pearsall
international news outlets, and he is surfing an eclectic quiver, travelling Matt Dunbar Shane Peel
very happy to be here. and writing. Sam Elsom Harry Pieters
Rambo Estrada Fred Pompermayer
Sean Evans Andy Potts
Wayne Evans Russell Quinn
PODCAST NOW ON SPOTIFY Joel Everad Jason Reposar
Greg Ewing John Respondek
ON THE COVER: Kim Feast Timmy Ridenour
RADIO

Ishka Folkwell Zach Sanders

Lynden Foss Sarah Saunders
Pete Frieden Andrew Semark
Looking around every corner on an Jorge Garcia Roger Sharp
Lachlan Garutti Angus Sheridan
island with a thousand bays can take a Adam Gibson Steve Sherman
Stu Gibson Ed Sloane
long time. With local guides, it didn’t take Jonathan Giovanni DJ Struntz
Todd Glaser Luke Surplice
us any time at all. They hooked us up Mike Gleeson Geoff Swan
with this little secret spot that will remain Pedro Gomes Josh Tabone

nameless. Nathan “Cookie” Cook went BROADCAST TELEVISION Woody Gooch

Ted Grambeau
Ian Thurtell
James Tull
Davis Hansen Nathan Tyack
wild, boosting over some shallow and Garage Entertainment Surfing Life TV Odell Harris Malachi Urquhart
Fetch/FuelTV Surfing Life TV Jules Hatton-Ward Jacob van der Work
sketchy reef. Conditions were way more Dan Hayward Alan van Gysen
Apple Docplay Surfing Life Travel TV Ryan Heywood Federico Vanno
solid than they appeared from the beach Prime Docplay Surfing Life Travel TV Samuel Hollingsworth Martin Von Stoll
Dick Hoole Rob Walters
when you had no surfers to reference in Spence Hornby Mark Warren
the lineup. Dustin Humphrey Steven Wilcox
SOCIAL MEDIA Mark Hunter Alex Williams
Calin Jones Guy Williment
COVER PHOTO & WORDS BY RAY BISSCHOP INSTAGRAM @surfinglife Peter Jovic
Jordan "Nugget" Keir
Corey Wilson
Peter "Joli" Wilson
X - Twitter @surfinglife Jason Kenworthy Scott Winer
Facebook /SurfingLifeMagazine George Kettle Adam Wolfenden
Mike Killion

EDITORIAL ADVERTISE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Lystra Rose Ray Bisschop TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS
SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Andrew Shield 0410 520 525
SENIOR STAFF WRITER: Jackson Barron [email protected] Surfing Life magazine acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the
chagun (earth) and yarrabum (waves of sea) on which we work and play.
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER/WRITER: Travis Johnson
We pay respect to the traditional families of the Yugambeh language
STAFF WRITER: Tessa Berkeley
SUBSCRIBE region of South East Queensland, including the Kombumerri, Mununjali,
Wangerriburra and others, and their Elders past and present. We also
www.surfinglife.com.au
OPERATIONS or contact
acknowledge all Traditional Custodians of the land and waters throughout
PUBLISHER: Ray Bisschop Australia (and the world) and pay respects to them, their cultures, and their
[email protected]
Elders, past and present. The words chagun and yarrabum are spoken in
ADMINISTRATION: Angela Thompson
the Gold Coast region’s Yugambeh language.
PRINTER: PrintCraft
DISTRIBUTOR: ARE Media SUBMIT
Editorial Submissions
[email protected] DISCLAIMER
PUBLISHER This publication offers surfing tips, fitness, techniques, and other
Surfing Life is a quarterly publication by an independent surfer-owned company, Photographic Submissions information for educational purposes only. This is not a substitute, nor
Ink and Pixel Media Pty Ltd, PO Box 4439 Elanora, QLD 4221, which is based on the [email protected] does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment,
Gold Coast, Australia. Views expressed by authors are not necessarily those of the
and you should always consult a doctor or healthcare provider first.
publisher. Copyright is reserved, which means you can’t scan our pages and put them
on your website or anywhere else. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited.

SURFING LIFE 14
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MOMENTS

2024 Wrap-Up
Prophesied champions & the inevitable rise of surf longevity
WORDS BY JACKSON BARRON

I n a year of foreshadowed world champions rising

to the top, Olympic tube duels in death-defying
Tahitian holes, legends of the sport hanging up the
Teahupo‘o.
Outside of the men’s round of 16 held in black, scary
ten-footers, conditions throughout the Olympic event
rashie for the last time and the collective surfing never really amounted to much, leaving some surfers
zeitgeist finally opening up to looking after ourselves on the wrong side of priority and contending with a flat
in the brine, one man has stood tall at the centre of it ocean in their heats. Five-time world champion Carissa
all—Mr John Alexander Florence. Moore announced her retirement from the sport after
After several injury-plagued false starts and the going down in a slow encounter, surfing the event at
reconstruction of both knees, 2024 was the first time nearly three months pregnant with her
in eight years that the undisputed best surfer in the first child.
world was recognised with the WSL world title. On With a giant like Carissa leaving competitive surfing
an inconsistent Friday afternoon at Lower Trestles in behind, it makes you wonder if Steph Gilmore will do
September, John John dropped a larry from hell to take the same. The 36-year-old took a sabbatical from the
down Brazilian Ítalo Ferreira and join the exclusive Tour for the 2024 season with intentions to return, but
club of three-time world champions that includes Mick with her greatest threat to her record legacy of seven
Fanning, Andy Irons, Tom Curren, Mark Richards and world titles now out of the frame, maybe Steph will
Kelly Slater. take the opportunity to do the same and let the younger
John’s title capped off a stellar year for the Hawaiian, women have at it?
competing in the Olympics for the second time, And Kelly retired, too? Yeah, we’ll believe it when
becoming a father to his son Darwin and riding an we see it. The GOAT has had more retirements than
explosive wave of popularity for his brand, Florence. John Farnham, so don’t be surprised if you see him
Been to the tropics lately? Those hooded rashies are creeping around the comp site with or without his so-
everywhere! At the helm alongside his brothers in far-nameless newborn son for another shot at Pipe glory
their pursuit of surf gear that is functional, protective in January.
and built to last, the 32-year-old has tapped into the Huge congrats to Aussie WT qualifiers Joel Vaughan,
international surfing population’s inevitable lust for George Pittar, Isabella Nichols and Sally Fitzgibbons—
surf longevity and newfound desire for products that who is still as spritely as ever at 33 and ready for another
let us surf longer and more comfortably in the most crack at the Championship Tour. The WSL has pushed
demanding elements. back the silly midyear cut to after the 7th event for
And it’s not just sun and weather protection the 2025 season, giving rookies a better chance to get
either—surf helmets have become a mainstay of lineups comfortable in the big leagues and surf their best to
worldwide as surfers drop the fashion faux pas to protect shake up the status quo in the world rankings.
themselves in the act of doing what they love. One of Attn: WSL—please sort out your tour qualification
the most prominent advocates for strapping up your process, especially for the women. If you’re not in the
melon before paddling out ... 2024 WSL Women’s World top 10 women in the world, you don’t make the top-tier
Champion, tour, and you’re lost in the wilderness if you’re not in the
Caity Simmers. top 15. There’s gotta be a better way to stop the ping-
From “Pipeline is for the f*cking girls” in Hawai‘i pong on-and-off trajectory of middle-ranked surfers over
in January to searing rail gouges on Lower’s roping the last few years.
righthand walls at the WSL Final 5, the 18-year-old [Editor’s note on publishing day: The WSL
from Oceanside fulfilled the predictions of surf pundits Commissioner Jessi Miley-Dyer announces, “Under the
all over the globe to take home her first world title. new format, the 2026 women’s field will include the Top
Simmers’ win marked yet another push in the changing 14 surfers from the CT, the Top 7 qualifiers from the
of the guard in the women’s surfing world in 2024, Challenger Series, two WSL Seasonal Wildcards, and
following Floridian Caroline Marks’ 2023 World Title one Event Wildcard.”1
and leaving the Steph Gilmore, Carissa Moore and Tyler Though a move in the right direction, we are still 10
Wright dominant era further in the past. surfers short of the men’s.]
Two Thousand and Twenty-Four wasn’t a bad year But you know what? Despite all the glory,
for Marks either, with the 22-year-old world title runner- all the cones and all the performances of athletic
up claiming a gold medal in surfing’s second dance at the brilliance throughout the surfing world year—
Olympic Games. Held a startling 16,000 km away from if you ask your non-surfing mates what the biggest thing
the host city of Paris in the idyllic tropical paradise at in surfing was this year, you know what they’ll say?
Teahupo‘o, Marks and local Tahitian Kauli Vaast became Gabriel Medina’s viral
surfing’s newest global superstars in the eyes of the Olympic kickout.
mainstream world as Olympic champions. Growing up Go figure.
on the nearby island of Vairao and first surfing the deadly Notes:
reef at just eight years old, Vaast used his extensive local 1. Miley-Dyer, Jessi (2024, 14 Nov). WSL Announces Expanded Women’s
knowledge to stave off a competitive field and realise Field for 2026 Championship Tour. Retrieved from https://www.
his stance as the premier surfer in all conditions at instagram.com/jessmileydyer/

SURFING LIFE 16
Joel Vaughan slots into the 2025 World
Championship Tour. Congrats champ!
Photo: Shield

SURFING LIFE 17
FRAMED

SURFING LIFE 20
T he harbour in Newcastle breaks only
on big swells, so it’s a rare wave to
score. The water is gross from all the
run-off (it’s not uncommon to get a sore
throat), and no-one really knows what’s
on the bottom. The wave itself, though,
is great. This day, the vibes amongst the
crowd were full of stoke. Shooting fish-eye
nicely places the wave with how close it is
to the breakwall. This was Josh’s first wave
that day, and he had to scratch hard to
get into it as it snuck under the pack. The
wedge off the harbour wall linked up to
turn it into a whole different beast.

Words and photo: Adam Wolfenden

Surfer: Josh Levey
Aperture value: f/8
Exposure time: 1/1000
Focal length: 15 mm Fisheye
ISO speed: 160

SURFING LIFE 21
Travel

Desert Point & Dirt Bikes

Nathan Cook surfs with West Nusa Tenggara’s rising talent
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY RAY BISSCHOP

SURFING LIFE 22
 Sometimes, you have to walk,
but when an opportunity to surf
a 300-metre lefthand reef pass is
at the end of the track, you’re not
dragging your feet.

