Surfer Zine

Surfer ZInE

The Evolution of Big Wave Surfing Mick Fanning’s

catching (up)

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ISSUE

June

#5

Features The Evolution of Big Wave Surfing p.6 Follow along with the trends of Big Wave Surfing from it’s inception to today’s standards

catching (up) p.10 Catch up with pro rider Mick Fanning as he struggles to come back from a serious injury

Surf Trip: Tahiti p.36 Tahiti has been firing the last month. Nearly every pro has made the pilgramage over, from Kelly Slater to John John Florence

A New Era p.40

Join us in welcoming in the new age of Surfers. We’ve got our eye on a few groms and think you should too.

Brave New Coral p.68

Human activity has wreaked havoc on coral reefs around the world. Now, under the threat of climate change, coral’s best chance for sruvival may be human creativity

Ripcurl’s Summer Carnival p.74

Don’t Stop

Experience one of summer’s best surf contests through the eyes of staff photographer Ray Collins, We sent Ray on a journey to document all of the weirdness and wackyness

#SKATETillDead

On the Cover: You don’t need to be a marine biologist to know that maintinag healthy reefs is a good thing for surfing. Tahitian charger Matahi Drollet, enjoying the gift that marine invertebrates provide.

Photo by: Thouard

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June 2017

ZInE

ISSUE

Surfer

#5 Keep Looking for the Next Break...

Editorial

Editor Zander Morton Creative Director Andre “Chato” Aganza Content Director Peter Taras Photo Editor Jimmy Wilson Online Editor Brendan Buckley Art Director Noa Emberson Web & Social Media Manager Dayton SIlva

Video Editor Sean Benik Videographer Jacob Vanderwork Editor at Large Taylor Paul Editor at Large Beau Flemister Editorial Assistant Michael Ciramella Guiding Light Larry “Flame” Moore Copy Editor Kersten Deck

Contributing Photographers

CALIFORNIA - Aaron Checkwood, Ben Ginsberg, Shane Grace, Scotty Hammonds, Russ Hennings, Jason Kenworthy, Matt Kurvin, Ricky Lesser, NIck Liotta, Jason Murray, Morgan Massen, Quinn Matthews, Mark Mcinnis, Dave Nelson, Kurt Steinmetz, Frank Quirarte, Pat Stacy, William Sharp, Adam Warmington

Interns

Tanner Carney Katie Rodriguez Shanna McCoy

Advertising Sales

General Manager Tony Perez Associate General Manager Jermey Schluntz Account Executive Jye Townend The Always Beautiful Tahiti

Surfer Zine is Proud to Support

Surfrider Foundation Surfing America Life Rolls On Surf Industry Manufacturers Association Environmental Fund Follow the Light Foundation National Scholastic Surfing Association Vans Triple Crown of Surfing

#SURFALLDAY June 2017 p. 4

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The ebb and flow of the ocean is a powerful thing.

Photo: Aaron Checkwood

The Evolution of Big Wave Surfing

Follow along with the trends of Big Wave Surfing from it’s inception to today’s standards

One a barrel, Two a barrel, Three a barrel, Four Photo: Jason Murray

Throughout human history, many cultures had a fear of the ocean – with horizons considered “the unknown” – waves were part of the reason to fear the Ocean because there was no understanding of what got the water to “move” – and anything non-human that moved was a feared predator – even the Ocean.

Ocean cultures had harmony with the Ocean with the people and cultural programing exhibiting an understanding and comfort with the Ocean embodied by the Hawaiians and shared with us by Duke Kahanamoku and Eddie Aikau.

While traditional Hawaiians had sophisticated quivers for riding different sized waves in various manners, the early wooden “plank” boards that were shared as modern surfing resurfaced were heavy and hard for kids to carry and maneuver. Paddling surfboards out where there were channels / predictable waves became the way to access waves favorable for a “slide” and these waves were popularized as “surf spots”.From heavier wooden boards (redwood) to lighter wood and fiberglass boards (balsa) to foam boards, board weight came down – facilitating maneuverability.

Shorter / thinner boards became possible as surfing skills and abilities developed offering the following advantages: a) smaller boards accelerate faster and can reach a higher terminal velocity, b) thinner boards lower the center of gravity to improve the feel of

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Back in the good ‘ole days when the boards were long and the shorts were short

the board and allow easier overpowering of a rail by the surfer’s weight while allowing for increased speed from the reduced drag associated with thinner rails slicing cleanly through the wave face.

Measurement controlled shaping, computer designs and records, steady supplies of close tolerance Clark Foam blanks with thousands of specified rocker contours, and years of standardization around the tri-fin design all contributed to a long period of refinement.

A certain amount of area and speed is required for a surfboard to transition from a displacement hull to planing hull while supporting the weight of a surfer: planing area is arranged in different designs to accommodate the skill level and performance characteristics desired by the surfer and matched to the size / power / speed / surface conditions of the wave.

