Happy Birthday The Surfer’s Journal!

The world's favorite magazine turns 25!

I get a big kick looking at surf media. Maybe too much of a kick? I don’t know. I very much enjoy observing how the various websites, magazines, publications navigate our tiny world. It is rare to see any outlet reference any other outlet even though there are, like, 300 surfers in the whole world and 10 people covering them. Funny. No? Am I wrong? Maybe.

In any case, The Surfer’s Journal just turned 25 and it is a complete gem by any standard. The subjects covered and the room they give them to breathe is unique and not just to surfing. It is a work of art, captained expertly by the editor Scott Hulet and team. If you don’t already you should cancel your monthly payment to National Public Radio and subscribe here.

Corky Carroll wrote his happy birthday ode in the Orange County Register. Let’s read some:

Man, that was a fast 25 years. But then, thinking back at how that 25 has gone for me maybe it has actually been a few lifetimes.

The Surfer’s Journal, considered by many, including myself, to be the coolest surfing publication on the planet, is celebrating its quarter century mark. When founders Steve and Debbee Pezman went to press with the first issue back in 1991 in San Clemente, they were surfing into uncharted waters by putting out a subscriber-based product with almost no advertising.

They only run with a total of six advertisers, which they call sponsors. This was a huge risk considering the fact that they were also going for the highest-quality and most-expensive-to-produce surfing publication imaginable. The concept was “all thriller, no filler.”

Let me take you back in time for my take on how this all came about, as I did get to witness it fairly close hand. It starts with a young Steve Pezman…

You can read the rest here and happy birthday to the greatest magazine on earth!

Also, if you are looking for some other good reads try this!