SURFING LIFE 23
 “D eserts … I had always wanted
to go there. It was definitely
high on my bucket list.” Pro-surfer
30-minute drive to Kuta Lombok,
where we set up our base of operations
to surf and bike around the south of
Nathan Cook states a common dream the island.
of many wave-hunters. Many people say Lombok is what
When planning a bragfest surf Bali was like 20 years ago, and it’s a
trip, laced with Endless Summer privilege to experience that step back
undertones, there are nostalgic-themed in time.
specifics one wants to achieve, places “Landing in Lombok for the
to visit and breaks worthy of epic first time was different, but it was
tales. The initial plan is to surf around cool,” says Nathan. “Lots of people
Lombok, then cruise to Sumbawa to everywhere. I was a little bit tired, and
check a few more breaks. I didn’t really know where we were
Three days in, and swell is coming. supposed to be. Then, we finally met
The kind of swell that makes Desert up with the lads [Owen from Fringe
Point more lucrative than other breaks Holidays and our transfer driver],
we were eye-balling. And, as all good and from there, it was pretty smooth
frothmongers know, positioning is sailing,” Nathan explains.
everything, so Desert Point rapidly We drive into Kuta, the main town
becomes our single focus. of the southern region.
Planning any trip, we enlist expert “As soon as we pulled up,” Nath
help. Fringe Holidays are renowned says, “I was like Wow, this place is
for their adaptiveness. It’s important amazing! It’s definitely one of the nicer
to work with like-minded people places I’ve seen.”
who aren’t locked into concrete People expect pro surfers to have
itineraries but believe plans should travelled everywhere and surfed all the
be as fluid as swell. Fringe Holidays bucket-list spots. It’s special to be here
propose a unique for Nathan’s inaugural
idea, combining visit and hear his
surfing and motor- views.
cross—instinctively,
we know it suits “I liked the “Lombok is
definitely a lot quieter

A-frame
Central Coaster and in terms of people on
QS charger Nathan the road, and we’re
“Cookie” Cook and not surfing with 300
his speed-demon
appetite. He agrees lefts and people out at Uluwatu
as well, so it’s a lot
to join us for this
adventure into a
timeless land where
rights.” quieter, and I like that
a lot.”
We agree,
jungle meets surf. thankful there are
However, three no Bukit Peninsular
days in, a hair-wrenching blob on bottlenecks here. Meeting our local
the swell charts change everything. surf guides and soon-to-be new
Itineraries are adjusted—even friends, Sahrul Gunawan (Rul) and
discarded. Instead, we follow the swell M.ilham Hadi (Adi), who join us in
and our gut. This Lombok sojourn isn’t our Lombok escapades and introduce
Travel: Desert Point & Dirt Bikes

the standard story about a successful us to their treasured home breaks

strike mission but, like many holiday and cultural experiences. We enjoy a
victims before us, a well-devised Mie Goreng at Ombak Warung and
vacation to a tropical island in Indo can establish a big part of our jaunt: jokes.
present its own plot twist, delivering “We had a lot of fun,” Adi agrees.
suspense, danger and surprises (that “We make jokes all the time. It was so
fiction brags about) only found in this much fun.”
eye-stabbing true tale. “Heaps of laughs with the boys,”
Adventures start slow (then fast- Nathan adds. “They’re just non-stop
forward to the finale before anyone’s going all day. They’ve always got
ready)—flying out of Brisbane something to say that’s always funny,
Airport to Denpasar, Bali, followed cracking jokes, such good value,” he
by a long wait for our luggage at the says, laughing.
international terminal, then a short Although there’s a promising swell
walk to the domestic to jump on a on the horizon, we don’t wait to
flight to Lombok. Bali is easy-access explore the local waves.
for Aussies. The small twin-prop plane “Seger was really cool,” Nath says.
to Lombok made the puddle jump a “I liked the A-frame lefts and rights. It
breeze. There are other options from was really sick. Pulling up and seeing
Bali to Lombok, but this must be the it from the car and then going down
simplest if you are already flying into to the warungs, it was cool, and the
Denpasar. The Lombok International waves were fun, and then throughout
Airport is conveniently located a the whole tide it was fun.”

SURFING LIFE 24
 With Penida Island in the
background, this famed
reef pass delivers solid turn
sections before surfers find
the green room.

SURFING LIFE 25
Travel: Desert Point & Dirt Bikes

Slotted at his home break,

Rul shows what born and
raised in Areguling means.

SURFING LIFE 26
SURFING LIFE 27
 Unlike some breaks that are And this is our daily ritual: surf
destroyed by certain tides, Cookie till our bones ache, then refuel with
explains further. “The waves change, some of the best food on the planet.
but it was good the whole time,” he The kind of food that elicits an
says. “The backdrop of the place was embarrassing groan or two.
unreal, so much better than what I Plans of surfing locally, then
thought it was going to be.” heading over to Sumbawa, as foretold,
Nathan pauses for a bit as if are in serious jeopardy, but it’s a small
contemplating his assumptions. “I price when the opportunity to surf
didn’t know what to expect,” he one of the world’s best lefts opens
eventually says, “but it’s so much up. We’ve all heard a hundred “strike
prettier than what I expected. All the mission” stories of pro surfers chasing
mountains, it just looked like Hawai‘i swell, and like you, we are envious of
or something. I wasn’t expecting it.” this obvious privilege. However, if a
Seger is one of those prodigious trip is set up the right way, anyone can
waves that slips under the radar, successfully do their version of a
mainly because it’s not a 300-metre- strike mission.
long wave, yet its consistency and Book a base, somewhere that
location make it a great option. The guarantees a bed if things evacuate
setup on the beach is also brilliant, down the mine shaft. With Kuta
with a handful of warungs to grab a (Lombok) as our base, we plan to
feed, and the stadium-like structure jump on motocross bikes and trail to
where you can sit and watch all the Sumbawa. But a skin-prickling swell
action. We finish at Seger with a three- is coming, so instead of going east, we
a-day session and head back to our accelerate west.
accommodation Sumbawa being
to freshen up and in the opposite
set out for direction to Desert
an authentic Point means visiting
Indo feed.
The food in “It was coated Deserts forgoes
our island hop to
Lombok will rival
the best Asian
cuisine you will
in that nice Sumbawa. But, with
Desert Point high on
Nath’s bucket list,
find. There are
so many options, garlic sauce the decision is kinda
straight forward.
and the crew from
Fringe Holidays
introduce us
on the open Desert Point is a
two-and-a-half-hour
drive from Kuta.
to all the local
hot spots. Many grill on We rise early, pack
the car, and venture
Western options
exist, but we can the side of the west. Armed with a
coffee (in a can) and

road.”
get those back a few pastries, the
home. We hunt for road over is cruisy.
homegrown Indo Owen takes care of
chow and weren’t all the driving, so the
disappointed. surfers use darkness
“The food before dawn to invest
Travel: Desert Point & Dirt Bikes

has been unreal. Yeah, so good, just in more shut-eye.

going to all the local spots,” Nath says. As light creeps above the horizon,
“I don’t think I had one bad meal. picturesque scenes of bays with fishing
Everything has been so good. The local boats and Gili’s (Islands) add to our
cuisine is so good,” he chuckles and panoramic journey. Everything is
adds, “especially the Seafood Pepes.” going smashingly until we pass through
“Seafood Pepes” is said like a the final village and onto the dirt track,
prayer to the gods of great food. which should take us to the hallowed
During our nightly hunts for top nosh, Desert Point. The first part of the track
we are presented with another taste- goes without a hitch. It is a little rough
bud tantaliser. as expected, but then we hit a fork in
“The seafood grill we also went to the road (think pitchfork).
called Fish Bones Warung with all the The left would take us to Desert
fish laid out on the side of the street,” Point—sounds easy enough if we
Cookie explains, “and you picked what had a basic four-wheel drive, but our
you wanted: the fish, squid and prawns rental is not a fourbie. We are in a van.
were ridiculous. It was coated in that Loaded to the rafters with surfers and
nice garlic sauce on the open grill on boards, the track has more holes than
the side of the road.” a cheese grater. Choked with washouts
You can almost hear Nathan’s belly and potholes that could rip the bottom
grumble—hungry for more. “Wow,” he out of most road vehicles, everyone
says and gulps, “it was ridiculous—so jumps out to guide Owen up the so-
good! It was freshly caught that day.” called track.

SURFING LIFE 28
 Desert Point is a long,
barrelling wave that spurs
Nathan’s creativity.

SURFING LIFE 29
Travel: Desert Point & Dirt Bikes

A solid righthander without a soul around.

Surprising, considering a couple of bays
over it’s shoulder to shoulder.

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For the Traveller
Although Bahasa Indonesia [baˈhasa indoˈnesja]
is the official language spoken in every island of
Indonesia, it is the Sasak people’s second language.
Below are Sasak words and phrases locals taught us.

English Sasak
Hello Halo
How are you? Berembeh kabar?
Thank you Tampak asih
You’re welcome Pade-pade
Excuse me Tabe
Yes Aok (as in “ow”)
No En’dek
My name is ... Aranka ku ...
What’s your name? Saik aranm side?
I don’t understand Endek ngerti
How much is this? Pire ajian?

SURFING LIFE 31
 Considering the tools he’s given, track after that much rain. It’s decided
Owen is an outstanding driver and that it is worth the attempt. Owen is
makes short work of a pretty gnarly confident. We are not so sure.
track up and over the mountain into We got to the initial dirt track,
Desert Point. which is now no longer dirt but the
“We got there, and the road leading greasiest mudslide you can imagine.
into Deserts is a lot gnarlier than I Most of the time, heading down the
thought it was going to be,” Nath track, we are going sideways, and then
reminisces. “It’s just like really, really we hit the left-hand turn, the turn that
uphill and rocky and not much of a stopped us the first time over, and now
track, sort of a dirt track-ish (laughing) those washouts are small creeks that
and probably better in a four-wheel will soon become small rivers as the
drive, but we ended up doing it in a deluge continues. We jump out
van and smashing it there,” he says to guide our fearless driver again,
while laughing. and surprisingly, we make it up the
But we make it, and the swell— first section.
although starting to show—hasn’t quite Maybe we could do this? Then, we
arrived, so our timing is impeccable. hit the real challenge. Each attempt
We prepare to hit the water on the to make it past this section becomes
outgoing tide, and as the tide drops, more and more difficult. We are, in
the swell rises. Nathan, Rul and Adi fact, starting to slide backwards and
wax their boards, lather themselves not making any progress at all. We
with sunscreen, and Nath gets the low- try for a little over half an hour, and
down on where and how to paddle out. with the rain continuing to drench
From then on, the landscape,
it’s non-stop action. we need to make
We are also joined some crucial
by a couple of the decisions. What
lad’s other friends,
Saparuddin and “Deserts now?
There’s a quick

is probably
Mangle. Sapar is sitting confab on the side
down the line and of the track: Do
pulling into a thousand we call it off and
barrels on waves that
weren’t made by one of the head back? Do we
try to find another

better
people further up the vehicle? And
point. It’s a brilliant finally, should we
tactic. just walk over?
We base ourselves
at Warung Budi for waves I’ve Owen decides
he needs to drive
the day. Budi is a local
Desert Point legend,
and we avail ourselves
ever surfed.” the car back and
try to get a 4WD,
and the rest of us
of his warung to keep decide to walk
the tanks full. The over the mountain
biggest surprise at this to Desert Point
point is how tide-dependent Desert because we are sure the swell has
Point is. We have heaps of swell, so we arrived.
Travel: Desert Point & Dirt Bikes

hope the waves will break all day, no “We got some fun waves the first
matter what. When the tide’s high, the day and then tried to go back the
waves pretty much stop. They’re not second day after the rain,” Nath says,
sub-par. They stop. It’s a fascinating “and the car just could not get up the
phenomenon. hill. It was just going backwards. So
After a long day and a thousand we had to walk over, that was alright
waves, we pack up the car and drive (laughs). It wasn’t that far of a walk. It
back over the mountain to our was just a bit of an uphill mission.”
accommodation. We decide to find We make the hour-long walk over
a place with a few more creature the mountain and into Desert Point,
comforts for the night, and we and again, it isn’t long before the lads
aren’t disappointed. We stay at a are hooking into some juice.
glorious resort on the water’s edge at “Deserts is probably one of the
Lenggoksono Beach. As we lay in our better waves I’ve ever surfed. It’s
beds, we are woken by a torrential unreal. Down near Grower, it was like
downpour that lasts for hours. We Kirra for a goofy-footer,” Nathan says
intend to be up way before sunrise, with a hearty laugh as he explains the
but plans change, and we have a bit bizarre concept. “I’ve always looked
of a sleep-in, as there are question at Kirra and the guys that are natural
marks about driving back over the footers and just gone, Wow, that would
Desert Point mountain track in the be so sick on your forehand, and then
dark while it is still pouring down. We I got to experience it, so it was pretty
discuss whether we should take on the cool,” he says chuckling in disbelief.