Skill development advanced from a combination of changing ideas on how to ride a wave, starting to surf at a younger age and spending more time in the water: fueling the progression.

Beach breaks opened up due to smaller boards and thinner, more flexible and comfortable surfing wetsuits that improved paddling ability over the thicker, more cumbersome diving wetsuits initially used.

Wetsuits / drysuits enabled cold water / cold weather surfing that allowed more waves to be surfed through all seasons in areas that were not previously known for surfing, opening up wave availability in different areas and in cooler temperatures.

Cold water spots that were previously out of contention due to hypothermia and the associated shut-down of coordination and bodily functions were now a possibility.

Leashes influenced the sport by: a) increasing the perception of safety, b) reducing the risk of getting hit by a loose board in crowded lineups, c) minimizing down-time from board damage in rocky lineups, and d) virtually eliminating swimming for lost boards. The widespread adoption of leashes increased crowd pressures because surfers that had wiped out were saved the swim and were able to immediately get back into the lineup and in position to catch the next wave. How many waves you got was no longer tied to your experience and ability as a surfer and

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Staff photographer Ray Collins consistnently capturing the fear the ocean drives

water person: the leash helped less proficient and inconsiderate surfers get more waves and empowered wave hogs to be rescued from natural selection and stay in the lineup.

Duck diving became the favored technique in helping surfers efficiently get through waves with their smaller, thinner boards which were more easily submerged through waves – especially at beach breaks – which opened up new places to surf.

Jet skis increased safety by empowering the rescuers to reach surfers after debilitating wipeouts in the increasingly risky waves and crowded conditions that were for the modern surfer.

While premodern and early modern surfers were thrilled and in some cases attracted to riding bigger waves, big-wave surfing as a specialized branch of the sport is often said to have begun in the late 1930s.

Honolulu teenagers John Kelly, Wally Froiseth, and Fran Heath invented the streamlined hot curl surfboard in mid-1937, which allowed them to hold a higher, more controlled line across the wave; a few months later the same group ventured to the west side of Oahu and discovered the beautifully formed waves of Makaha. A right-breaking wave, best in winter and easy riding up to 12 feet, Makaha turns into a fast, roaring, challenging wall at 15 feet or bigger. A 1953 Associated Press photograph of George Downing, Woodbridge “Woody” Brown, and Buzzy Trent angling across a sparkly 15-footer at Makaha was published in newspapers across America, and inspired a group of California surfers— including Fred Van Dyke and Peter Cole— to move to Hawaii and take up big-wave riding in earnest. Two years earlier, Downing had made himself a racy 10-foot balsa-core surfboard, with a raked stabilizing fin (the hot curl boards were finless and made primarily of redwood), and the control afforded by this new board

Jared Johnston with a wall crashing down over him Photo: Ricky Lesser

allowed surfers like Downing and Californian Walter Hoffman to ride waves half again as big as those ridden in the late ‘40s. This type of long, narrow board, designed to provide enough paddling speed to catch bigger waves, was later nicknamed an “elephant gun” by Trent; surfers still call a paddle-powered big-wave board a gun. (Pat Curren of California would later become surfing’s premier gun maker, followed by Hawaii’s Dick Brewer.)

A new era in big-wave riding began in the mid-’50s, as surfers started making regular visits to Oahu’s North Shore, a seven-mile rural stretch of coast filled with more than a dozen breaks offering consistently large winter surf; the shifty A-frame waves at Sunset Beach in particular became a big-wave mainstay. In 1957, California surfer Greg Noll

led a group of riders out to Waimea Bay for the first time. Fourteen years earlier, high school surfer Dickie Cross of Waikiki had paddled out at Sunset, got caught outside on a fast-rising swell, and drowned while trying to paddle through the huge waves at Waimea; after the Noll-led breakthrough in 1957, the photogenic and centrally located Waimea quickly became the last word in big-wave riding, and remained so for nearly 35 years. t-or-bigger waves.) The ‘60s era of big-wave surfing peaked in 1969, as Noll dropped into a 35-footer at Makaha, and soon after gave the sport up. Giant waves never went entirely out of fashion, but the specialty fell out of style as the focus shifted to small-wave riding and the nascent professional competition scene.

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catching (up)

Mick Fanning Talented, Hardworking, Humble - but let’s not make a big fuss about it

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Mick Fanning Slashing his way into our hearts Photo: Jason Murray

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“That’s how I want to go the whole year - just don’t worry about the consequences.”

ick Fanning has made a winning return to life as a full-time professional surfer.

The three-time world champion nailed a 7.17 ride in the dying seconds of Thursday’s Quiksilver Pro opening-round heat on the Gold Coast to pip France’s Jeremy Flores and American legend Kelly Slater.

Fanning’s late score gave him a two-wave score of 13.27 out of 20, handing him victory by less than a point over Flores (13.13).

11-time world champion Slater began the final year of his illustrious career on tour with defeat. He and Flores will have to come through a sudden-death second-round heat at Snapper Rocks to stay in the event.

