A few years back, when WL HQ was based down on the illustrious Tolcarne beach, if I craned my neck just right, I could take in most of Newquay Bay from my desk. For the several years I spent staring out the window, it struck me just how consistently clean, but enduringly awful the waves that […]
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Willy Aliotti Almost Loses Fingers In Motorised Hydrofoil Accident
Hossegor based surfer Willy Alliotti has been back home in his native St Martin for the few weeks soaking up the sun and festive vibes. His trip was going swimmingly; all catching up with old friends, doing punts on perfectly wind tickled lefts and whizzing about crystal blue lagoons on his motorised foil board- then […]
Everything You Want To Know About Bristol’s Almost-Finished Wave Pool
This interview was conducted prior to the opening of the Wave Bristol. You can find all the latest information about the Wave here, and read our honest review here. Yesterday we brought you the news that the wheels are in motion for a London wave pool. The team behind the plans include an extensive collaboration […]
Reflections On Almost A Decade Of Shaping With Lewis Clinton
It’s the week before Boardmasters and Lewis Clinton and I are up on the cliff above Little Fistral, looking out over a woeful one foot lineup. A tiny grom takes off a promising micro wedge, fitting four wraps in before busting an impressive fins free. Lewis lets out a series of impressed noises. As the […]
Basque Legend Kepa Acero Almost Dies At Mundaka
Monday saw incredible conditions at Europe’s premiere left hand point break, and a talented local contingent out there enjoying them. However things very nearly ended in disaster for Mundaka stand out and all round legend Kepa Acero after he hit his head on the bottom after wiping out, and blacked out. Here’s his account of the […]
Tom Lowe’s Monster Mullaghmore Session Almost Ends In Disaster
Earlier this week the a giant swell hit Western Europe and yesterday, after just missing out on making the cut for the WSL Nazaré comp, British charger Tom Lowe headed for Mullaghmore in Ireland to paddle into some bombs. Despite being a seasoned vet out at the Irish reef, Lowey’s session almost ended in disaster, […]
Evan Geiselman Talks About Almost Drowning At Pipe
Here’s Evan Geiselman in an exclusive interview with Ryan Moss talking about his near drowning experience at Pipeline a few weeks back and the overwhelming support he received subsequently. Heart warming stuff.
Evan Geiselman Almost Drowns At Pipe
This video shows the dramatic moment that Evan Geiselman was dragged unconscious to the beach by two times world bodyboarding champion Andre Botha after suffering a heavy wipeout and subsequent three wave hold down at Pipeline yesterday. Once Andre and Evan made it to the shore break they were met by an all star cast of […]
Defending Champion Ambre Victoire Talks Through Vans Duct Tape Invitational and Festival in Rio de Janeiro
“I fit better into a type of surfing that is more holistic and brings a community together to share something real through their unique style.” The Vans Duct Tape is kicking off its 11th season by heading to Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Macumba Beach from May 12th to 14th. It is a beautiful Venn diagram […]
SAS Introduces ‘The Floater’: A Surfboard Made from Raw Sewage
Ahead of the UK’s first ever mass paddle-out water pollution protest on 20 May. Surfers Against Sewage is staging a mass paddle-out protest against sewage pollution, with more than a dozen events to be held at beaches and rivers across the UK on Saturday 20th May. We’d advise you to grab your surfboards, paddles, rafts, […]
Postcards from Mexico: on the road to La Saladita
The bougainvillaea is in bloom and we pass field after field of mango, avocado and coconut trees on the hot road south to Saladita. The steep hills are dotted with papaya and behind the distant mountains a fire rages, staining the sky orange and acrid brown. Off the main drag and we bounce down the cobbled […]
