Gossip Girl: Fresh romance, and the death of print?

Rumours are more exciting than truth! Here’s some vibrations from the surfing world, like right now… *microwaves popcorn* Jay Davies is dating Mahina Alexander. Jay is a stone block of Native American descent, raised on Western Australia’s least friendly waves, and one of surfing’s best and most stylish in big tubes. Mahina is the delightful daughter of Kala Alexander, who you certainly know as one of Hawaii’s most talented (and most intimidating) surfers. Mahina is a model, the highly sought-after kind, and has done a lot of work with Jay’s sponsor, RVCA. Stab likes to imagine Christmas lunch, Jay sat there in his Sunday best wearing a party hat that was just spat from a bon bon, and Kala, shirtless, carving a roasted carcass at the head of the table with blazing eyes. Surfing Magazine has one of the slickest acts in digital surf media. There’s varied tone and views, there’s good user experience and there’s a talented team of staff. Their print edition is a worthy read, too. But word around the North Shore during Stab’s stay was that soon, Surfing will cease to produce a print magazine, instead pouring all resources into their digital act. TransWorld Surf, owned by Grind Media – the same parent company as Surfing – took this route back in 2013, but unfortunately turned the lights off digitally not long after. Surfing, however, will no doubt become even more of an Internet powerhouse with the extra muscle. This is one rumour we particularly hope isn’t true – surf print, when done as well as Surfing does it, is a pleasure. Mr Reynolds and some ambiguously logo’d rubber. Photo: Erik Eiser Spotted: Dane Reynolds in southern California, lowkey fucking with everybody by wearing a wetsuit with a logo on it that ain’t Quiksilver, and ain’t Vans. You’ll remember, of course, Dane’s departure from Quik as of November 1 last year, and the following news that he’d be starting his own company with Craig Anderson and skaters Dylan Reider and Austyn Gillette. While the new brand is still in its earliest stages, it’ll no doubt be amazing, given the influential names attached. And though it’s not his intention, Dane has been fuelling speculation via a wetsuit emblazoned with a logo that looks like an eagle. The suit is Japanese-made, Dane put the logo on himself, and Stab sits in a Sydney office typing about it. What a time to be alive. Kai Hing, breezing into the haus of BB. 2015 Rookie of The Year, Italo Ferreira, isn’t the only nu-gen to be picked up by Billabong recently. While Italo has the highest profile of the new signings, he rolls into the Haus of BB with Kai Hing and Victor Bernardo. Kai is an 18-year-old from the Sunshine Coast who owns an Australian Title, and who you might liken to Jack Freestone. “Super excited to be a part of Billabong,” says Kai. “From what I’ve noticed, they treat their riders like family, and that’s what I love to see in a brand.” Victor on the other hand, is an 18-year-old from Sao Paulo who you might’ve seen in Filipe Toledo’s Spinning At The Speed Of Now. “I’m honoured to be a part of the same team that Ricardo (dos Santos) and Andy (Irons) were a part of,” says Vic. “Those two have always inspired me.” Gotta love a kid with appreciation of the golden past.