When Curren surfed 12 foot waves on a bizarre 5'7" board it sent metaphorical shockwaves around the world. In the recent Surfline feature, author Marcus Sanders, called it 'The Quiet Revolution' attributing the session to the subsequent resurgence of fish surfboards and a wholesale reduction in board length.
Over the last eleven and a half years, Swellnet has relied almost exclusively on advertising to remain a free service. Ads are nothing new on Swellnet. Recently however, we ran a sponsorship of our Wave Of The Day photo which met with strong criticism.
Less than eighteen months after leaving Billabong with a $2.5 million termination payout, former CEO Derek O'Neill is assisting in the creation of a rival brand to his former employer.
I have believed for a long time that surfing has been oversold. By this I mean that the thrills, benefits and general attractions have been exaggerated.
In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster a modern version of Chinese whispers has emerged, and it's been created and perpetuated by internet journalism. It's presence highlighting the flaws and limitations of the medium.
Quiksilver recently opened its first store in Myanmar and it chose the location well. Situated in Yangon on the east side of Inya Road, a prosperous upmarket neighbourhood. The United States and German embassies are nearby, as is the University of Foreign Languages. Into this auspicious environment the Mountain and the Wave have made their latest foray.
Competitive surfing has a chequered history when it comes to child prodigies. For every teenage sensation that successfully made the leap to a professional career there are hundreds who fell by the wayside. Swellnet speaks to Steve Clements, father of Kobi, who at just 8-years-old is the latest - and perhaps the youngest - surfer to have the spotlight fall his way.
Just two weeks after work on the Kirra groyne extension was announced the project has hit a hurdle. Yesterday Swellnet learned the Gold Coast City Council haven't been granted development approval despite stating on the 29th July that "the first of hundreds of boulders will be moved into place today."
It's a simple question, really. But before considering the responses I have obtained in a short survey on the issue there are a few things that need to be stated explicitly.
If surfing was meaningless activity I suppose nose-riding was its quintessence, pointlessness added to meaninglessness, but I could never embrace it. With shortboards there was an immediate sense of drama. You had to keep moving. To stand and pose, no matter how careful the arrangement of your arms, was to invite disaster. The only way to surf was to drive from rail to rail. There was also a sense of limitless possibility.