THE GOAT & ME: A TEEN SURF PHOTOGRAPHER’S FIRST TRIP TO HAWAII
Aspiring Sydney photographer and videographer Byron McLoughlin recently travelled to the North Shore of Oahu for the first time for his 18th birthday. Here he recounts the experience, from meeting Kelly Slater at Pipe, to swimming at Waimea and documenting a rare, and gnarly, sandbar. First Time Pipe… and meeting Kelly Slater Instead of a […]
Surfing, Science and Indigeneity with Dr Cliff Kapono
This article is lifted from the pages of Wavelength Vol. 263 and is always better in print. You can grab a copy of Vol. 263 here or subscribe for £25 a year, to receive both mags direct to your door along with a bonus freebie of your choice as a thank you for being part […]
A Surf Trip With No Surf
A TALE OF RESISTANCE AND LOSS ON THE ROAD TO ERICEIRA This article is lifted from the pages of Wavelength Vol. 263 and is always better in print. You can grab a copy of Vol. 263 here or subscribe for £25 a year, to receive both mags direct to your door along with a bonus […]
2022 Wavelength Quotes Of The Year: Part 2
Words matter and we think these matter more than most. One has to secrete a jelly in which to slip quotations down people’s throats,” said the noted pig-dogger Virginia Woolf. “And one always secretes too much jelly.” Now, Woolf may have a point, but she hasn’t chronicled the surfing of year 2022. We have, and […]
Are Gifts Ever Free?
LAUREN HILL EXAMINES THE GIFT OF SURFING AND HOW WE CAN CARRY THE POSITIVE ENERGY FORWARDS This article is lifted from the pages of Wavelength Vol. 263 and is always better in print. You can grab a copy of Vol. 263 here or subscribe for £25 a year, to receive both mags direct to your […]
250 UK Surfboards Get Donated and Delivered To African Kids
The Board Drive, a partnership between FCS and Surfers Not Street Children, is the feel-good surf story of the year. It started with one surfer, wanting to donate one board, from his tiny backyard man-shed in Newquay. And it ended with 258 sleds getting delivered to young surfers living in tough and challenging environments in […]
Devon’s World Surf Reserve at the Heart of New Flower-Filled Grasslands ‘Savannah’ Project
Flower Power! Right now, it doesn’t look like much. Just another freshly tractored field lying a stone’s throw from the high tide mark at Woolacombe Beach in North Devon. For the surfers who love to sample swells that gently roll into the Putsborough to Woolacombe stretch, the grassland patch doesn’t look much different from the […]
Sea + Soil
THOUGHTS ON SURFING AND STEWARDSHIP This article is lifted from the pages of Wavelength Vol. 263 and is always better in print. You can grab a copy of Vol. 263 here or subscribe for £25 a year, to receive both mags direct to your door along with a bonus freebie of your choice as a […]
Local Underdog Storms Past Dozens Of Euro Pros To Boardmasters Podium!
On Sunday night, Kings Of Leon’s headline set roared so loudly through the balmy August night, there were reports of folk rocking out as far away as St Agnes head. It was a fittingly resonant end to what surely was one of the most memorable Boardmasters of the decade – featuring four days of incredible […]
A Concise History Of The Reef Fanning Sandal
“I reckon more people know my name for that sandal than they do for anything I’ve ever done in surfing. And that’s even after I almost got eaten by a shark live on TV.” Mick Fanning Flip flops, sandals, jandals, and thongs, have always been controversial. Back in 4000 BC, the ancient Egyptians are credited […]
Wavelength Guide to World Surfing Reserves: #2 Santa Cruz
Protect, Steward. Defend… And the perfect place for your next surf trip. In January 2022, 20 miles of the North Devon coastline became the 12th World Surfing Reserve. The WSR mission is simple; to protect surf ecosystems across the globe. The vision is a world where surf ecosystems are valued and protected and where surfing […]
The Weekly Wednesday Wavelength Q and A with Julian Wilson
