The Surfer's Journal

The Surfer's Journal: I've received my first two issues after finally biting the bullet and subscribing (thanks for the pressure StevePP).

The articles are substantial, well conceived, well researched and well written. I couldn't believe the first issue - long articles about Val Ching's stand-up Paipo riding, an article about Bob Holland (surfing short boards at 81!) and a discussion between Andrew Kidman and Dave Parmenter that I read three times. They can't consistently write such in-depth interesting stuff I thought. Then came the next issue with articles about Steve Lis, Pottz, Tony Alva and Julian Schnabel. Not only is the editorial of a level of cultural and surf-historical interest way above any other surf magazine that I've read but the fact that there are only six ads in the whole magazine is phenomenal. Most surf magazines read like a bloody catalogue in comparison and the removal of the burden of merchandising is a great relief and a weight off my surfed-out shoulders. There's not even an ad on the back cover of the new design (and they've added cover flaps so you can keep your place - easy!).

An added bonus is that as a subscriber I can now log in online and read their past articles so I've just been digging into Richard Kenvin's recent Simmons articles. The only downside is that the magazines seem to be brought over here by SUP - or something even slower - as they arrive over a month after they've come out in The States...

Everyone should subscribe to The Surfer's Journal. Now. (Or go and buy a coffee in The Corner Bistro because they tend to have a copy in their magazine rack.)