SURFING LIFE 32
 Adi is a fun-loving
jokester on land, speed
and style in the water.

Surf travel tips

• Split up your money and your cards. It’s best not to travel with all your cash and cards in one place, and when
you head out to eat, try to carry the amount of money you will need and leave the rest locked in your suitcase.
• Locking valuable things in your suitcase is an excellent tip if you are lucky enough to stay somewhere that
cleans your room daily. It prevents temptations.
• Make physical copies of all your travel documents. By all means, have yourself digitally ready for ease, but
a backup copy of everything in your backpack will get you out of a bind if you lose your phone, run out of
batteries or can’t access the internet.
• Make sure you know what power plugs are required for each location. Some powerboards have
interchangeable plugs, so you will never get caught out.
• If you need to fill out an online form on your phone to enter a country, take a screen grab of the confirmation,
as airport Wi-Fi can be flaky.

SURFING LIFE 33
Travel: Desert Point & Dirt Bikes

Nathan smashes the

blown glass.

SURFING LIFE 34
 Is it worth all that mud-larking? Should we throw out
pre-planned surf itineraries for strike missions within a
surf trip? Have we concocted a surf-themed inception?
Nathan is quick to reply, “We ended up extending the
trip to Desert Point, but it was definitely worth staying
for that extra day. The morning on the third day was
pretty good. Then, I went out for another session and got
a bunch more. Then, I came in, and we did the mission
back. But so much fun, definitely worth staying the extra
day because of the swell.”
Approaching surf travel is akin to the act of surfing:
staying in the moment, riding what comes to us and not
trying to force the issue, and that way anyone can have
their own inspired strike mission. By adjusting our plans
and making the most of the swell on offer, we experience
a trip that captures memorable moments (spiked with
adrenaline and endorphins).
After our extended stay at Desert Point, we return to
Kuta (Lombok). We saddle up our motor-cross bikes with
surfboards and discover tracks to some unique places on
the island to go for a wave. Kitted out in motocross gear,
Nathan and the guides head off to locate more waves.
The first is deserted and will remain unnamed. It’s where
we score our cover photo without a
soul around.
The second is Rul’s home village,
Areguling, which has Nathan frothing.
“Areguling was sick,” Cookie says,
“and to get to open up on the motor- “the local
boys started
cross bikes because I haven’t done that
for a while, like for a couple of years,
so to get back on the moto, have a little
cruise around and get the hang of it and
then give it some—it was sick.” saying,
It’s your turn
The wave has two breaks on either
side of the reef pass. The right is the
premium wave, but you could see that
the left also had plenty of potential.
“The wave at Areguling was really now! It’s your
turn now!
sick,” Nath says. It was busy the first
session that we had, and I didn’t really
get that many, and the local boys started
saying, It’s your turn now! It’s your turn
now! So I got some really fun ones, I got
like three good ones in a row and then
So I got
sat out there and just let all the boys
get good ones too. We were all getting some really
lots of waves together, which was nice
everyone was getting waves, no one was
missing out.”
fun ones.”
Travel: Desert Point & Dirt Bikes

Rul’s deep connection to this break

is obvious as is his love of sharing
waves—distributing the fun. “Areguling
is where I was born,” Rul explains. “I grew up there,
surfing there every day, yeah, it’s fun.”
Did Nathan get his share of fun?
“Rul and Adi are absolute legends, wanting me to
experience all their waves and just sharing all the stoke
with me,” Nath says. “They’re just super happy all the time.
Just can’t wipe the smile off their faces. It’s cool to meet up
with them, and I will definitely keep in contact for when I
come back next and, hopefully, hang out because they’re
just legends.”
“It was a really fun time surfing with Nathan,” Rul says.
“We had fun days every day. To see him surfing really good
was nice. It helped me improve.”
And, like all good things must come to an end,
this non-strike-mission-cum-strike-mission comes to
its ultimate conclusion. What transpired on this trip
is something we know will stay with us. Fluidity is a
powerful tool. Flowing with cultures, conditions, plans,
and even the food we eat brings us unexpected joy. The
kind of joy that stays for a lifetime. Grab your passport,
choose a location, allow for flexibility in your plans, and
find your flow.

SURFING LIFE 36
Planning and Partners
Great travel adventures don’t “just happen” but take planning. No matter if you’re a pro or a punter, a realistic plan
means finding the right partners. Whether they are accommodation specialists or tour guides, or if you are paying with
cash or creative exchange, preparation and partners are vital for a successful sojourn.

Fringe Holidays—a massive thank you—this trip was action-packed with memorable surf sessions, immersed in local
cultural activities and lifestyle, and a cover shot like Summer 2024 would not have happened without your ability to fit
and flow as well implementing strategic plans (based on swell, wind, weather, and tide).

Cheers for being collabs in this Lombok travel and cultural experience! Fringe Holiday are more than travel agents
because each surf expedition should be tailor-made for surfing adventures with genuine cultural immersions in the
lands we are grateful to visit and the locals that become our friends. Food, drinks, flights, comfortable accommodation
close to tropical surf breaks and the friendliest-cum-jokester Lombok surf guides make memorable travel escapes.

World Nomads, for us, is the only way to gain and maintain peace of mind. Peace of mind because when we know our
travel insurance is sorted, we don’t even think about getting sick, injured, or missing a connecting flight due to delays.
Instead, we relax into travel mode—forget the stress—and focus on the experience of a bucket-list journey.

Warungs, lining the beach,

double as grandstands;
onlookers gasp and hoot when
Cookie hits the stage.

SURFING LIFE 37
Travel: Desert Point & Dirt Bikes

SURFING LIFE 38
SURFING LIFE 39
Surfers

Hottest 100
Surfing’s most-talented Aussie groms rip through 2024’s ranks
WORDS BY LYSTRA ROSE

T he 2024 feverish Aussie grom search for

our Hottest 100 is complete. Surfing Life’s
H100 has been a benchmark in identifying
really about judging or ranking them. Instead, we
hope to motivate them to become better surfers. If
our fierce under-twenty-year-old athletes do not
and acknowledging Australia’s surfing elite for get the competitive results they’d hoped for, H100
decades. Known as the Hottest 100 glances into applauds their high-octane achievements. Here, we
our future or crystal-ball gazing, this is a pre- acknowledge their surfing feats and wild hunger
empting of potential where raw is regarded despite the swarming coastal communities. Here, we
as refined. cheer each time another zinc-faced grom swallows
The fountain of youth is where all frothing groms the surfing bug, ’cos that same bug still forms part of
originate. Whether they dream of hitting the CT or our gut instinct. Here, we help groms nab a sponsor.
a sponsored freesurfer, these hyper-focused young Previous surfers who have climbed these ranks
athletes tell their tales: fins dipped in inky seas, and took their H100 results to their sponsors. They’ve
lines carved across watery pages ... history unfolds increased sponsorship and position with the
before us. Manifested in manoeuvres, defying brands. Former winners, like Molly Picklum, went
gravitational limits, rejuvenating traditional lines, straight into the Challenger Series. The Hottest 100
and altering what’s “core”, these 100 pocket rockets gives some lesser-known surfers the glossy-paged
hone in on their pro dreams, leaving us twitching exposure they deserve. It isn’t an exact science of
with bone-jarring envy-cum-awe. the ultimate “who’s gonna be the next pro” list,
Though our shatterproof formula is applied, but it is a good measure of surfing talent, given
our panel of surf aficionados are ambushed with everything we consider.
questions: Who detonates their turns or launches The H100 exists because we love surfing. We love
to the air the highest, quickest, strongest, and most seeing it become more potent. And we love that this
consistent? Who lands with style, power, finesse, year’s Hottest 100 has exceeded our expectations.
and confidence? And who links their turns with Congratulations to everyone who ranked in the
undeniable flair, flow, and flawless technique? And Hottest 100, particularly our winners and top three
every year, we wonder how an art form is measured, placeholders. The girl’s H100 Number One goes to
let alone someone’s X factor. ... Sierra Kerr (for a third consecutive time). The
Nevertheless, these 50 girls and 50 guys are guy’s H100 Number One goes to ... Jarvis Earle (a
2024’s Hottest 100, the froth-factor fountain of our hat trick).
Aussie surf community. The formula is applied. The For the guys, second place was won by
final decisions are etched in surfing’s history books. Winter Vincent. Dane Henry placed third.
The judges are unanimous. For the girls, Willow Hardy claims second.
Before we shake and spray the bubbly or unleash Third is Ellie Harrison.
surfing’s snipers of paparazzi, we should explain Here’s to our young people—perpetual frothers
why we rank these up-and-coming groms. It’s not whose future has already begun.

H100’s ranking system

It is crucial to be as accurate as possible when creating the Hottest 100. The surfers were
ranked using these three categories: competition, social media influence, and X factor.
In the competition section, we took the WSL Junior Tour, WQS scores, and for this year,
we also added the Challenger Series, combined the three and ranked them. If not all divisions
were entered, then the surfer received an equal last score for those divisions. This gave the first
third of their final ranking. For the second third (of their final ranking), we looked at Instagram
to measure how much influence each surfer has. Then, we applied their social influence ratings
to their score. We understand this is only one metric, but in this day and age, it’s a symbolic
gauge and is considered by experts to be the most relevant social media and profile measure.
Finally, for the last third (of their final ranking), we asked our adept judges to give each surfer
an X-factor ranking.
These experts have watched hundreds of hours of surfing in their various unique roles,
especially the up-and-coming surfers. So, we asked them to rank each surfer’s “X factor” using
the following matrix: raw talent, marketability, and professionalism. This gave each surfer a
score. By combining these three elements, each surfer is then ranked for their X-factor score.
This unbiased ranking system means each category claims only a third of a grom’s total score,
so a weakness in one area can be elevated by a strength in another.