Short questions and big answers from the key players in the surf world. Julian Wilson spent a decade on the Championship Tour (CT) from 2011 until his retirement last year. In that time he claimed five CT victories, including a Pipe Masters victory in 2014, and two big wins on the Gold Coast and in […]
Christa Funks’ Steps To Being In The Perfect Place At Pipeline
How Christa Funk went from Colorado to the Coast Guard to be one of Pipeline’s best water photographers. Within five minutes of meeting Christa Funk, I throw a glass of water right in her face. The photographer had just arrived in Hossegor around 10.30 in the evening, after a 30-hour journey from her home on […]
Luke Dillon On Living It Large At The Spring Classic
UK’s best shortboarder takes a load off at Woolacombe “Just one of the great aspects of the Spring Classic Invitational was having the chance to surf and hang out with all the best British surfers from all the divisions,” said Luke Dillon. “There were the best UK male and female competitive longboarders, a load of […]
Vissla Creators & Innovators: Paul Duvignau
Paul Duvignau is something of a renaissance man. The 25-year-old describes himself as a “shaper, surf coach, carpenter, multitask craftsman, cowboy, chippendale, whatever you want (laughs).” He’s also something of a throwback, a millennial with old school sensibilities. He rides big waves on self shaped guns, as well as horses, 80’s enduro motorbikes, and much […]
Evie Johnstone’s Creative Career Path
Reef’s first female UK ambassador has carved out a unique career as a surfer, photographer, stylist, and all-round lover of life. Just back from a trip to Costa Rica, WL talked to her ahead of her appearance at the Spring Classic Surf Invitational. Evie Johnstone should be jet-lagged, though she is determined to ignore it. […]
Final Spring Classic Headliners Announced
Creating unique events has become somewhat of a staple for us at Wavelength. From sell-out surf movies to cliff-top cinemas, and even hosting conferences to lead change. Using adventure sports to connect people is in our blood! And off the back of an epic Drive-in Cinema series, we thought we’d go one better this year […]
Top 5 Most Overlooked Women in Surfing
In the dog-eat-dog world of battling for sponsorship, media coverage and public favour and flavour, many female surfers have often faced tumultuous and unfair uphill battles in pursuit of their surfing goals. Often overlooked by brands and payslips due in no small part to what was/is deemed marketable in terms of physical appearance, misogyny, homophobia […]
Spring Classic Early Bird Tickets Launch & First Acts Announced
It has been a frosty start to ’22, some fun waves but ice cream headaches aplenty! But optimism is in the air, January is almost over and when the sun sneaks out there’s even a hint of Spring. So, let’s indulge for a moment and transport ourselves to the day we hang up our wetsuit […]
A Night Lost At Sea In The Great Australian Bight And The Worst Wipeout Of Brenden Newton’s Life
Like many of the bodyboarders who dedicated themselves to chasing the world’s heaviest waves in the early 2000s, Aussie Brenden Newton is no stranger to hairy experiences. I first heard his name pop up in an account of the day Mickey Smith and a crew of fellow boogs first spotted Aileens, the now infamous big […]
Meet The Cycle Zombies – The Californian Surf Family Bringing Old Bikes Back From The Dead
[Folowing a great summer showcasing their range of classic and contemporary bikes at our drive-in cinema, we’re offering readers the chance to win a weekend’s worth of free Harley-Davidson rental. Click here to enter. To celebrate the partnership, we’ve also been penning a series of articles exploring the unholy union between surf and bike culture. […]
Listen: Ep 27 The Winds of Change
It can be tough to pin point precisely the best part about being sufficiently blessed by fate and fortune that I get to do a regular podcast with Ben Mondy. Not just do a podcast, but to get paid for it, too. I know, right? In this latest episode, Ep27: The Winds of Change sure, […]
