In the 1800s, amid frequent wars with Russia and China, Japan’s military government seized on what they hoped would be a game-changing tactic. Inspired by the ancient Samurai’s commitment to suicide over capture, the government taught its soldiers it was far more honourable to die than to surrender. When the Pacific Wars began in 1941, […]
Introducing Wavelength Volume 257 – Our Brand New Autumn // Winter Edition
[This is an introduction to Wavelength Volume 256, landing in shops on the 21st November. Subscribe now to get your copy with free P&P. In the early 60s, the first true wave of surf explorers set off across the world, armed with cumbersome cameras and heavy glassed longboards, seeking exotic cultures and empty lineups. Among […]
Local Surfer Dies After Being Pulled From The Sea In The Outer Hebrides
A local surfer has died after being pulled from the sea in the Outer Hebrides. The man, who has not yet been named in the media, was surfing Barvas beach on the isle of Lewis’ north-west coast yesterday morning when the tragedy occurred. The Hebrides are currently being pummeled by a solid westerly swell, with […]
Hundreds Of Kilos Of Cocaine Are Washing Up On France’s Surfing Beaches!
Of the 50,000 cargo ships crisscrossing the world’s oceans, it is estimated around four sink or capsize every day, sending their goods to the bottom of the sea, or dashing them onto nearby beaches. As a result, there’s a long and rich history of bounty washing in with the waves onto Europe’s Atlantic shoreline. In […]
Is Surfing Really The Answer To Our Mental Health Problems?
More and more, surfing, yoga and walks in nature are being posited as the answer to alleviating our mental health problems, but are they really the magic fix so many claim? As lovers of surfing and other nature-based pastimes, we all know how much better a stint of outdoor activity makes us feel. However, we […]
Opinion: The Ocean Won’t Turn You Away
[This article originally appeared in Volume 256. Subscibe to Wavelength now to never miss an issue.] No one has ever told me to put my surfboard down. No one has ever told me to get out of the water. I have faced no barriers in learning to surf, other than those pertaining to the fact […]
An Honest Review Of The Wave Bristol
Since the wave opened just over two weeks ago, there’s been an awful lot of chat about what it isn’t, what it should be and what it might be in the future. After the media day, we set out to answer all your burning questions including: How many different types of wave are there? How […]
How (Not) To Watch The Vans Triple Crown: Haleiwa & Sunset
The Vans Triple Crown is upon us, the thrilling climax to another year of competitive pro surfing. In terms of gathering of the tribe vibes, it’s kind of a cross between the Hajj, the Eisteddfod… and Spring Break. The North Shore aka the Seven Mile Miracle is the hallowed, sacred ground upon which anyone who […]
INTL Podcast: “Love You” Slater: “Thanks man”
Guinness World Record holder Paul Evans & 4th place finisher in U16 NSW State Surfing Titles 1989 co-host Ben Mondy return with another thrilling instalment of Wavelength’s It’s Not The Length podcast. Yep, that podcast. The one brought to you proudly in association with FourFiveCBD and Billabong’s Graphene wetsuits. Leaving no journalistic turn unstoned, Paul and Ben are […]
Does Checking the Surf in an SUV Make You an Idiot?
Bad news, surf folk. Not only is eating meat and flying to Indo all very much Climate Crisis kookery, it would seem driving the exact kind of car your favourite and least favourite pro surfer influencers are peddling is too. I was working at the Meo Rip Curl Pro Peniche recently, and a colleague was lucky enough to […]
Five Things We Learnt On The Patagonia Worn Wear Tour
Early this year, we were lucky enough to be invited along to join the Patagonia team for the launch of this years Worn Wear tour. From start to finish it was impressive and inspiring. After arriving thinking we already had a pretty good grasp of all that the brand’s does, we were surprised by just […]
Ain’t It Time You Got Yourself A Pair Of Surf Boots You Actually Like?
Ain’t it time you treated yourself to a surf boot that you actually adore? After every surf I stuff my boots into the corner of my shower, where they remain un-cared for and unloved, stewing in their own juices until I can bear to retrieve them- such is the contempt I feel for the little […]
Introducing WAES. The plastic free shoe making waves.
Unless you have been in hiding for the last few years, you should by now realise that we are facing an environmental crisis. People really woke up after Sir David Attenborough rocked the world with his dulcet tones and his incredibly inspiring Blue Planet. It is brilliant to see he is at it again with […]
Post Portugal: What We Learned
I hadn’t been to Peniche for a few years before attending this year’s Championship Tour event. While I’ve been a regular visitor to Portugal, that particular waft of cabbage field offshore across a kinda bleak, vaguely dystopian Peniche skyline, married with an outrageous richesse of nearby surf opportunity had all become unfamiliar to me. It […]
WATCH: A Few Beautiful Minutes With Josie Prendergast
Here’s a short but lovely flick featuring Josie Prendergast, surfing a dreamy point under the early summer sun near her adopted home in NSW. It’s a celebration of the subtle; artfully cut by Nathan Oldfield and beautifully scored by Nicole Reynolds. Hit play and brighten up your cold rainy Tuesday.
The Best Surf Holidays To Give Yourself A Proper Break This Winter
Good waves are better than bad waves. Surfing in warm water is preferable. Agree? Read on… Disagree? Skip this article and have a read about Europe’s most memorable named storm swells The debate over man-made waves compared to natural ocean waves is one we would never had expected to be having back in the 80’s. […]
Everything You’re Dying To Know About The Brand New Bristol Wave Pool!
Today, after ten years of hype and preparations, the Wave Bristol finally opened to the public. We went down there to see what was what, capture some footage of the assembled crew of British and Irish rippers, and try and find out the answers to all your burning questions. Let’s dive straight into the details […]
WATCH: Taylor Jensen Pulls A Big Superman Air On His Longboard
Over the last decade, high-performance longboarding seems to have fallen out of favour with both the surf media and more recently, the WSL, in lieu of its more classically styled single-finned counterpart. However, there remains many a staunch and talented crew high pro proponents, dead-set on dragging the antiquation appreciation society into the future by […]
The Best Surfboards For Winter 19/20
We are often reminded that money can’t buy happiness, that the quest to accumulate material possessions is a road to empty sorrow. That consumerism is not only the wrong path for the blue & green spinning ellipsoid we call home, but for our souls too. But. There are always exceptions that prove the rule, and […]