SURFING LIFE 40
SURFING LIFE 41
 Jarvis Earle
@jarvisearle

Guy’s no.1
J arvis Earle, of the Cronulla Kingdom, clocks up his third
noble H100 victory. Jarvis won the WSL World Juniors last
year, adding to his driving force. He has placed consistently well
in the Qualifying Series and the Challenger. Jarvis’s social media
is immersed with clips and photos, proving all the aspects of his
game are on point. Equally skilled in his rail, air and barrel, Jarvis
is one of a kind. We wait eagerly for Earle to become king of his
domain once he enters (and acclimatises to) the World Tour.
Surfers: Hottest 100

SURFING LIFE 42
 Photo: Shield

SURFING LIFE 43
 Winter
Vincent
@winter_v
Guy’s no.2
Surfers: Hottest 100

Photo: Johnson

SURFING LIFE 44
 Dane
Henry
@dane_henry06
Guy’s no.3

Photo: Johnson

SURFING LIFE 45
 No. 4 No. 5
Lennix Kobi
Smith Clements
@lennix.smith @kobiclements

No. 6 No. 7
Marlon Hugh
Harrison Vaughan
@marsysworld_ @hughievaughan

No. 8 No. 9
Ben Ty
Lorentson Richardson
@benlorentson @tyricho_

No. 10 No. 11
Zeb Sol
Stokes Gruendling
@zebstokes @solgruendling

No. 12 No. 13
Eden Xavier
Hasson Bryce
Surfers: Hottest 100

@edenhasso @xxavierbryce

No. 14 No. 15
Tim Koda
Bain Killorn
@timbain_ @kodakillorn

SURFING LIFE 46
Surfers: Hottest 100

16 - Willis Droomer 17 - Dom Thomas 18 - MacKlin Flynn 19 - Harry Martin 20 - Axel Curotta
@willisdroomer @dom_thomo @macklinflynn @harry.martin._ @axelcurotta_

21 - Jimmi Hill 22 - Tim Bange 23 - Oliver Ryssenbeek 24 - Kyan Falvey 25 - Mitchell Peterson
@jimmi_dean07 @ttimbange @ollierysso @kyanfalves @mitchell.peterson_

26 - Rico Haybittle 27 - Tane Dobbyn 28 - Matt Boyle 29 - Oscar Salt 30 - Felix Byrnes
@ricohaybittle @tanedobbyn @mattboyle1 @oscarsalt @felix_byrnes

31 - Angus Owens 32 - Kash Brown 33 - Luke Brumby 34 - Kalan Orchard 35 - Fletcher Kelleher
@angus.owens @kashbrown08 @lukebrumby_ @_kalanorchard_ @fletcherkelleher_

36 - Davi Glazer 37 - Taj Turner 38 - Ocean Lancaster 39 - Harley Walters 40 - Sammy Lowe
@daviglazer @tajturner44 @oceanlancaster @harleywalters @sammylowe01

41 - Landen Smales 42 - Zyah Hession 43 - Ash Jenner 44 - Ethan Huxtable 45 - Tom Whitpaine
@landosmales @zyah_hession @ash.jenner @ethanhux_ @tomwhitpaine_

46 - Mannix Squiers 47 - Isaiah Vaealiki 48 - Isaiah Norling 49 - Will Martin 50 - Ben Zanatta Creagh
@mannix.squiers @isaiahvaealiki @isaiahnorling @will.j.martin @benzanattacreagh

SURFING LIFE 48
 App coming soon!

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• Technique
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Surfer: Tas Grainger

Matt Grainger 0418 717 313

Or instagram @mattgraingersurf - @manlysurfschool - @surfers_gym
www.manlysurfschool.com - www.surfersgym.com
 Sierra Kerr
@sierrakerr

Girl’s no.1
Surfers: Hottest 100

S ierra Kerr is your H100 winner for the third time

running, and it’s no surprise after her riveting year of
triumphant results. Two Pro Junior wins, solid results
in the Qualifying Series finishing the year including a
QS5000 win at Cloud Nine, puts Sierra in number one
position in Australia/Oceania. Sierra’s social media shows
her surfing incredible places overseas, soaring sky-high
and sluing cavernous barrels. The question dangling from
everyone’s tonsils is when will Sierra join the World Tour?
She continues to push herself and everyone around her to
greater heights in free and competitive surfing.

SURFING LIFE 50
 Photo: Shield

SURFING LIFE 51
 Willow
Hardy
@willow.hardyy
Girl’s no.2
Surfers: Hottest 100

Photo: Shield

SURFING LIFE 52
 Ellie
Harrison
@ellieharrisonnnnn
Girl’s no.3

Photo: Johnson

SURFING LIFE 53
 No. 4 No. 5
Milla Isabella
Brown Campbell
@milla.coco.brown @isi_campbell

No. 6 No. 7
Charli Ruby
Hurst Trew
@charli_hurst @rubytrew

No. 8 No. 9
Rosie Ziggy
Smart Mackenzie
@rosiesmart05 @ziggy_alohaa

No. 10 No. 11
Zahli Mia
Kelly Huppatz
@zahlikelly @miahuppatz

No. 12 No. 13
Lilliana Sage
Bowrey Goldsbury
Surfers: Hottest 100

@lillianabowrey @sagegoldsbury

No. 14 No. 15
Quincy Gabi
Symonds Spake
@quincysymonds @gabiispake

SURFING LIFE 54
 SHREDtil ya

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Surfers: Hottest 100

16 - Charli Hately 17 - Keira Buckpitt 18 - Zahlia Short 19 - Oceanna Rogers 20 - Shyla Short
@charli.hately @keirabuckpitt @zahliashort @oceanna.rogers @shylashort

21 - Jahly Stokes 22 - Coco Cairns 23 - Tayla Green 24 - Ruby Berry 25 - Isla Huppatz
@jahlystokes @cococairns @ttaylagreen @rubyberrysurf @islahuppatz

26 - Juniper Harper 27 - Grace Kama 28 - Ocea Curtis 29 - Jordy Halford 30 - Maddison Parker
@juniperharper @gracekama_ @ocea.curtis @jordy_halford @maddiparkerrr

31 - Lucy Brown 32 - Isabella Caldow 33 - Ramani McLean 34 - Stella Green 35 - Lillian Young
@luucy.brown @izzie_caldow @ramanimclean @stella__green08 @lillianbeeyoung

36 - Gia Lorentson 37 - Jada Thomas 38 - Holly Wishart 39 - Bonnie Hills 40 - Gisele Sinclair
@gialorentson @jjada.thomas @hollywishart_ @bonniehills11 @giselesinclair_

41 - Raya Campbell 42 - Charlotte Mulley 43 - Olive Hardy 44 - Ellie Lambkin 45 - Lucy Darragh
@rayaacampbell @charlottemulley_ @olive_hardy_ @ellielambkin @lucy_darragh

46 - Tahlia Hirst 47 - Kyla Renes 48 - Grace Gosby 49 - Kyla Whitfield 50 - Ava Arghyros
@tahliahirst11 @kylarenes @gracegosby1 @surfingwithkyla @avaarghyros

SURFING LIFE 56
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Culture

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
The genesis of all things surf and all surf things
WORDS BY TRAVIS JOHNSON
PHOTOS BY DICK HOOLE

Every group has its history,

culture, and origin story like
every tree has its roots.

SURFING LIFE 58
SURFING LIFE 59
 H ave you ever watched an old
surf film and found yourself
drifting off, wondering what it
generations removed from now, a
blip on the radar of humanity, but as
foreign to many of us as the surface of
would have been like to live back Mars. What exactly was it like when
then? Enveloped in mellow guitar you had to do your own forecasting?
riffs and choir-like harmonies, Or improvise some antiquated refuge
movies like The Endless Summer from the cold on a frigid winter’s
and Morning of the Earth speak day? Or go swimming after your
of an idyllic wonderland of board because it’s the fifties, and
uncomplicated, unembellished What in the hell’s a leash?
living, chasing waves in spiritual One person who’s almost seen it
harmony with nature and the sea. all in Australian surfing is Rip Curl
Imagine stumbling across a time co-founder Doug “Claw” Warbrick.
machine, à la Marty McFly from Hailing from Maroochydore on the
Back to the Future. After tinkering Sunshine Coast, he has seen surfing
to get the flux capacitor working, rise from a 1940s summer pastime
you tear through the space-time to a niche counterculture to the
continuum to a bygone era of surfing mainstream popularity of today.
utopia and land at Bells Beach in In the post-WW2 days when Doug
1955. Standing atop the cliffs, staring was a grom, surf culture was already
at corduroy lines stretching as far as blossoming.
you can see, a gentle offshore breeze “It was different to what we know
sculpting each one into a clean, today but still strong,” Doug says.
glassy wall that looks ripe to gouge “It was more clubby orientated,
deep, Parko-Esq carves out of. It’s bodysurfing, outdoor Australiana
too good to be true, a pumping day at kind of stuff.”
an iconic break without the thickets Doug soon relocated to Victoria
of crowds born of and the distinctly
seventy more years colder climate of
of surf culture to the surf coast.
blot it. Can you
borrow a surfboard “Duke “We were young
and fanatical, so
it didn’t stop us.
performed
from someone?
Anyone? But it was bitterly
After rustling cold at times,” he
one off an
accommodating an exhibition emphasises.
Since then

on hand
local, reality hits— Doug has seen
it’s 1955. three-quarters
“What’s that of a century of
thing made out of?
Where can I find a
shorter board? And
shaping.” innovation and
growth in surfing,
as well as played
where are the fins? a significant role
What about the himself through
leash? Does anyone have any wax? the manufacturing of the wetsuit on
How about a wetsuit?” Australian soil and the rise of Rip
Everyone stares blankly at your Curl. So what was it like in the days
rapid-fire questioning. It’s a biting before the high-performance board,
nine-degree air temp, 14 in the water. three-fin setups and surf shops chock
You mutter, “Will I get full of every surf-related convenience
pneumonia just by going in?” imaginable?
Culture: HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Can’t come all this way, see line Although surf lifesaving had been
after line of right-handed perfection, in place since the early 1900s, and
as if drawn by the hand of God, and Pacific cultures riding waves before
not surf, can you? You’ll have to then, it wasn’t until the visit of Duke
adapt, fifties style. But just how are Kahanamoku from Hawai‘i in the
you going to do that? summer of 1914–1915 that surfing
What gets lost in our era of cushy began to get a foothold in Australian
convenience (as cushy as a wetsuit- sporting culture. Whilst holding
protected dip into the biting cold of demonstrations on wave riding, surf
the Southern Ocean can be) is that knowledge, rescue and swimming
not that long ago, what we take for techniques, the Duke performed
granted today did not exist. Forget an exhibition on hand shaping,
iPhones and the internet. Wetsuits, producing some redwood boards
leashes, surf wax, fins, thrusters, tail with the help of the locals.
pads, and forecasting apps were a “A couple of the Aussie Diggers
thing of the future, in the embryonic knew where to get the wood from,
stages of invention, or requiring and got him the tools to make
some impromptu elbow grease to those boards,” says Doug, “so in a
MacGyver together. way, the Aussies contributed to the
These are eras only a few manufacturing.”

SURFING LIFE 60
Wayne Bartholomew wears one of the first
Rip Curl wetsuits during competition.

SURFING LIFE 61
 These early boards were heavy, what we have now, but it made boards
finless, solid timber planks, far from easier to make—lighter and quite
the pop and squirt of the modern durable.”
shortboard, though just as addictive for With foam and fibreglass the
the scores of Aussies who took to dominant material by the late ’60s,
the waves. shapers began experimenting with
Even though the Duke arguably had bespoke shapes suited to different
the most lasting impact on Australia’s wave types.
early surf culture, he wasn’t alone in “The leading shaper out here during
exposing Australians to surfing in the that time was Bob McTavish, who was
early part of the 20th century. shaping boards more suitable for the
“There were many South Sea smaller waves in Australia,” says Doug.
Islanders, including sealers and whalers, “A similar thing happened in Hawai‘i
who came to Australia who’d already with Dick Brewer. He was gunning
learned to surf,” says Doug, “so there them so they were more suitable for
began to be a surge of people making larger Hawaiian waves. That was a
solid redwoods.” big innovation.”
Plywood boards surfaced in 1934 and The revolution kick-started a spike
were introduced by Frank Adler. They in the progression of surf performance
are hollow boards featuring a timber and made different styles of waves
frame and plywood skin. By the 1940s, more ridable; thus, the demand for
lighter plywood had replaced redwood accessories to accompany these
as the preferred surfboard design. advancements began to climb.
“I rode anything I could get my “Parallel to all of that (advancements
hands on,” Doug remembers, “but the in surfboards), there was synergy with
dominant board of the day was hollow the advent of things like wetsuits, wax
plywood, a 16-foot longboard, which and leg ropes,” says Doug.
was the same type used in paddle racing From the late ’60s to early ’80s,
for surf lifesaving.” leashes, traction pads, different fin
With the vast setups, specialised
distance between surf wax and surf-

“You’d use
Australia and other surf specific wetsuits
meccas, the innovation were manufactured.
of Australian surfing In conjunction with
was more erratic than
that of our overseas whatever experimentation in
board designs, surfers

you could
counterparts. could perform better
“The progression for longer in a variety
in America was of conditions.
linear right back to
Duke and Hawaiians get your Wax may be almost
as important as the
riding big 18-foot
redwoods. Ours was
choppier because of
hands on.” board itself. After all,
if the surface is too
slippery to stand on,
our isolation,” explains you won’t be doing
Doug. “In Australia, much surfing. In
a lot of the big things that happened 1963, Surf Wax began to be produced in
occurred after the 1956 Olympics. They California by Surf Research. However,
had the Olympic surf lifesaving carnival it was not readily available until the
at Torquay, and Hawaiian and American early ’70s, with the emergence of the
surf lifesavers brought surfboards with classic wax brands that still dominate
them that were far more advanced than the market today, like Sticky Bumps,
Culture: HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

our own.” Sex Wax, and Fu Wax.