The Best Wavelength Print Features Of 2021
This year sees Wavelength celebrating our 40th year in print and while much has come and gone since those early days, we remain as committed as ever to creating quality compendiums of surf culture you can hold in your hands. Our 2021 volumes contained over 280 pages of long-form stories and beautiful imagery, from local […]
Deep Cuts From The Wavelength Archive – Part IV– Defining A Generation
Twenty-twenty-one is Wavelength’s 40th year in print. To mark the occasion, we’re diving deep into our archive to bring you a series of short stories featuring key cultural moments, entertaining asides and colourful characters from around the British surf scene and beyond over the last four decades. Read part I here. Read part II here. Read part III […]
A Tale Of Smuggling, Bad Grace & The Best Wave Of Lord Ted’s Life
The following is an excerpt from Surf, Sweat & Tears, a biography chronicling the epic life and mysterious death of British surfing legend Viscount Edward William Deerhurst, otherwise known Lord Ted. In this chapter, author Andy Martin recounts a trip to Bali in the early ’80s that would prove seminal not only for Ted’s surf […]
An Interview With The World-Famous Artist Who Created The Internet’s Favourite Fake Lineup Shot
A few years back we launched an investigation into the origins of the internet’s favourite fake lineup shot. While we managed to draw a few concrete conclusions back then, we fell short of identifying where the image actually came from. Then, last year, after we’d all but forgotten about it, we discovered that our article […]
Deep Cuts From The Wavelength Archive – Part III – The Trailblazers
Twenty-twenty-one marks Wavelength’s 40th year in print. To celebrate the occasion, we’re diving deep into the Wavelength archive to bring you a series of short stories featuring key cultural moments, entertaining asides and colourful characters from around the British surf scene and beyond over the last four decades. Read part I here. Read part II here. The […]
LISTEN: Melissa Reid On Winning Medals & World Championships As A Partially Sighted Surfer & Triathlete On The Inspired Surfers Podcast, Presented By Jimmy’s
As you’ve almost certainly seen by now, a few weeks back we joined a collection of activists, adventurers and sustainable business leaders in the heart of Bristol for two days of talks, workshops and outdoor activities. As the dust settles on the inaugural Blue Earth Summit, we’ll be sharing some of the conversations that took […]
Hydro Flask #RefillForGood
Hydro Flask are donating $100 000 to Surfrider Foundation globally from proceeds from their limited edition #RefillForGood range. I can’t remember the precise year; maybe it was 2014, perhaps 2015. I attended a gathering of the professional tribe of wave riders, at the Quiksilver/Roxy Pro France, to take pro surfing’s pulse. The annual tournament not […]
Oakley EVZero Blades Review
At just 22g, EVZero Blades are so light you’ll barely notice you’re wearing them. A frameless design means unperturbed vision, while the excellent Prizm lens gives exceptional clarity, colour definition and protection. Looks-wise, the temples of the EVZero frame meet the iconic lens cut of the legendary Blades. A performance eyewear both for fashion and […]
It’s Just A Ride – The John Eldridge Profile
John Eldridge flicks up his visor and looks south. In the distance, where a carpet of rolling green fields fall away into the Atlantic, he can just about make out the small cluster of houses where he grew up. Looking down below, he points to tiny waves folding over on the sands of Boobys Bay, […]
Leading The Charge; A Live Conversation With Andrew Cotton & Gabe Davies At The WL Surf Film Festival, Bristol
The Wavelength Surf Film Festival rolls into Bristol for an evening of critically acclaimed surf cinema and good times in the heart of the city this Wednesday 13 October. Get tickets here. We’re excited to announce that we’ll be kicking off the WL Surf Film Festival at 1900 on Wednesday the 13th with a live […]
