Surfing World Magazine December 2017

Surfing’s new breed has arrived. Kids with energy and enthusiasm who are up for everything and ready to go. They’re punching out, but only at negativity and fear and hate and judgment. They were the first kids to grow up in the era of online bullying. They navigated the most difficult time of their lives in the full view. With the coming of age they had their passions hammered by the faceless kooks on their anonymous keyboards. Well, now they’re young adults and they’re done with all of that. They don’t care anymore. They’ve copped it for so long that it’s all become meaningless. And get this… they’re absolutely stoked. They love surfing, they love their friends, they love trying new shit and making stuff. They love to dress how…

Chelsea Georgeson 2005 WSL World Champion Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Take time with your decisions... Enjoy the experience and lifestyle. Most importantly, have fun! Otis Carey Artist, Shred Ledge, Lover Have fun or you’re grounded. Doug Lees Surfing World Publisher Play the guitar and build your social media following. Contest results mean less to sponnos than number of followers. Unless you win a World Title, then you don’t even have to play guitar. Damien Hardman 1987/89 WSL World Champion Stay in school and finish your HSC. Greg Webber Shaper, Wavepool Visionary Never compete on waves in nature, it’s the opposite of what surfing is actually about. Leave it to the next generation of wave pools. Toby Cregan Filmmaker, Skegss Maniac Whatever you do, don’t listen to me.…

I met TB two years ago in West Oz through Jay Davies. I had no idea what they’d make of some Sunny Coast kid with a head like a toadstool, but we got on like a house on fire. We had a few sessions, a coupla beers and before I knew it one of my surfing heroes was me new best mate! It’s funny, I honestly reckon Taj is the most frothed up he’s ever been to go surfing because retirement has fully opened up his time. His schedule is way more relaxed and he’s that charged up to chase waves. I guess after doing the tour for 20 odd years it must be pretty epic for him to run his own show. He’s been hanging ‘round my neck of…

EVENT The Billabong Pipe Masters Here’s the deal, the World Title is going to Pipeline, and in the race will be a surfer that by the time his career is over will be known as the greatest surfer to have ever surfed the greatest wave of all time, possibly the most talented surfer of all time, the current World Champion; it’s Mr. John John Florence. And get this, John John has still never won a Pipe Masters trophy. You hear that!? The future Hall of Fame legend that is John John Florence will need to master the wave that he knows better than anyone in the field to become World Champion! Rarely are we treated to a storyline as tantalising as this one going into the greatest event surfing has…

 1988 World Champion Barton Lynch has a vivacious energy and grom-like enthusiasm for life and surfing. Twelve years ago he decided to channel that energy into his own remarkable project. Something that was, and remains to this day, a one-of-a-kind festival of groms that emanated his stoke. It’s the Hurley BL’s Blast Off presented by Beecraft and in 2017 it was the biggest and best it’s ever been, and that’s not even over-hype. The swell was perfect two to three foot for the week, perfect for the hundreds of groms to go nuts. When BL started the event, the initial concept was to enhance kids surfing and promote the froth. It wasn’t about numbers and rankings, it was about development, coaching and community – three pillars that BL prides himself…

 The Holstrom family haven’t always lived by the beach. They weren’t playing in the shories as toddlers. Instead they were ripping up the red dusty plains of Port Headland on quadbikes, floating down the rivers and running rife. The family spent seven years in Australia’s desolate north west where the kids, Braxon (12), Xennex (10) and Asha (8) spent so little time outside playing sport because of the intense heat. The ocean “flat as a pancake.” When they moved back to the Sunshine Coast last year their lives quickly changed. They swapped their quaddies for quads and adapting pretty quickly to the great Aussie grom life. In September they packed up a van and made that epic roadtrip from Kawana to Sydney’s Northern Beaches on their first ever surf trip.…