These newer Malibu boards were “You’d use whatever you could get
made of nine-foot balsa, while most your hands on back in the day,” Doug
Australians still rode longer finless says, “but surf waxes didn’t get real
hollows. good until they began experimenting
“The Americans had shorter balsa with different melting points to match
boards with fins,” he says. “Although it the water temperature where you
wasn’t readily available here, surfboard surfed.”
design moved into balsa in the late In the pre-specialised days of wax,
fifties, then began changing to foam surfers had to get creative in sourcing it.
and fibreglass. Jump forward another “We used candles made out of
decade, and the shortboard revolution paraffin wax,” he says, “then by the
kicked off, which was huge in Australia. early ’60s, there were quite a few
By then, you couldn’t stop the waxes around that were sold in
progression.” garages. Paraffin is a by-product of
Of all the firsts in surfing, Doug the petrochemical industry, so Ampol
believes the most impactful was the used to make wax that you’d pick up at
introduction of foam and fibreglass. service stations. It came in a rectangular
“When the basic materials switched in block similar to what we have today
the late ’50s, it was a crude version of wrapped in paper.”

SURFING LIFE 62
Great things start as
humble beginnings.

SURFING LIFE 63
 Though the convenience of picking cosier around the ankle, it still had
up a block of wax from your local surf problems.
shop is helpful, Doug doesn’t see much “They were dangerous. The board
variance from the DIY methods of his seemed to spring back at you very fast.
youth, with one notable exception. People got some bad injuries out of it,”
“There’s not a lot of difference to says Doug. “The industry then began
today except for aerial surfing where experimenting with hollow tubing
they like the real sticky stuff, so that around the cord, and the idea to extend
has been a big improvement,” he it out a bit (longer), so it didn’t spring
says, “but bee’s wax is very sticky, so back as much.”
theoretically, if you needed, you could The late ’70s saw urethane legropes
get a low melting point bee’s wax. introduced, and the leash has
However, I think the best thing for changed very little since, although
longboarding, which is what we did manufacturers still experimented with
back then, was dry paraffin wax, which design tweaks at times.
is less sticky.” “Coiled leashes came out, but they
The humble leash is an accessory tended to get tangled up,” says Doug.
few shortboarders would think of going “The idea was that it wouldn’t drag as
without, but did not gain widespread it was closer to your leg. But it seemed
acceptance until the mid-’70s. to tangle if you just looked at them
“I enjoyed riding without one. funny, and the coil did, in fact, create
It would be dangerous nowadays at more drag.”
places like Snapper, but it did regulate Traction pads became another
things a bit,” says Doug. “You had to accompaniment to the shorter, more
learn to surf well so you didn’t lose manoeuvrable boards.
your board.” “They began to come out in the
Riding leashless taught surfers mid-’70s. Herbie Fletcher began
to ride more competently as well as experimenting with polyurethane foam
become better all- out of California,”
around watermen, explains Doug.
especially at breaks “Whereby blowing
as raw and exposed the foam into flat
as Bells Beach where
separation from your “Then, put sheets, then sanding
the top layer off, he
board could mean a
long swim or worse. the cord exposed open cells
that created suction

through a
“Everyone’s had under pressure,
that experience, forging the first
chasing the board adhesive deck grips.”
down to the button
at Bells and getting hole in their Before tail pads
became the norm,

fin.”
really threateningly surfers would doctor
hammered. But that up their own in the
just helped you learn quest for traction.
how to surf better,” “With shorter
Doug says. boards pushing the
Leash experimentations long boundaries of performance, people
existed, from the inventor of the fin, needed more grip,” says Doug. “I
Tom Blake, in the ’30s to Frenchman remember guys used to stack up bits
George Henneebutte’s Velcro of neoprene and rubber, then glue
contraptions of the ’50s. Still, the leggie them onto the back of their board. The
didn’t receive mainstream attention technology is more or less as it is today,
until Jack O’Neill’s son Pat created a but they were more primitive versions.”
Culture: HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

leash in 1971. He attached it to his wrist Add in Simon Anderson’s ground-

and suction cupped to the nose of the breaking thruster in 1981, and the
board, along with fellow Santa Cruz recipe for today’s explosion of surf
local Roger Adams who employed a performance was beginning to form.
similar method photographed in “Simon in ’81 with the thruster
Surfer Magazine. broadened the horizons. It gave surfers
Others employed more homespun more possibilities, and made it easier
methods. to ride waves and make radical moves,”
“Guys would get a bit of hard cord says Doug.
that you’d use on blinds, tie it around Doug’s contribution to the
the middle of a handkerchief and tie evolution of surfing was his role in
the handkerchief around their ankle,” manufacturing the wetsuit in Australia.
Doug explains. “Then, put the cord In 1969, Doug and friend Brian Singer
through a hole in their fin. That was began making surfboards out of a
the first makeshift attempt at leg ropes. garage near Jan Juc. In December ’69,
However, you could lose your toe on another local, Alan Green, joined
the cord as it would tangle very easily the duo, and they started producing
and tightly if you weren’t careful.” wetsuits to complement the boards in
Designers began using a bungee the basement of a house behind the
cord and leather strap, and although Torquay Pub. Rip Curl was formed.

SURFING LIFE 64
Claw, beach announcer, at one of the first-
ever professional surfing contests.

SURFING LIFE 65
 Before wetsuits, surfers had to revert surf wetsuits, and by the late ’60s,
to a multi-pronged attack to stave off O’Neill began importing them,” recalls
the cold. Doug. “We began making wetsuits
“We used to gather whatever (at Rip Curl), and they were freely
driftwood was around along the bush available after the beginning of the
and foreshore and start a fire at the shortboard boom. They became more
bottom of the steps. This was a tradition commercialisation in surfing. Surf shops
at Bells,” says Doug. “When you got too then began popping up right across
cold, you’d just go stand close to the fire Australia.”
and warm back up again.” The thirst for wetsuits expanded
In addition to the natural warmth rapidly, contributing to the growth of
of the fire in between sessions, surfers Rip Curl from a garage operation to the
made other insurances against the cold. global giant of today.
“People used to wear old woollen “We started with backyard wetsuits,
footy jumpers out in the surf. If you got just making a few. Then, within a month
one that was a size too small, it gave or two, we were making one hundred
quite a bit of insulation. The more you a week,” he says. “There was a big
used them, they thickened up and got demand. People were loving surfing and
all knotted and became warmer,” he flocking to the beach. In another year,
remembers. “I used a short-sleeved we had orders for a thousand a week.”
woollen jumper I had for cricket. It Demand pushed experimentation,
was very good wool, so it thickened leading to innovations in all areas of surf
up well. But we weren’t equipment.
doing three and four- “It was fun. It
hour sessions like you do was challenging.
today; you couldn’t.” You were always
Surfers found ways
to emulate wetsuit “leading to seeing if you could
make a wetsuit that
designs using common
household items. the first was better than
the last one,” says

sustained
“Another thing you Doug. “We used to
did was make things experiment every
that replicated ‘wetsuit week on designs:
technology’. So we got
garbage bags and cut attempts to cut them and put
them together

manufacture
holes for sleeves and ourselves, take
your neck. Put that them to Bells to
on first, then pull the surf and see what
woollen jumper over.
It did insulate and trap for the works, then come
back and make
the water inside like a
wetsuit. It had a huge
disadvantage, though,
surfing another one that
night.”
Finding the
the bag’s edges chaffed.”
In 1952, American
physicist Hugh Bradner
market.” right equipment
in the days before
surf shops was one
invented the first thing; predicting
neoprene wetsuit while the right conditions
working for the US Navy, which was to use them in was another. It wasn’t
taken a step further by Jack O’Neill who always as simple as opening up Surfline
created the first wetsuit specifically on your phone and swiping away.
catered to surfing in the late ’50s. Though radios had been broadcasting
Culture: HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

However, finding wetsuits in Australia surf reports for some time, Surfline was
throughout the 1960s proved fickle. founded in Southern California in 1985
“A couple of makers in Sydney and as a pay-per-call telephone service,
Melbourne made wetsuits for water offering 90-second recorded surf
skiing and skin diving. At Bells, people reports at 55c a pop.
began turning up in them, but neither During the same time, Sean Collins
were ideal,” recalls Doug. “Ski wetsuits had been working on developing
were not warm enough and the wrong reliable surf forecasts and founded his
cut. The diving wetsuits were too thick own pay-per-call line Wave-Trak. In
and restrictive. Some people did wear 1991, both businesses merged.
them because they liked the warmth but “Sean began making an art form of
would use scissors to modify and cut surf forecasting in America,” says Doug,
them so they were easier to paddle in.” “and later, Ben Matson in Australia with
By the end of the ’60s, the appetite Swellnet. He was a meteorologist who
for wetsuits in Australia began spiking, used to predict rainfall for agriculture in
leading to the first sustained attempts to South Australia, and he used the same
manufacture for the surfing market. principles of weather systems to predict
“One of the ski wetsuit makers the surf reports. Various people did the
from Sydney, Hardens, began to make same around the world.”

SURFING LIFE 66
It started simple, then
got more high tech.