Shaun Tomson Looks Back On 40 Years Of Stoke
Narrating a new series about five European groms chasing their CT dreams sees the 1977 World Champ reflects on his first trip to the UK, the role of stoke and some vague recollections of the Wavelength Launch Party. “We walked down from the car park for the first day and we were greeted by perfection,” […]
The Rad Women’s Surf Communities Of New England, USA
The compact region of New England sits nestled up against the Canadian border, in the northernmost corner of The USA’s Eastern Seaboard. Comprising six different states, it boasts hundreds of miles of coastline and a plethora of spots, pointing towards every point of the compass. For the unfamiliar, surfing in New England evokes visions of […]
The Pub Round Table: The Legends & Lore Of Surfing In Porthleven
[We’ve teamed up with korev – a refreshing lager, born in Cornwall, with a deep heritage in surfing – to bring you a brand new series here on Wavelengthmag.com. Over the next few months, we’ll be heading to some of the South West’s most iconic surf towns and sitting down at the local with a few […]
Matt Bromley & Andrew Kaineder On The Making Of ‘Over The Edge’
We’re stoked to be hosting the UK Premiere of Over The Edge, a new big wave odyssey starring Matt Bromley and directed by award-winning filmmaker Andrew Kaineder at the Wavelength Surf Film Festival. Get your tickets here. Several years in making, the film follows the South African charger as he chases swells to some of […]
A Surf Club House For Robertsport, Liberia
[We’re screening the UK Premiere of Water Get No Enemy at the Wavelength Surf Film Festival Saturday 4th September, showcasing the latest and greatest releases in surf action and documentary. Tickets are now live! Get yours here.] The nation of Liberia was founded in the early 19th century by the American Colonization Society, as a place for freed […]
Oakley Surfing: High Definition Relationships
When Oakley – the brand Jim Jannard started by selling moto x accessories out the back of his car in California in the 70’s – signed a deal to become Official Eyewear & PPE Partner of the World Surf League, it seemed a perfectly natural fit. Relentless innovation has long been the brand’s hallmark, outstanding […]
Meeting Former Child Soldiers Turned Surfers In Liberia – Arthur Bourbon On The Making Of ‘Water Get No Enemy’
[We’re screening the UK Premiere of Water Get No Enemy at the Wavelength Surf Film Festival Saturday 4th September, showcasing the latest and greatest releases in surf action and documentary. Tickets are now live! Get yours here.] Arthur Bourbon kicks off his hiking shoes after a hefty 6 hour yomp on both French and Spanish sides […]
Surf & Motorcycles; A Potted History Of An Unholy Union
[We’re excited to announce our friends at Harley-Davidson will be joining us all summer at the Wavelength Drive-In Cinema, offering attendees the opportunity to check out their range of classic and contemporary bikes up close and to win the chance to ride one for a weekend. To celebrate the partnership, we’ll be penning a series […]
Boardmasters Week 2021: The Surfing, The Forecast, The Ones To Watch & What’s On In Town
After two fallow years, Boardmasters is finally back to blast away the last of the lockdown cobwebs with a mid-summer celebration of surfing, music and full send. With sun, waves and not quite enough wind to rip the tents from the clifftops on the forecast, the stage looks set for a triumphant return. (Just don’t […]
GALLERY: The Wavelength Drive-In Gets Rated As Best Thing To Do In Cornwall
We’re almost halfway through our summer of drive-in cinema, having already welcomed thousands of you through the gates for 25 afternoon and evening screenings of the greatest surf blockbusters, cult classics and family favourites on a giant 10m LED screen. We’ve watched Matt, Jack and Leroy surf sparkling Malibu while the sun drops into the […]
North Shore: Where Are They Now?
