Surfing Life

There’s an oft quoted saying that states, “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us,” (Anonymous). Being such an enriching experience, travel not only literally broadens our horizons, but also opens our minds to new landscapes, cul

This issue we chat to a pioneer from the surf travel and tourism space. Shaun Levings was the founder of World Surfaris, which went on to become a veritable super power in the surf tourism industry. Shaun got his start in travel back in 1995, not lon

If you were forced to make a call, right now, on who is the greatest women’s surfer of all time? Would you say Steph or Layne? What can be said about Stephanie Gilmore that hasn’t already been written? Probably not much at all, she’s the modern queen

The 2018 WSL men’s world title race was one for the books. Going down to the proverbial wire at Pipeline at the end of last year, Gabriel Medina muscled his way into the history books becoming the first Brazilian surfer to claim two world titles. Our

One of the world’s most recognisable surfers has just signed a 10-year contract with his main sponsor, the year after he retired officially from competitive surfing. What does that say for the three-times world champion who won’t surf another heat on

Once known purely for its surfing, the east coast of Sri Lanka has, in recent years, begun opening its secretive doors to intrepid travelers. With access restricted for years due to unrest, the golden stretches of sand that girdle the east are raw an

He was the local leader of a certain gang in Hawaii when we met. Being a grovelling journalist, the bike was my only form of transport from Waimea to Pipe, as there was no budget for hire cars. It was the morning of media registration at the main Pip

Here’s Kaipo’s top 10 tips for travelling to Hawaii. 1. Always remove footwear before entering a house. 2. Never look a local in the eye and say “What?” That is a call to battle. 3. Get some bigger boards, and glass them a little heavy. Ride them bef

Over the years you’ve probably been overwhelmed with the illustrious sand bottomed, right-hand points of Mexico’s Oaxaca coastline. But as you will soon learn there are plenty more gems to be found across the Latin America region. Heading south from

My phone pings near the dregs of my second beer at Dropkick Murphy. It’s a new message from my connection Sean Edington, a river guide on the Zambezi. “It’s just started. You coming?” And there was a picture — a bad angle — but you could see the lip

I feverishly made my way up the beach from the water’s edge, shuffling my feet through the blazing sand, baked by the afternoon sun and doing its best impression of molten lava. Every once in a while, I’d pause on a palm leaf or a piece of driftwood

Dylan Graves is better known as the tube pig maniac responsible for mastering some of the world’s heaviest death slabs — none gnarlier than the rock-rimmed, borderline closeout, Psiquiatra (psychiatrist), on his native Puerto Rico. As his career has

It’s not often you can arrive at a world class surf break and have so much to do that doesn’t involve surfing. While Phillip Island is home to familiar surf breaks such as Woolamai, Smiths and Summerland, it is also the perfect destination to see nat

It’s probably fair to say that pro surfers spend the most time travelling, out of our salty tribe. Heck, we’d give our little toe to have some of the frequent flyer points that our favourite surfers have accumulated over the years. World number three

Travel, whether it’s a lifelong dream or a short-term plan, the thrill for new adventure sends us scrambling out the door. The further away from home we venture, the quicker we realise how enormous the world really is, and how insignificant we (and o

Water has always been in Gemma Cornish’s blood. It may have started in the pool as a promising swimmer in Wellington, New Zealand, but the allure of the ocean had always been present with annual summer holidays spent down at the beach, for as long as

Natural beauty, non-stop action, unforgettable adventures. Whether you’re nipping down to your local beach or flying to far-flung shores, chasing waves with a camera lens has its fair share of rewards. Packing and transporting photographic gear isn’t

You’d be correct in thinking that a surfing trip to the Solomons will be one heck of an adventure. The wild and untamed beauty of the Solomons features of over 900 islands. It’s a remote, yet accessible destination with a bunch of uncrowded waves to

Well, we hope you’re feeling at least a little jet-lagged from meandering through the pages of this issue. We’ve tried to give you samples of inspiration from all around the world to whet your appetite, and if you hadn’t already felt the onset of the