SURFING LIFE 67
 At Surfline, demand led to a average punter.
beeper service called Surf Alert, “You’d have to get onto the BOM
which faxed daily reports. As the and request to have that information
internet dawned in the mid-’90s, faxed to you. They’d have projected
they went online. In Australia, Ben synoptic charts, then started doing
Matson started Swellnet in 1998 as five- to seven-day swell charts,
a fax and email network, expanding which we’d use for the Rip Curl
online in 2002. By 2024, after Pro,” says Doug, “but at first, you’d
multiple mergers and acquisitions have to have some authority to get
Surfline and Swellnet offer daily them because they thought it might
forecasts for breaks all over the globe be dangerous for all the punters
at the swipe of your phone screen via possibly misinterpreting them then
their apps. going out boating in big storms.”
But for Doug, back in the Although, today, surf forecasting
halcyon days of the ’50s and ’60s, is as accessible as text messaging,
predicting the swells was as much Doug does feel that the availability
about knowing who to talk to as it of it removes some of the charm of
was learning the peculiarities of the the older days: “It does take a bit of
weather charts. fun out of things. The good old boys
“You’d have to use the old salty were very good at predicting it.”
seadog methods,” recalls Doug. As time rolls on and our reliance
“The local fisherman and old surfers on technology takes over, surfing
seemed to have a bit of a clue on innovations seem to be more niche
weather patterns, and how those and less ground-breaking than
weather patterns affected the swell. they were in the days that Doug
So there was always knowledge there was stitching together wetsuits in
by just talking to a basement in
people.” Torquay.
Despite “We’ll probably
being bereft of
technology, this “Through find some
new surfboard

all of it, you

local knowledge materials that
proved to be a work. There’s
fertile source of a lot of people
information for
surfers. develop your who are working
hard on that,”
“The knowledge
proved to be
accurate. All that
values and says Doug, “but
you don’t find
too many people
information that
the old sea dogs your moral who just stick to
their epoxy, for
said back in the day
about wind and
weather patterns
compass.” example, they’re
in a hurry to get
off it as soon as the
has borne out to waves get waist
be true. They used high.”
the same methodology as now but Whether we’ve reached the peak
without the technology,” says Doug. of surfing innovation or there are
“It was the same as what they told new Alps to climb, there is an old-
us about the principles of shark world allure in the do-it-yourself
behaviour, which is only coming inventions of the past, as well as
out now from research in the 2000s lessons in the ways surfers overcame
Culture: HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

supporting what they said. There’s technological limitations that can

a lot of people who spend all their still be applied.
time out on the ocean, and after a “In some respects, surf culture
while, they get a real feel for it.” today is very different, although, in
As time wore on, newspapers many ways, things are quite the same
began to print daily synoptic charts, as they were. We all have our own
which surfers learned to read. methods on how to get by,”
“They’d publish the synoptic says Doug.
map of Australia with the highs and But it’s comforting to know that
lows in it, and we’d pore over them,” even deluged by modern equipment,
says Doug. “Occasionally, they’d the spirit of the old salty sea dogs
have today’s chart and tomorrow’s lives on through anyone who’s
projected side by side. That gave us broken a leggie and had to knock up
a bit more knowledge of how things a quick fix, tried to find waves in the
were changing over a longer period.” Wi-Fi barren simplicity of an off-grid
The Australian Bureau of surf trip, or realised they’d left their
Meteorology produced weather wetsuit behind on a cold day but the
and swell charts, although even waves are just too tempting to turn
by the mid-’90s, this information back home. Some things, indeed,
wasn’t easy to come by for the never change.

SURFING LIFE 68
Behind every surf invention is a
horde of trials and errors.

SURFING LIFE 69
 VANIMO SURF LODGE,
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Waves

City-Centre Surfing
Ten-time Dutch national champ Mirna Boelsma and eternal frother
Simon de Roode test Rotterdam’s consistent canal swell
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY RAY BISSCHOP

SURFING LIFE 72
Sunlight sparkles off
this inner-city gem.

SURFING LIFE 73
 W ave pools are surfers’ aquatic skateparks. It’s
how serious contenders muscle their way to land
tricks, push boundaries, and feel less dejected when the
ocean becomes a large, lifeless puddle. There are stacks
of year-round benefits, but are all wave pools created
equal? What’s the reality of securing perpetual waves
and maintaining structural longevity, or are we looking
through rose-coloured sunglasses, distracted by the next
gen of surf aerialists at their liquid gym?
We’re in an era where wave pools have financial backing
and are popping up topside like mushrooms after a storm.
So, what makes Rotterdam’s wave pool different from the
others? At first glance, the wave quality might not match
Dubai’s Surf Abu Dhabi, but neither does the price tag of
AU$1,460 for a 90-minute session versus a 60-minute canal
sesh worth AU$82. This, however, is not what sets it apart.
Named “Rif010” (Rif is Dutch for reef, and 010 is the
Rotterdam area code), this wave-manufacturing canal has a
unique environmental pact. Historically, most wave pools
use acres of land, meaning they are built outside city centres.
Think of Sydney’s and Melbourne’s wave pool locations.
Rif010 utilises the existing canal water system, which
makes the ecological impact far less. We understand that
human action carries consequences, but minimising
environmental issues should always be the goal. Rif010
replenishes its wave pool with water from the surrounding
canals. Whereas other wave pools utilise town or drinking
water, this pool does not, and we know how
precious drinking water is globally.
As mentioned, Rif010 retained the existing
waterway infrastructure, which is also the
dead centre of the city. It’s a quick walk from
Rotterdam Central international train station
and close to all the major public transport.
“There are
It’s a theme park for surfers that draws in the
suit-wearing audience. But, unlike other wave four million
pools, if this business ceases to be financially
viable, the environmental agreement ensures
the canal returns to its original “waterway”.
litres of
We chat with Marketing and
Communications Manager Marc van Laar
water in the
about the pool’s specifications while a group
of groms catch waist-high runners, squealing
with excitement as the next wave laps onto the
canal.”
artificial shore.
“The length of the pool/canal is 125 metres
and 25 metres wide,” Marc says. “The wave height is 1.6
metres. We can run unlimited settings but run four standard
waves during a standard day. We run a 1 metre, and 1.5
metre, a 1.6 metre and a 1.6-metre barrel wave.”
Following Marc into the “staff only” area, he talks and
points out details, and we tour the entire facility.
“There are four million litres of water in the canal,” he
Waves: City-Centre Surfing

continues. “The pump filters and replenishes the water twice

a day, so the pool is completely filtered twice daily, which is
incredible.”
As if reading our minds about this natural waterway, Marc
explains the canal’s emerald shade. “The colour of the water
is green because it is water from the river, which is pumped
in through the filter and then filtered again,” he says, “It’s just
the nutrients in the water which give it the green colour.”
The water is clean and clear, and the colour reminds us
of rock-hopping along the freshwater creeks of Far North
Queensland (but with Tassie temperatures and no crocs,
stonefish or sharks).
Our two test pilots arrive, 10-time Dutch national
champion Mirna Boelsma and Simon de Roode, an eternal
frother and cold-water charger (who has an arm span of surf
comp successes).
How did these two blonde-haired Nederlanders catch the
surfing bug when swells are inconsistent and the North Sea
plummets to a bone-chilling six degrees?

SURFING LIFE 74
 With enough speed to
release the fins, Simon puts
this canal wave to the test.

SURFING LIFE 75
 “I started surfing when I was ten years old in the North
Sea,” Mirna says, “and I remember it was a super clean and
glassy day, small waves, and my dad showed me how to
surf. So he put me and my brother on a big longboard, and
it’s funny because before, we didn’t even want to surf; we
wanted to bodyboard in the small waves.”
She smiles, her icy-blue eyes animated, adding, “But
as soon as he put us on the board, we were like, This is so
cool. We wanted to do it more and more, and that’s how we
started and continued.”
No matter where we visit, when we chin-wag about
surfing, people grin and chuckle as they share their surf
origin stories.
It’s Simon’s turn, and he has that enthusiastic mix of chill
and confidence. “I started when I was around four years
old. I was raised in a surf family,” he explains. “My father
surfed, my mother, and even my uncle and nephew, so
yeah, also in the North Sea.”
Simon has that quintessential pro-surfer energy—he’s
calm on the surface, but itching to surf and, somehow,
containing the energy akin to those screeching groms from
the first session.
“My father was born in America,” he says, the
grin surfaces again, “and he was the first surfer in the
Netherlands. He was a real local. Around six years old, I got
my own surfboard, and I enjoyed it a lot.”
We nod and listen, but it’s pinballing around our heads:
Simon’s dad was the first surfer in the
Netherlands! That’s a blockbuster
origin story.
Surfing is always about the waves, but it’s
also about the people, the history, the stories
of how and when we became part of this “Spray hits
sizeable surf-bug swallowers’ society.
Our two frothing locals kit up for their
exclusive session and paddle out. The wave
the air,
size is dialled for maximum impact, and
the end of October guarantees steamers
soaking
are worn in the Autumn waters of the
Northern Hemisphere. It’s sunny with a unprepared
spectators.”
cobalt cloudless sky, and by the afternoon,
Rotterdam’s inner city’s high-rises will cast
long shadows. The wooden sun-kissed deck
has huddles of tables and chairs, luring keen
onlookers and surfers to its hipster café for a
warm bevvy, brekkie or a burger before the
smooth water churns out 1.6-metre waves.
Canal barrier boards are raised for these specific sessions
to impede the wave’s overthrow. Still, spray hits the air,
soaking unprepared spectators. Inner city bystanders are
on the bridge, where the swell surge ends, and freshwater
passes beneath them, allowing the excess water to join the
rest of the canal system.
Waves: City-Centre Surfing

The sound of the waves is calming. There’s no

mechanical drawl. Ocean-like mist enhances the scene. We
expect to taste salt on our lips but don’t. Clusters of people
of all ages sit on the opposite canal bank, feet dangling over
the towering brick walls, watching their local canal churn
wave after wave with Mirna and Simon dropping laybacks
and smacking green lips.
Youngsters line the barrier-boarded area, anticipating
more tail spray. Crowds gather on the canal’s perimeter.
The bridges on either side form perfect platforms to view
the eager boardriders below waiting for the next entourage
of waves. Each surfer has an opportunity to perform on the
city’s newest stage.
A low hum introduces the next set, the wave god
delivers more magic, and Simon carves down the line,
sending spray. Groms cheer with glee as the water hits the
grandstand. The grandstand being the sunny side cafe. A
little wooden plaque hangs opposite the grandstand: ‘You
might get wet’ burned into it. We’ve been warned.

SURFING LIFE 76
Mirna slams the first section.

SURFING LIFE 77
 After a delicious lunch, the final session begins. This time, it’s
packed with the Dutch national team, Simon and Mirna. Each
time the waves come, more onlookers gather. We soak in the
last of the sun’s warm rays as the final session for the day comes
to an end. Jack Johnson’s tunes blast from the café. The athletic
talent scrambles for position in the canal lineup—to tuck into a
barrel or attempt an air.
The canal turns tranquil, a newcomer would be oblivious to
its hidden wave-manufacturing contraption.
Surfers leave their playground.
Mirna grabs her towel, steamer’s dripping, and her lips are
tinged blue—it doesn’t dial down her smile. “Well, this wave
is more consistent, that’s for sure,” she says, shivering a little.
“It’s definitely different. The North Sea can get good waves, and
sometimes, in winter, we can get a good swell—really fun, clean
days with perfect waves.”
She pauses, contemplating her next words. “I feel like I
always prefer the ocean to surf, but this is fun to have when it’s
flat, and you don’t have any other options. You just surf here
and with the hours, so that’s nice.”
“It is different,” Simon agrees. “This is sweet water
compared with saltwater, which makes a big difference.”
Most surfers prefer the ocean, but could this wave canal
prove beneficial?
“I like to surf in a wave pool,” Simon adds, “because a wave
pool is consistent, so you can train every day, every moment,
compared with the ocean because the ocean is always going to
change.”
With the Netherlands’ challenging coastline
in terms of consistent swell, it is difficult for any
form of national progression.
“I think this wave pool is a good opportunity
for the Netherlands national team because the “The next
(ocean) waves here are not that consistent,”
Simon says, “and if you have a place where the
wave is always the same, that will bring the
wave, you’ve
level up for sure. Then you can train on specific
things. If you have a week bottom turn, then you already had
can train on that.”
Marc re-joins the conversation huddle. “The
great thing about the Rif010 setup is that the
the feedback.”
coaches are alongside the wall,” he explains, “so
every time someone paddles back, the coach
talks to them about different techniques and
what they need to look at.”
The canal’s unique shape is perfect for coaching.
“The next wave, you’ve already had the feedback,” Marc
says, “so you can work on it immediately. At the beach, you
have to wait until you come in, and you cannot come in after
every wave. You can get instant feedback on every wave.”
Along with all these extraordinary surfing opportunities,
Rif010 also has its own charity, which helps build and establish
Waves: City-Centre Surfing

a strong surf community.