[The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall. Browse the full lineup and get your tickets here. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.] North Shore gave us a fascinating look at a Hawaiian winter […]
Deep Cuts From The Wavelength Archive – Part I – The Early Years
Twenty-twenty-one marks Wavelength’s 40th year in print. So far to celebrate, we’ve created a special anniversary edition filled with stories considering shifting realities and re-released some of our original loungewear from the era in the form of the Wavelength Heritage Range. Over the coming months, we’ll be diving deep into the Wavelength archive to bring […]
How To Watch Olympic Surfing on TV
Inside the BBC’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic surfing coverage After a couple of thousand years’ of experimentation with mainly pointless hobbies masquerading as athletic endeavours that will never catch on, like slow walking and dancing horses, the Olympics has finally come to its senses (had the wad of bitcoins pushed under the right IOC executive committee […]
Culture Wars: Surfing At The Olympics
[Surfing in the Olympics? High time the competitive side of the sport got the truly global platform it deserves? Sacred pastime of the ali’i whoring itself in the quadrennial ‘30 billion dollar advert for the world’s worst companies’? With Olympic surfing upon us, it’s time to brush up on the lyrics for the Hawaiian national […]
7 Surfer / Shapers Of Note
All shapers are surfers, pretty much. But the surfer shaper is a rare exotic, and very possibly headed for extinction. A surfer shaper is someone whom, at the peak of their water riding powers, does so on foam they themselves have hewn into a shape of their own brilliant design. In an ideal world, where the […]
Meet Pat Capocci; Surfer, Barber And Celebrated Musician From Sydney’s Northern Beaches
Sydney Based Pat Capocci is a lifelong surfer, a touring musician of global acclaim and owner of Flying Tiger barbershop. In short, he’s a real renaissance man. Whether he’s slinging and wailing in front of a jostling crowd, packing his quiver for a dawnie down the coast or chewing the fat with a client in […]
Point Break At 30: Has Much Happened Since?
[The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall. Browse the full lineup and get your tickets here. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.] There are different ways of realising you’re old. Being ideologically opposed […]
Behind The Scenes On Blue Crush With Keala Kennelly
[The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, including two screenings of Blue Crush on the 18th of July and the 7th of August. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to […]
Big Wednesday, Billy Hamilton And The Strange Birth Of Bear Surfboards
[The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, kicking off with Surf’s Up and Big Wednesday on Friday 16th July. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.] While Big Wednesday […]
The Origins Of The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema
Sometime back in spring of 2020, as lockdown stretched out indefinitely and the summer event schedule was wiped clean, we started thinking about ways we could make our own fun. With several movie tours under our belts and drive-in cinemas popping up around the country, we figured what better way to bring the community together […]
Greg Noll in Riding Giants: ‘Winter ’69 Was The Peak Of My Life’
[The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, including Riding Giants 26th August. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.] Central to Riding Giants’ premise of […]
The Pub Round Table: The Legends & Lore Of Surfing In St Ives
To celebrate the nation’s triumphant return to the pub, we’ve teamed up with korev – a refreshing lager, born in Cornwall, with a deep heritage in surfing and proud sponsors of the Wavelength Drive-In Cinema – to bring you a brand new series here on Wavelengthmag.com. Over the next few months, we’ll be heading to some […]
North Shore’s Best Lines
[The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, including Hawaii classic North Shore on 5th August. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.] The 1987 classic […]
Things To Do In Cornwall This Summer- A Local’s Guide From The Team At Wavelength
A local’s guide to Cornwall, filled with ideas of things to do in summer 2021.
