PACIFIC LONGBOARDER MAGAZINE #116

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 #116:

CORNWALL – POINTS ON THE COMPASS
Surf culture took off in this most unlikely of places way back in the late ’50s inspired by a mixture of beatniks and visitors from Australia, California and South Africa. Imagine no wetsuits at all just old woollen footy jerseys! This 12-page homage to his local area and its history comes from Luke Gartside who’s been documenting surf culture for 10 years and was a long-time editor of Wavelength magazine. Luke’s local knowledge really shines through while the photos span its widely varying locations and seasons.

TIA MANDU
Tia has an amazing back-story and her current life is also pretty interesting to say the least. A stylish and competitive longboarder, mother of two daughters, yoga instructor, Rotai practitioner, and worker with deaf refugees and disabled children all exemplify the person she has become. Gary McEvoy has been shooting video footage of Tia for years and has now added some stills and words to make up this intriguing profile.

SOUTH SUMATRA REBOOT
The subtitle almost says it all - Blokes, Barrels, Bintangs and the Cheesebun, the latter being Dave Coburn, the subject of pretty well all the photos. Dave’s long-time friend D’Arcy Dineen takes us through this classic boy’s Indo trip with a few first-timers and the rest on their first since the lock-downs. They really cracked it for some top shelf Sumatran juice and Jake Beasley took the shots. Definitely no boofheads here!

SUMMER OF ’66
On a beautiful small and glassy day at Sunset Beach on the North Shore, board guru (and much more) Randy Rarick assembled a quiver of ten classic boards from the peak year of California’s noseriding fixation, and some 57 years on put them together with a crew of polished longboarders – just to see how it’d go down. Rare old boards, modern young surfers, Sunset Beach - of course it went brilliantly!

THE RISE OF LOGGING IN THE PHILIPPINES 
The global resurgence of traditional longboarding has really sparked something special. Lucy Small first travelled there in 2017 when there was just a cluster of very welcoming surfers in La Union. This year the Philippines sent a team to the ISA World Championships for the first time and finished a creditable fourth. Jay-R Esquivel not only qualified for the WSL Tour but finished in the top 8. Lucy gives us an insightful rundown on the progress made since her first visit and the emergence of the younger generation.

LENS FLAIR
Right up front of every issue we whet your appetite with a random selection of the best photos we’ve seen - since the last issue.

THE BUZZ
Jimmy O’Keefe revisits the early ’90s when TOS on the Goldie was still pretty novel and life more reckless and uncomplicated. The 1 Foot Warrior - check out this weird but fun way to surf. The Reilly very special 100th board winner. Review of Phil Jarratt’s latest book The Immortals. The view from Mick’s by Simon Phin and much more! Really.

UPFRONT
Claire Vandermeiren is originally from Perth then moved to wave-rich Margaret River but now spends time logging the Mentawais.

THE GREY GURU
Travels to Hyannis Port where big shots naturally end up for some reason. I’m glad I’m not a Kennedy cos the GG’s in town!

+ THE 101ST BOARD GIVEAWAY
Yep we’ve cracked the ton – and this issue it’s a sublime volan three-stringer Donald Takayama DT 60s Model – Donald’s favourite design of his stellar career.

The magazine is in English.