Surf Edits Change The World (For You)

Old people talk about how great it was to receive a surf magazine. 

The excitement of opening your mailbox and seeing this big, colorful object exploding out at you, immediately convincing you to ignore the various bills it was was surrounded by. The smell of the ink. The minutes you’d spend contemplating a surf photo, instead of swiping your thumb to whiz past it because your dumb primal brain finds it less compelling than a self-taken photograph of an individual standing in the general vicinity of a mirror. 

I was born too late to really experience that. I got surf mags and it was fun — I read every word, blah blah blah — but, for me, the real magic existed in the form of the DVD.

That’s right: the fucking Digital Versatile Disc. 

DVDs, in case you’re 12, were shiny little alien frisbees that could store multimedia information such as paid performers engaging in sexual acts or the film Braveheart or more importantly the surf movie Campaign. 

Most importantly, Andy Irons’ section in Campaign. 

The film came out in 2003 and I have a vague memory of walking into my local surf shop and exchanging the $30 I’d been saving for it. Holding a DVD in your hands did not recreate that feeling of holding a surf mag. Here, it was all about popping that case, sliding the disk into a player, and entering another world. 

In Campaign’s case, it was a world in which Parko was a representative for a used car dealership, where Taj was available for a phone dating service, etc. The skits were funny. But, really, it was all about the surfing and the music. 

Nearly twenty years later, I still know which manuvers are coming when. I still know the words to every song. I still get goosebumps when Andy’s part comes on. I still feel something, like part of me is trying to intuit what is happening on the screen, trying to store it so that I can apply it my own version of it whenever the chance arises. 

Is that still happening? 

If you get an A+ surf clip and put it straight on Instagram, is anyone capable of scrolling past an individual standing in the general vicinity of a mirror and still sensing the magic that clip contains? Is anyone going back and re-watching a Vlog or webeisode until they have inadvertently committed it to memory? Do things just get posted and forgotten instead of serving as long-term points of reference? 

The best way to present good surfing to the public is no longer a DVD. It’s a Surf Edit. We felt that the incentives to create a surf edit were becoming increasingly scarce, so we decided to change that. 

In cased you missed it, here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 Stab Edit of the Year initiative. Yep, we really bought a Bitcoin for this. And John John is in. 

Now, let’s get ready to feel something. 

Deep Dive: Yes, You’re Still Allowed To Ride High-Performance Shortboards Like The Pros

We had a self-described illiterate firefighter talk to six of the world’s best shapers and track down the go-to dimensions for 30 different pros. The result? A 3,000 word odyssey. Read this if you’ve been confused by all the different shapes, sizes, fins, foams, and marketing noise lately. Actually, read it no matter what. 

What, Specifically, Makes A “Magic” Surfboard?

As surfers, one of our more peculiar behaviors is picking up a board, putting it underneath the arm, jamming it into the armpit a few times, briefly touching the nose to the floor to look at the concave, then making a remark like we have any fucking clue about how it might feel on a wave. 

Rant-ish, sorry. 

This piece unveils the common threads we picked up on after 500 people told us about the best board of their life. It also enables you to hear from Matt Parker and Thomas Bexon on their shaping philosophies. It’s a good balance to the high-perf version above.

How To Rack Up $10K Debt, Explode Your Car, Get Chased By A Shark, Nearly Die, And Have The Time Of Your Life

Last week, we published stories from surf photographers Morgan Maassen and Ryan Miller about how they became millionaires. Both stories featured sound, actionable advice that could be applied on a personal and financia levell. They were very well-received. But, if you don’t feel like getting your shit together quite yet, this story about a man named Nick Colby could push you in the other direction. Bonne chance. 

Is The Shark Situation On The East Coast Of Australia Truly Unprecedented?

It sure seems that way. So, we looked at the numbers. The unfortunate answer is: yes. If you believe ignorance is bliss, skip this one. If you believe that knowledge is power, read it and maybe even go the extra step and check out the shark-tracking Apps we recommend.

Watch Now: Asher Pacey In ‘No Straight Lines’ 

Remember in the intro when we taked about how surf edits can make you feel something? Well, this should do the trick. It’s nine minutes long and a doozy. Keep an eye out for an interview with Asher dropping this weekend. One bit from that, which might help prime you for this edit: he talked about how he never feels rushed on a surfboard and simply tries to react to what the wave is doing. That’s observable, here.

Comment of the week: 

In the “Magic” surfboard piece, one respondent talked about a board Wardo gave him 20 years ago. It was a fucking great story, and he followed it up with a photo of the board in the comments. Heartwarming. 

One last thing: 

It is hard to describe the feeling you experience when arriving at the beach, wetsuit already on, and realizing you forgot to put fins in your board.