Dad & Daughter Duo Dylan & Summa Longbottom On Towing Heavy Waves Together
When it comes to stalwarts of the big wave surfing world, Aussie Dylan Longbottom ranks among the most well respected. With an illustrious career spanning almost three decades, headline accolades include a starring role during Teahupoo’s infamous Code Red swell and a stint stunt doubling on Hollywood’s big 2015 Point Break sequel. He’s also a […]
Surfing & Cannabis: A Potted History
Powered by Goodrays Virginal, unridden surf romped across our planet’s fresh-cut shorelines way back in deep time immemorial. Long before plants, or indeed life itself, were there to witness the violence, oceans first swirled and surged into being under a moody, toxic sky some 4000 million years ago. Not one to rush things, Jah then […]
Behind The Scenes On Big Wednesday: Tales From The Set With Stunt Double Ian Cairns
[The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, kicking off with Surf’s Up and Big Wednesday on Friday 16th July. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry […]
Why ‘Surf’s Up’ Is The Greatest Surf Film Ever Made
[The Wavelength Drive-In Cinema is back for 2021, bringing you a range of surf cinema, cult classics and family favourites from the clifftops of Cornwall, kicking off with Surf’s Up and Big Wednesday on Friday 16th July. Browse the full lineup and get your ticket here. Or, subscribe to Wavelength now to get free entry to a screening of your choice.] The 2007 animated […]
Surfers Against Sewage Awarded Grant From Hydro Flask’s Parks For All Programme
Back in 2017, Hydro Flask – the world leader in high performance insulated flasks – announced the creation of a new charitable programme, entitled Parks For All, which set out to support the development, maintenance and accessibility of public green spaces in the U.S. and beyond. Since then, it’s awarded over $1.9 million in cash […]
Introducing The Wavelength Heritage Range Presented By Oakley
In the spring of 1981, Simon Evans and Geoff Tydeman sat down to consider the pressing issues of the day. The Cold War, the coming launch of the space shuttle Columbia and Michael Jackson’s Thriller almost certainly came up. Other business included Simon’s designs for the masthead logo for Geoff and John Conway’s exciting new […]
How (Not) To Surf Your Mid-Length
An upshifter’s guide to getting the most out of a bigger rig So you drank the mid-length Kool Aid, how could you not? Faced with the barrage of propaganda served up by the likes of WL, among others, your News Feed inundated with the self-satisfied grins of those in enviable mid face trim. Either that […]
How Did I Get Here? – The Life & Art Of Christa Funk
Christa Funk is laughing as she tells me about her first foray into the notorious breaks of Oahu, where a close friend took her body surfing at the infamously unfriendly Sandy Beach. “That’s a break for breaking your neck, haha! I think he figured with some of the stuff he’d seen me do surfing elsewhere, […]
Have We Just Witnessed The Greatest Global Run of Swell In History?
Popular surf forecasting app Magic Seaweed tend cop a bit of flak, for one reason or another. Harsh, if you ask me. Super harsh. Take just yesterday, for example. The very last day of the greatest ‘run’ of swell in the world, ever. A perfect, perfect day. Skies blue; sea, shimmering. Exotic sting of pavement […]
On Reefs: Ollie O’Flaherty And The Riley’s Ravine
[Welcome to ‘On Reefs’ a series of stories exploring the hidden quirks and perils of reefs around the world through the personal experiences of those who know them in intimately.] Since it was first surfed in 2007, Riley’s has become one of the most recognisable heavy wave arenas in the Northern Hemisphere; a unique combination […]
The Arc of Aleutia Is An Ode To Audacious Surfing Adventure
Roark’s excellent new short The Arc Of Aleutia is now available to watch in full on Apple TV. The film takes viewers on a cinematic surfing voyage through a remote island chain, scattered in the gap between Alaska and Russia. Right up in the farthest reaches of the North Atlantic, the Aleutians present a picturesque […]
Style Influences: Leah Dawson
You can’t mention the word “style” in surfing without thinking of Leah Dawson. The California born, Hawaii based surfer’s poetic fusion of classic style, paired with her wholly new and individual approach, makes for an intoxicatingly beautiful and technically progressive blend. I’m talking to Leah beach-side in Waikiki where she’s in town for a 4 […]
Lightning Bolt: 50 Years of the Purest Source