“We have a foundation: Foundation Rif010,” Marc says.
“The foundation is built on every meal you buy, every drink,
every session you book. A percentage of the money goes to the
foundation, and the foundation makes it possible for children
from underprivileged neighbourhoods to get them in touch
with water sports. For example, the kids from this morning are
from a school in the neighbourhood, and they are not able to
normally come and surf here, so you’ve paid for them by having
chips.”
If the ocean doesn’t discriminate, it’s great that Foundation
Rif010 has the same methodology, enabling children (who
wouldn’t usually get the opportunity) to access the waves and
fill the once-stark inner city with youthful laughter. It’s been
a killer day in a special place—blue skies and a warm autumn
day. We’re told this isn’t the norm for Rotterdam, but we’ll take
it. As far as the wave goes, well, it’s a wave pool. As far as the
location goes, you can’t get much better. As far as the use of an
already existing infrastructure, this wave pool is outstanding!

SURFING LIFE 78
Simon drops his wallet in the city, but
no need to head to lost and found.

SURFING LIFE 79
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Technique

Bathymetry Behaviour
How to surf different bottoms so you don’t hit rock bottom
WORDS BY JACKSON BARRON
PHOTOS BY ANDREW SHIELD

A s Bruce Brown famously said in his 1994

classic The Endless Summer II, “Surfers are
riding waves in virtually every country in the
world that has a coastline.”
Now, 30 years on, not only are we definitely riding
waves on every coastline, but we’ve upped our game
from exclusively coastal locations to riding artificial
waves we’ve made ourselves in landlocked locales
throughout Europe, the Middle East and beyond.
Some of the waves we ride break on angry rocks
and jagged reefs. Some break on manufactured
deposits of sand and lazy beds of seaweed. Some
break on literal concrete. One thing they all have in
common. It’s not fun when you slam into them. At
Surfing Life, we’re all about helping you surf better
and stay off the bottom. Jump on into Bathymetry
Behaviour, and let’s get learning.

SURFING LIFE 82
Reef cuts are the biggest drawback
to possibly the best natural
bathymetry on the planet.

SURFING LIFE 83
 Reef
It’s no secret that the best waves in the world
break over reefs. While sand can shift and
change with damaging storms and swells,
reef breaks are bolted into the Earth below
the surface and stay exactly the same no
matter what the world throws at them.

Setup
With their hallowed bottom shapes and
configurations, the bathymetry of reef breaks
means the swell direction is key to scoring
these waves. Have you ever seen Pipeline
in a short-period north swell? It’s definitely
not what it’s famous for. But show up on a
long-period west swell, and you’re in for the
greatest show in sport.

In & Out
Have you been on an Indonesian boat trip?
Jumping off the boat and straight into some
of the region’s finest coral creations is one of
the premier experiences in surfing. On the
other hand, navigating a reef break from the
inside out is undoubtedly one of the worst.

Moonwalking over dry reef, flash rips

dragging you into the impact zone,
mysterious holes in the bottom, and we
haven’t even mentioned the powerful swells
you need to navigate through. If it’s shallow
enough to walk, be soft on your feet to
avoid reef cuts and lean into your board in
the shallow water to hold your weight. You
can flip your board onto the rail or upside
down with the fins up to protect them when
leaning in super shallow conditions.

Once you can paddle, be wary of draining

water and deep duck dives into the reef
below. There’s nothing like punching the
reef with both sets of knuckles to start your
session!

Safety
Now, you don’t need to punch the reef to
Technique: Bathymetry Behaviour

know that most reef waves break over very

shallow water. And that means when it
comes to falling, you don’t have a lot of room
to move to avoid the cheese grater on the
bottom.

The best way to go down? Always protect

your head when falling, then spread out and
starfish! The more you can stretch out flat,
the less chance of hitting the bottom. Try
to stay long and thin while you meander
through the wash.

Surfing Tip
Reef breaks aren’t for the faint of heart or
inexperienced surfers. Spend your time
watching the waves before you paddle out.
Watch where surfers are sitting in the lineup,
where people are paddling out and where
they go to get out of danger when things go
wrong. Once you’re in the lineup, paddle
hard for your waves, commit to your take-
offs and don’t push yourself beyond your
limits.

SURFING LIFE 84
 Reef bathymetry grows back
after being smashed by storms;
now that’s renewable.

SURFING LIFE 85
 Rock
No matter which coast of the country you’re on,
Australia is famous for its many thousands of slabs,
boulder points and rock waves. From the completely
deadly to the friendly and forgiving, every coastal town
from the east to west has that little rock wave that the
local grommet gang genuinely believe is the best wave
in the world on its day.

Once you’re feeling the groove of your surfing and have

graduated from beach breaks, rock waves are where
you’ll learn to watch boils, follow currents and move
with the minute idiosyncrasies these waves demand.

Setup
Rocky waves are slightly different to reefs in that while
they break over a sturdy surface, they are not immune
to shifting and changing with the power of the ocean.
Most rock waves have a clearly defined take-off spot
and a similarly defined kick-out spot that you’ll need to
follow to avoid disaster—unless you’re an Ozzie Wright
disciple and find diving onto dry ledges to be just
another part of your surfing experience.

In & Out
Jumping off the rocks into the lineup is the only way
to get into the water at most rock waves, and doing it
safely is all about timing. Get it right, and you score a
quick and easy dry-hair paddle out. Get it wrong, and
your body and board will need a serious patch-up on
the other side.

Keep an eye on the upcoming waves to pick your

moment, and make sure you jump to land on the very
top of an incoming swell. Go too early, and you’ll get
smashed back into the rocks by the wave. Go too late,
and you’ll land in the shallows on the other side of the
wave and scrape your fins on the way out. You want to
use the deeper water with the swell to carry you safely
off the ledge.

If getting out wasn’t hard enough, unfortunately,

getting back in is more of the same. Think of the rock-
off process in reverse—try to come up on the back
of a swell onto the ledge and then scurry away to dry
land before the next wave comes. Watch for uneven
Technique: Bathymetry Behaviour

boulders, sea urchins, holes in the bottom and other

nasties on the way through.

Safety
Now, one thing here is for certain—no matter your
surfing ability, familiarity with a wave, level of
recklessness or precaution, you will absolutely eat it
on a rock off at one point in your surfing life. Have you
seen the clip of Parko getting smashed on the rock at
Burleigh Heads? It happens to the best of us. Remember
to take your time around the rocks and wait in a safe
space out of the way of the incoming waves until it is
safe to jump off or paddle in over the ledge.

Surfing Tip
Many rock breaks are powerful open ocean waves
where your big boards and step-ups will come to life.
When taking on these kinds of waves, ride a board made
to handle juice and higher speeds so you can harness
the power of the waves and thrive in the challenging
conditions. Practice staying crouched down low with
your arms stretched out forward and holding your rail
through your turns.

SURFING LIFE 86
Rock bottom lessons
are foundational.

SURFING LIFE 87
 Sand
Do you remember your first wave? For most
of us, the very first foamy dribbler we ever
rode broke over sand. And there’s a reason
why we all start there—sand-bottomed
beach breaks provide the ultimate entry-
level surfing experience. Surf schools across
the globe park up at predictable sandbars
to give every Tom, Dick and Harry the
best chance of crawling up to their feet
for a coveted Instagram glory shot. As
you gain experience, beach breaks are
where you’ll explore the lineup for the first
time, venturing beyond standing depth
and into the exciting unknown of surfing
progression.

Setup
Beach breaks are incredibly dynamic
environments that are constantly shaped
and moved by the interaction of waves,
rips, tides and more. Unlike reef breaks that
remain relatively constant, beachies can
change dramatically in the space of just a
few hours—even minutes in some cases—
like in Hossegor in the southwest of France,
where a five-metre tide swing can turn the
rippable little left rip bowl you just found
into a flat ocean in moments.

In & Out
With easy-to-identify wave zones and rip
currents, most sandbanks are user-friendly,
provided you know what you’re looking for.
If you’re surfing white-water waves in the
shallows, stick to the sandbank where the
even, rolling waves are breaking. You’ll be
able to walk in and out through the waves
on the bank without getting caught up in
deeper water.

Ready to surf on the outside? Look for

rips—they’re easy to locate between sand
banks as spots where no waves are breaking
with darker blue-coloured water. You can
use the rip to take you out to where you
want to be and let the current do the work
Technique: Bathymetry Behaviour

for you!

Safety
Don’t be fooled—just because many beach
breaks are perfect for beginners doesn’t
mean they all are. No one would call Puerto
Escondido in Mexico a safe place for a
novice to surf. Beach breaks can compact
sand so tight that it’s as hard as concrete,
so protect yourself when falling off in
shallow water. And keep your eyes closed
underwater in really sandy conditions
unless you want to fill your retinas with
coarse gold dust!

Surfing Tip
Sand-bottom beach breaks are a great
place to push your surfing. Compared to
reef and rock breaks, the consequence of
falling is generally lower, so they can be
an ideal environment to push your turns a
little further and try things you haven’t tried
before.

SURFING LIFE 88
 Sand bottoms may seem soft and easy—
remember, the sand can be compacted like
concrete in the impact zone.

SURFING LIFE 89
 Rocky Sand Point
When a dreamy combination of dominant swell
direction and sand flow meets a perfectly sculpted
outcrop, surfers get the best of both worlds—the
playfulness of a beach break combined with the
structured uniformity of rock at a rocky sand point
break. This unique mix creates a lineup of variety
for surfers of all skill levels to explore new lines and
different manoeuvres.

Setup
With sand deposits filling the vacant space between
the boulders and creating a long and running
down-the-line wave, rocky sand combo spots are
where point break surfing comes to the fore. Think
of multiple sections on every wave, linking between
turns and picking your spots to unleash your speed.
Waves like these have been the breeding grounds for
the classic Australian surfing style for generations—
from Ethan Ewing to Mick Fanning, Michael
Peterson, and more.

In & Out
Most rocky point breaks have a sneaky sandy
keyhole somewhere along the line that offers the
easiest spot to get into the lineup without needing
to dance over the boulders. Keep an eye on where
other surfers enter and exit, and you’ll notice
the pattern. Even if the keyhole is at the top of
the point, don’t paddle out straight to the inside
and expect to catch a wave before the crew who
have been waiting. And if you do jump the queue,
remember, this is one of the few situations in surfing
where getting burned down the line is completely
warranted.

Point breaks also come with a lot of current moving

down the line, so be sure to bring your paddling
arms to keep up. If you’re finding it hard to keep
pace when you’re close to the waves, venture further
out to sea. The current won’t be as strong out there.

Safety
Surfers love point breaks, and most of them draw
crowds of frothers from all over the place when they
turn on. Whether you’re paddling out, surfing down
Technique: Bathymetry Behaviour

the line or scratching into a wave, chances are some

other Dave or Davina is right there with you on the
journey.

At a point break, never paddle through the middle

of the surf zone in the way of people riding waves.
If you’re in the firing line, always head towards the
impact zone, even if it means taking the wave on the
head, to give the surfer on the wave as much space
as they need. There’s nothing worse than scoring the
bomb of the day only to find a team of paddlers right
where you need to go to make the section.

