PACIFIC LONGBOARDER MAGAZINE #115

Photo Magazine

PACIFIC LONGBOARDER MAGAZINE from Australia is the ONLY magazine worldwide dedicated to long boarding. For 25 years they’ve aimed to be all things to all longboarders: female, male, youth to boomers, world beaters or weekend warriors, hip or not particularly. It’s all surfing, it’s all good. Intelligent, funny, often provoking, the stories are always well written and well researched, plus stunning photography. They love the beach, they love the culture. 

ISSUE #115:

GENTLEMAN JOHN PENNINGS - 1939-2023
We love a history piece here at PLB and particularly one featuring fabulous photos not widely shown before. ’Gentleman’ was the word everyone came up with when asked about John but he was a lot more than that as this collection of his photos curated by Switchfoot’s Andrew Crockett shows. Andrew provides the words too, with JB chiming in with some info about the difficulties faced by those trailblazing photographers.

LOGGING THE COSTA BRAVA
You might be one of the 1% with enough cash to be lying on a beach on the Costa Brava and look up to see Oriol Gutierrez and a few of his amigos riding one of the few waves to break there in over a month. In fact there are, on average, 265 days a year when there are no waves at all. Or you can read Oriol’s take on longboarding on the region in the comfort of your loungeroom. A dedicated bunch but what a great place to be becalmed.

RISHIRI ISLAND
Not a lot of spectators lounging on the beaches on Rishiri Island and even if there were they’d have to be lucky to see any of the maybe 10 or so local surfers out. The island, 1600kms north of Tokyo, is hardly a surf destination but has always had a fascination for Tokyo–based photographer Junji Kumano so he and a few mates took the 25 hour plane, car and boat trip north to check it out and save us the trouble.

FOCUS ON NOOSA
While there’s always great surfing at the Noosa Fest, the best action is usually elsewhere as participants and others find the best waves in this wave-rich area. Top surf photographer, Manly’s Mark Morgan, focuses on the best of the off-site action and explains his unusual path to surfing and surf photography in the process.

WHERE’S MY RASHIE?
PLB doesn’t cover the contest scene extensively as there’s so many of them and the surf can be hit and miss, but this autumn past three long-established contests scored excellent waves so we’ve assembled a collection of photos from each. Plenty of colourful action that’ll have you turning up for the next club comp for sure looking for your favourite colour rashie.

RE-SEARCHING MICHAEL PETERSON
Andrew McKinnon is writing a book, Legends of Surf 72, featuring MP’s mercurial career and here he relates some inside info about how MP was robbed of a world title at the ’72 event in San Diego.

DEPARTMENTS :

LENS FLAIR
Right up the front of the mag are eight pages of exceptional surf photographs run big. Small, medium and big waves, noserides, turns and everything in between. This one is definitely up there with the best collection yet – and we’ve done plenty.

100th BOARD GIVEAWAY
In case you didn’t know we’ve given away 100 boards to subscribers over the last 100 issues and this one is spectacular! A Riley Balsa 9’6” seven-stringer foam core gun you can’t miss.

UPFRONT
16-year-old Jack Tyro from New Zealand’s South Island rides short and long but definitely prefers the latter and has already competed in El Salvador and Australia.

THE BUZZ
An insightful review by Phil Jarratt of Tim Baker’s inspiring book Patting the Shark.

Agnes Water and its friendly annual comp.

Talking of comps, Nifty Neville Weaver has logged up 300 for the DV8s out of Wollongong.

Gals on Mals, the Grey Guru, and plenty more.

The magazine is in English.