Fanning only competed in five events last year after an emotionally taxing 2015 that included a marriage breakdown, the death of his older brother and a shark attack during a tour event final in South Africa which made headlines around the world.

But the freedom gained from his sabbatical proved decisive in his return to full-time competition.

“It’s a confidence booster that I can keep my cool at the end,” Fanning said.

“That’s how I want to go the whole year - just don’t worry about the consequences.

“Just going for it when you need to, that’s the big plus coming out of that heat.” Another Australian Owen Wright completed his own comeback to the tour after missing all of 2016 due to injury.

Despite fears he might never surf competitively again after suffering a severe head injury in the final event of 2015, Wright dominated his first-round heat against American Sebastian Zietz and Australian youngster Ethan Ewing.

The brother of women’s world champion Tyler Wright secured a two-wave score of 16.83 to win by 1.56 points from Ewing.

“That feels great,” Wright said.

“Tough journey getting here - I fully enjoyed that moment out there. I’ve got some real emotions now.”

Wright and Fanning move into round three with 2012 world champion Joel Parkinson, 2016 event champion Matt Wilkinson and defending world champion JohnJohn Florence.

Bede Durbidge, making his own comeback from a potentially career-ending injury, narrowly missed out in his heat, pipped by former world champion Adriano de Souza.

2014 world champion Gabriel Medina won his heat but limped away from the competition site with his right knee on ice, putting doubt over his future participation.

Last year he gifted us some cinematic gems and the highest possible vibes, bringing a noncommittal attitude to the world tour, but still doing enough events to requalify and not soak up a 2017 wildcard spot (which world champs have the power to do after taking a year off... what a guy).

I certainly also like ‘T-1000 compBeast Mick Fanning’, but there’s a lot to be said for the Vacation edition. What I don’t like, is seeing a champion and born winner lose; The 13th and 25th place finishes he’s scooped this year don’t suit him. So, what’s going on in that highly conJune 2017 p. 12

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It’s tough to imagine Fanning with a simle not on his face. Photo: Mark Mcinnis

Fanning showing his prowess and ability to make everything look too damn easy. Photo:

sidered mind, two events into this year?

Let’s have the breeziest conversation and find out.

Yeah, alright, it’s sort of hard getting back in. For me, I’m still trying to figure out if I want to be here or not. I’ve been putting everything into every heat, but I’ve just gotta change a few little things, and maybe I’ve put a little too much pressure on myself. I think also too, I hadn’t had that break away from it.

You have a little bit of rust when you haven’t had a heat for a while and I made some little mistakes here and there (this year) that maybe I wouldn’t have made

in previous years. I think that’s what has cost me this year. But it’s all learning, you’ve just gotta change and adapt accordingly.

When you’re sitting in the car park for four hours wondering whether you’re going to surf your heat or not… it gets to be a little bit much.

[MISTAKES] I was surfing with Maxime Huscenot in France two years ago, and I was looking at his four channels thinking, maybe that’s a good idea. So I sent some texts

to DH. He’s always reluctant to make me channel bottoms – in those dimensions, anyway. I rode that 5’9” throughout that first swell this year on the Goldy, so, I knew it worked. And the waves were pretty gutless at J-Bay, and going up against Filipe I knew I had to do something different, to make it stand out. But it’s a board that I just love riding.

[FEELINGS]

When I get home and I’m going to surf the point, I’ll usually jump on that rather June 2017 p. 14

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than a normal shortboard. You can definitely notice the channels.

A lot of the traditionalists are all about six channels, but I find the six channels to be a little too tracky. The feeling of four channels is like a quad, but without the trackiness. when you’re doing a turn, it feels like you’re on train tracks. It just holds in and gives you that extra bite through the turns. I really enjoy them, and I’ve been riding them a fair bit.

I was surfing with Maxime Huscenot in France two years ago, and I was looking at his four channels thinking, maybe that’s a good idea. So I sent some texts

Dave Nelson

to DH. He’s always reluctant to make me channel bottoms – in those dimensions, anyway. I rode that 5’9” throughout that first swell this year on the Goldy, so, I knew it worked. And the waves were pretty gutless at J-Bay, and going up against Filipe I knew I had to do something different, to make it stand out.

[REGRETS] But it’s a board that I just love riding.

When I get home and I’m going to surf the point, I’ll usually jump on that rather than a normal shortboard. You can defi-

nitely notice the channels. A lot of the traditionalists are all about six channels, but I find the six channels to be a little too tracky. The feeling of four channels is like a quad, but without the trackiness.

But when you’re doing a turn, it feels like you’re on train tracks. It just holds in and gives you that extra bite through the turns. I really enjoy them, and I’ve been riding them a fair bit.

You have a little bit of rust when you haven’t had a heat for a while and I made some little mistakes here and there (this year) that maybe I wouldn’t have made in previous years. I think that’s what

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