Shapers don’t talk to each other much. It’s a curious thing, and it seems to be a hangover from the dark ages of surfing (the late 1980s and 90s). Everybody made and rode a very small range of surfboards and the issue was cost more than quality. All boards were made from the same stuff, and the only real difference between them was the label.
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Few people would imagine that I’ve spent the last three months in envy of my brother. He is currently in his second year at Swansea University – in the freezing Welsh valleys, completing assignments and attending lectures. I’m currently in my fifth month of travelling, enjoying the baking heat of the Australian summer, sleeping in late and partying away the night.
Australian longboarder Belinda Baggs’ graceful surfing style makes her one of the most instantly recognisable female gliders. Deeply insightful and highly in tune with nature and her surroundings, her love of the ocean has not only seen her surfing waves all over the world but also try to give a little back, offering help by bringing supplies to communities struggling in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami and acting as an ambassador for environmental awareness.
Al-Jazira Al-Arabiya
Mat Arney hooks up with old friends on the Arabian Peninsula.
Homeblown talent
An encounter with a British company doing something special with surfboards.
Still So Numb: Iceland
Ian Battrick and Tim Nunn take a journey around the North Atlantic isle.
The Hebrides: A photo essay
James Bowden experiences life in the slow lane on the far shores of the British Isles.
Local Hero
Jimmy Newitt pays homage to one of South Devon's treasures - not a break but a surfer who stands tall in the crowd.
Post-modern punk
Chris Preston chats to Neil Randall of if6was9 about his radical take on traditional board design.