As surfing iconography goes, the timeless image of a lithe limbed, bowl cutted Gerry Lopez propelled impossibly from within the confines of a hissing Banzai Pipeline vortex on a red and yellow Lightning Bolt pintail remains one of the enduring images of the era many regard as surfing’s finest of all. Slight in stature next […]
GALLERY: Highlights From An Amazing February Around Europe
It’s been a superb February for waves throughout the North Atlantic. From El Quemao to County Clare, it’s hard to remember a month that served up so many memorable sessions at Western Europe’s standout breaks. And, away from the limelight, the continent’s more obscure surfing corners have seen similarly heady days for their local devotees. […]
When Camping in Mexico Goes Horribly Wrong
The latest instalment of a brand new WL series The Chronicles of Gnarlier recalls the time a former surf industry rep Craig Outfield and a group of 5 friends went to Mainland Mexico for an off grid surf trip, and came very close to paying for it with their lives. Craig picks up the story: […]
The Stories Of Jack McCoy’s Most Exciting Surf Discoveries
In current times, it’s hard to resist feeling a nostalgia for the heady days of global surf travel. So, we’re encouraging you to indulge it enthusiastically with our ongoing series of discovery stories from some of the world’s most prolific surf explorers, running all this winter here on the Wavelengthmag.com The first edition featured Martin […]
The Rad Women’s Surf Communities Of Scandinavia
Today we’re kicking off a brand new series on Wavelength, shining a light on some of the most unique and colourful women’s surf crews around the world. We’ll be checking in with the figures at the centre of these communities and finding out about the magic of their local spots and what makes the scene […]
Hossegor’s Valentine Weekend Massacre
The February school holidays in France have been blessed sunny skies, warm weather and pumping surf after a fairly brutal winter. With the much-threatened lockdown 3.0 still not yet materialising, it’s been about as busy as it gets in Hossegor-Capbreton in terms of visitors. The Capbreton one way strip along the port has been bumper […]
Introducing Volte; Premium Wetsuits Built With Decades Of Experience
You can’t mention the word “style” in surfing without thinking of Leah Dawson. The California born, Hawaii based surfer’s poetic fusion of classic style, paired with her wholly new and individual approach, makes for an intoxicatingly beautiful and technically progressive blend. I’m talking to Leah beach-side in Waikiki where she’s in town for a […]
Stories From The Road With Deus Filmer Andre Cricket
Since the beginning, Deus Ex Machina has been about much more than spinning quality threads, with art shows, custom bikes, boards, and films forming equally critical parts of its offering. Much of their approach reaches back to 2010 when Dustin Humphrey established a base for the Sydney born brand in the Island of the Gods. […]
Style Influences: Ivah Wilmot
Ivah Wilmot made a welcome change from your average pro surfer interview, right off the bat: “I like talking, I like interviews,” he says from his base in Kingston, Jamaica. “You get to get your story out.” Part of the Roark Revival posse – a diverse a crew of surf talents ranging from the hammer […]
The Quik Cup, 2002: The Party Animals’ Mass Extinction
[As Wavelength celebrates its 40th birthday in 2021, we revisit at some of the more colourful chapters in European surfing history.] How an era-straddling celebration of cross-over boardsport culture – and a Daily Telegraph kiss n’ tell of it – marked the beginning of the end surfing’s vaunted age of debauchery. “So now, less than […]
Locked Down But Not Out: Aritz Goes To Jail in Jo’Burg, 2007
[As Wavelength celebrates its 40th birthday in 2021, we revisit at some of the more colourful chapters in European surfing history.] Aritz Aranburu might be the hardest working man in European surfing over the past decade and a half. An attritional battler in the beachies if not an obvious standout, it’s not until swells get […]
Style Influences: Harrison Roach
There’s much to admire in the Harrison Roach oeuvre. A logger of global repute, but much more than just that, he’s also outstanding as a roaring tubesmith, an all around performer on shorties, mids, or fibreglass of any denomination. His refined touch and waterpersonship is matched by a trim and tidy aesthetic. Bright-eyed and sharp, […]
The Wavelength 2020 Surf Quiz
As we say goodbye to 2020, it’s time for one last little look back on the year that was (before we never, ever dare breathe a mention of it ever again) by testing your knowledge of the world of surfing over the last twelve months. You may want to refresh your memory, of course, in […]