A sign on the 130-year-old pier at Saltburn-by-the-Sea warns people not to jump off it. On a big surf day surfers make their way to the end of the sturdy 206 metre structure and jump like lemmings into the cold, murky North Sea. Words: Simon Palmer Photos: Ian Forsyth

This isn't a shameless plug. This is an encounter with a British company doing something special with surfboards. While the industry is focused on the multi-buck movers and shakers parading their eco-wares, let's not forget our homegrown talent. Words: Howard Swanwick Photos: John Morgan and Jamie Bott

In Senegal the deserts of North Africa meet the jungles of the tropics. It's an open–minded Islamic country of many cultural experiences and idiosyncrasies; it's also one of the safest and democratic countries in Africa. And of course there's the surf... Words: Mark Sankey Photos: Alexa Poppe

Following the demise of Clark Foam, 'eco' boards and alternatives to petro-chemical products have been the focus of developments in surfboard technology. Words: Mark Sankey Photos: Alexa Poppe

Ireland's fierce and unpredictable breaks have been valued by its home-grown big wave riders for some years now, but competition has been a long time coming. All that changed with the inaugral Mullaghmore Tow Session 2011. Conn Osborne got in harm's way to steal a photo essay.

Bing Copeland was a pioneer of the modern surf industry. In his excellent new retrospective, ‘Bing Surfboards – Fifty Years of Craftsmanship and Innovation’, Paul Holmes discovered what makes Bing tick. Words: Bing Copeland & Paul Holmes Photos: Courtesy of Bing Copeland


Positive portraits

November 15, 2009 | Words By: Angela

open1While I’m wary of sweeping generalisations, I think it’s fair to say that female surfers are frequently portrayed as mere fashion mannequins, their images used to flog us more useless crap. So when this bunch of strong, celebratory, retro-tinged pictures dropped into my inbox it was a wonderful change from the norm. Meet photographer Shosh Bowles – capturing all that is positive about women’s surfing…

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