Surfing Tip
Surfing a point break is all about rhythm and
flow. Traversing through the long walls gives you
a lot of time to think about connecting the dots,
maintaining speed, keeping your lines smooth and
engaging your rails throughout the ride. If surfing
is a dance, point break surfing is where you can
express yourself with an entire boogie routine from
top to bottom. Stay low to harness your speed, and
always keep an eye on what’s coming down the line.

SURFING LIFE 90
One of the most challenging places to
get in and out of, the rocky sand point
can be the best setup in the world.

SURFING LIFE 91
 Wave Pool
You’ve seen Typhoon Wasabi and the Kamikaze Kids,
right? Surfing Life’s 2008 Hot 100 classic featuring
Wilko, Owen, Coleborn, Julian and more in Japan? If
you haven’t, put this magazine down right now and dig
it out of the archives.

The wave pool? Yep, that wave pool. While wave pool
technologies have existed since the early 1900s, none
set surfers’ tongues wagging until the Seagaia Ocean
Dome opened in Japan in 1993. Now, over a decade
after our Hot 100 stars of yesteryear threw chlorinated
tails to the iconic sounds of Bumblebeez and Muscles,
high-quality wave pools are open to the public all over
the world, tossing tubes and ramps out on repeat for six
and 60-year-olds alike.

Setup
Depending on the pool you’re in, wave-generating
technologies are vastly different. While the Wavegarden
Urbnsurf pools generate waves on either side of the pool
with rotating pistons moving water into multiple swells,
Kelly Slater’s hydrofoil-generated Surf Ranch creates
one long swell line as the foil travels down a track on
the edge of the pool. Surf Lakes uses a revolutionary
plunging design to make waves in a ripple formation.
In contrast, American Wave Machines pools use
pressurised air on the surface of the water to push out
waves.

In & Out
It’s as simple and safe as can be! Wave pools provide
the most controlled and secure surfing environment
you could ask for. With defined surf zones, highlighted
channels, scheduled breaks between waves, multiple
lifeguards on duty and a curated menu delivering only
swells of a predetermined height, power, shape and
speed, it’s never been easier to put yourself in the spot
for precisely the kind of wave you’d like to ride.

Safety
A month before the opening of Urbnsurf in Melbourne
in January 2020, Surfing Life was lucky enough to
sample the pool with a who’s who of frothing humans
from all over the Australian surfing media landscape. In
Technique: Bathymetry Behaviour

a single day of carnage from a very experienced crowd

who live and breathe all things surf, we had a bunch of
broken boards, two head injuries, a dislocated shoulder
and a torn hamstring. While the bottom may be flat and
smooth and the environment is completely controlled,
that doesn’t mean wave pools can’t knock you about.

When booking your sessions, always book a wave type

from the menu that suits your ability. Don’t choose
a tubing wave if you’re still getting the hang of going
down the line. Choose a flatter, more open-walled wave
to give you time to get out on the face and feel your
board beneath your feet. Keep yourself within your
means until you’re ready to progress to the next level.

Surfing Tip
Have you ever watched a skater perfect a routine on a
halfpipe, doing the same run over and over again until
they’ve got it absolutely dialled? In a wave pool, you
can do the same! Whether you want to practice carves,
tubes or airs, the pool is where you’ll get the repetition
you need to get them down. Choose a wave that will let
you try the trick you want again and again and watch
your confidence soar.

SURFING LIFE 92
TECHNIQUE Powered by

Wave pool bathymetry,

set in concrete.

SURFING LIFE 93
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Boards

Rocketing Rockers
The accelerator pedal of every surfboard
WORDS BY MURRAY BOURTON

SURFING LIFE 96
 Josie Prendergast cruises down
the line, utilising a subtle rocker
on her mid-length.
Photo: Shield

SURFING LIFE 97
 “it was
eyeballed
and set in the
grey matter!”

T ruly, the engine room for

the modern surfboards,
the bottom curve or rocker as
it is commonly called, is the
most difficult to measure and
quantify in numbers. Back in
the old days, the shapers had
no idea what they were shaping
into the bottom of the blank
since they varied so much for
many reasons. That is, the way
the blanks were stacked in
the factory or rushed stringer
glue ups, which never really
delivered a consistent rocker
you could count on engineering
from there on.
Cometh machine technology,
it then did not matter what
the canvas was as long as there
was a blank thick enough to be
machined, and of course, the
numbers were in the design
to be cut out of that blank. In
fact, all boards are a bunch of
numbers that modern shapers
have had to understand in the last
20 years, whereas previously, it
was eyeballed and set in the grey
matter! Before the new computer
machine days, the shapers were
the most skilled that had ever
existed. Now, however, it is a
numbers game.
There was an interim period
before the computers took over
when we used profile machines
Boards: Rocketing Rockers

to accurately duplicate a bottom

rocker, which was a winner. They
were strong through the last 20
years of the century but a tad
clunky with too much length
variation. There was a time
when I was sitting on over 20
different rockers, all set in one-
inch chipboard, and to increase
variety, we needed more.
Even with these timber
curves, we were still not sharp on
the nose and tail rockers’ actual
measurements. Accuracy in this
department relied on each board
being cut to the same length,
meaning you would have needed
a timber mill full of rockers—one
for each bloody length.

SURFING LIFE 98
 During decent swell, one of the
flattest rockers at the Superbank
comes out, but when you’re
Mikey Wright, why not?
Photo: Johnson

SURFING LIFE 99
 “which will
liven the
board up
considerably.”

ROCKER VARIANTS
The funny thing about a surfboard
being, or appearing, so simple
is it’s the complete opposite:
hard-to-measure curves flying
everywhere, plus an (almost)
infinite combinations exist. As
far as the basic measurements of
both tail and nose lifts, the rule
of thumb is the longer the board,
the more rocker is added. But,
it gets way more complicated
when you throw longboards into
the mix where the numbers are
almost in reverse; the nose is flat
and all the rocker is in the tail.
The opposite thinking is in big
guns, where they need a lot more
nose lift in order to take the drop
safely, and although, a lot of tail
rocker is required to loosen them
up at speed, it is nowhere near
the excess of a Malibu.
In modern-day surfboard
design—excluding longboards—
three main types of rockers are
commonly used. In addition, the
rail rocker is also a significant
contributor, which varies the
outcome of every rocker type.
The first is the three-stage
rocker used primarily in small-
wave, high-performance grovel
boards. Lately, surfers have
wanted to throw a board around
at slower speeds but still want the
facility to run over fat sections
to connect with hollow sections
Boards: Rocketing Rockers

down the line. The only way

they can achieve this is to have a
flattish rocker, which might run
but is very stiff when turning.
The three-stager has the flat
section through the middle,
enabling front foot pressure to
ignite it when pushing through
fat sections, and it has a late
flip in the nose to minimise
pearling whilst weighting too
much further forward. A tail flip
is added to give this stiff rocker
some face freedom in the hollow
sections, beginning just in front
of the front fins, which will
liven the board up considerably.
Hence, the term three-stage
rocker.

SURFING LIFE 100

 Surfcraft launches with nose
liftoff: Isabella Nichols rockets
through the barrel.
Photo: Shield

SURFING LIFE 101

 “the board
can be better
controlled
at speed.”
This came out of the USA,
where it was desperately needed
since the waves generally lacked
power. They also came out with
the hip in the plan shape, which
freed up the board around the
front fin area. Basically, it’s
another way of loosening up a
stiff rocker.
The second most common
rocker is the full curve rocker,
which was bought out to handle
excess speed and power in a wave.
It is usually combined with a deep
concave to help thwart pushing
too much water—a shortcut
through the guts, so to speak.
One shaper who exploited this
characteristic was Greg Webber,
who pushed it to the limit in high-
performance shortboards where
the rail rocker was much curvier
than the stringer rocker because
that’s what effectively happens
when you create extreme concaves
through boards, particularly
a shortboard.
These days, having learnt
from extremists like Greg, many
designers have found more subtle
levels they are comfortable with.
The full curve rocker is most
commonly administered in boards
designed for power where there
is no need to enhance speed
because you got that in spades, so
by adding a consistent curve and
more of it, the board can be better
controlled at speed and allow
Boards: Rocketing Rockers

heaps more face freedom.

The third type is the flat
rocker, which are basically
consistent rockers with much less
tail and nose lift. These rockers
suit small-wave fish designs
and, even more so, the twin fin,
which has exploded on the scene
in the last 10 years. The relative
shortness of these boards makes
them easier to throw around.
Hence, a flatter rocker is not so
restrictive, particularly with the
twin fin, since it only pivots off
one fin on either side, making it
the shortest arc surfboard known
to man. So, a flat rocker will give it
the reach it needs since lacking
the propellors.

SURFING LIFE 102

Making an asymmetrical board adds to
the complicated equation; Lungi Slabb
calculates his next move.
Photo: Shield

SURFING LIFE 103

 “any
conversation
on rocker
must include
the lateral
bottom shape
as they are
interlinked.”

RAIL ROCKER
Rail rocker is, for some people,
hard to understand and equally
hard to describe since the rail
does not run in a straight line as
the stringer does. Still, all you
have to get your head around is if
the bottom shape of a board rail
to rail is dead flat, then the rail
rocker is exactly the same as the
stringer rocker. But, the minute
you dig in a concave or vee, the
two curves go their own way.
Comprendo?
I call this the lateral bottom
shape, of which there are only
two ways for a rail rocker to go,
either above or below the stringer
line. Above the stringer line is a
concave of some sort; below the
stringer line will create some sort
of roll or vee through the bottom.
Once you understand this, you
Boards: Rocketing Rockers

will realise that any conversation

on rocker must include the
lateral bottom shape as they are
interlinked.
It gets more in-depth when
you ask where and why.
In the entire length of the
bottom, the vees, concaves
or indeed more complicated
shapes, say like my very own
cathedral hull design, are
placed, if not even the whole
way. This conundrum may be
for another time, but if I have
not convinced you how simple
a surfboard shape is to the eye,
it is hydro-dynamically very
complicated and indeed takes
some explaining.

SURFING LIFE 104

The modern shortboard is the culmination
of everything shapers have learnt over
the last century ... Juniper Harper
reaping the rewards.
Photo: Shield

SURFING LIFE 105

Boards: Rocketing Rockers

Rocketing, Xavier Huxtable

lights the fuse.
Photo: Johnson

SURFING LIFE 106

SURFING LIFE 107
SURFING LIFE 110
NEXT SET
Summer

WORDS BY LYSTRA ROSE

Sprinting over scorching sand;
We froth on cyclonic swell
but not the carnage that occurs.
 Surfer: Luana Silva
Photo: Travis Johnson

Summer to Autumn
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Season One - Sri Lanka | Mentawais | Lombok | Fiji | Maldives | Desert Point

a film by Ray Bisschop and Lystra Rose produced by Surfing Life, Ink and Pixel Media
featuring Cooper Davies, Keely Andrew, Jesse Starling, Marlon Harrison, Charli Hurst,
Nathan Cook, Blake Neka, Micah Margieson, Fraser Dovell, Apisai Tibinaliva,
Sahrul Gunawan, M.ilham Hadi, Praneeth sadaruwan
cinematography Ray Bisschop edited by Ray Bisschop music by The Terrys distribution by Jamie Holt
additional cinematography Travis Johnson, Jason Acott, Owen Walsh, Tristan Pietz, Luke Evans, Ibrahim Ayaz, Mikey Natz

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