drift, perspectives in surfing

A profile of shaper Chris Jones: If you surf sooner or later you’ll end up at Chris Jones’ door. Who else can offer you fifty years of shaping experience? Who else was there at the beginning? CJ, legendary shaper/surfer, rugby fanatic, pasty connoisseur is this morning sanding down a vintage Tiki for restoration.

Meeting a legend is something few people have the opportunity to do. During a short stay in California last winter Dave Muir created his own luck in finding Skip Frye at home. He was welcomed in to take a look around. Words: Dave Muir Photos: Dave Muir and Skip Frye

We're all aware of Rio de Janeiro and its most famous charms - the football, carnival, Sugarloaf, Copacabana, Caipirinhas, the girls, the parties - but what of the city's surfing and the culture associated with it? Drift checks out the stand out characteristics of 'the marvellous city'! Photography: Benoit Fournier / www.benoit-fournier.com

When the ‘Apocalypse Now’ film crew packed up and left the Philippine coastal town of Baler, they left one important item behind – a surfboard. More than 30 years on and this quiet backwater is home to a stoked crew of welcoming locals. Words: Mark Sankey Photos: Alexa Poppe

Using locally sourced timber and having designed a manufacturing process that minimises waste, Mike LaVecchia of Grain Surfboards has cornered the market in beautiful, sustainable wooden boards. And the best bit? They ride like a dream. Photos: Nick LaVecchia

Follow cameraman Mike Lacey as he takes on Hawaii. An amazing collection of photos from the spiritual home of surfing. www.mikelaceyphotography.co.uk

From WQS warrior to independent filmmaker via a AUS$27,000 debt, Johnny Abegg has trod an unconventional path through life so far, and proves that a relentlessly positive outlook and upbeat character can see you through the toughest times... Words: Mark Sankey Photos: Johnny Abegg

James Bowden kissed goodbye to Blighty and set off for Tasmania's wild in January this year. He shares some of his findings along the way with his own distinctive style.

Chris Burkard's photographs are about more than barrels, perfect point breaks, and carving radical lines – they capture a moment in which the surfer is a mere player and the real star is the scenery. Words: Dan Hamlin Photos: Chris Burkard

Drift tracked down Mark Jeremias and Jason Baffa, directors of ‘Singlefin: Yellow’, to talk about their new project, ‘One California Day’, and find out their thoughts on surf culture and tradition from Crescent City to Imperial Beach. Words: Jamie Bott

The Mentawais have given a lot to surfers; now it's time to give something back. Kate and Luke Gerson celebrate the beauty of these islands and highlight the continued need for aid following the recent earthquake.