Surfing magazine has vanquished Surfer! Its oldest and most cruel foe!
And so it has been officially confirmed. Surfer magazine, known as the “bible of the sport” and published since 1960 will become a quarterly thereby throwing in the towel, waving the white flag, giving up entirely (save four times a year).
Which means…
Surfing magazine wins!
The twin pillars of American surf media have been owned by the same company for the better part of the past two decades yet have maintained a wonderful animosity toward each other. I spent time with the Surfing crew as editor-at-large for a few happy years and the things we would say about the Surfer staff across the room… oh they still split my sides!
Still, I wondered, while I was there how much more gas Surfing had in the tank. It was clearly the less loved little sister of mighty Surfer and I wondered when it would be finally pillaged.
But look! At the end it was the mighty Surfer forced to take a knee, to tap out of the media game entirely (save four times a year).
And then I wondered how? How did Surfing, which will continue to run as a monthly alongside Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as real magazines, beat its oldest foe? I will attribute it to three outstanding and equally handsome men. Chato Agaza, Peter Taras and James “Jimicane” Wilson.
Chato has designed the magazine for years and kept it visually striking. Pete has cemented his position as one surfing’s best photo editors. And Jimicane not only shoots well but is an absolute firecracker.
That is why I think Surfing has beaten Surfer at the end but what does Surfing think?
I call and Pete answers and Jimmy is there. I ask, “Why? Why, at the end, did Surfing win?”
While Pete is trying to think up an answer that won’t maybe get him in trouble Jimmy answers.
“Surfer prides itself on being old. Well all their subscribers have died. Congratulations.”
Congratulations indeed (especially four times a year)!
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surfing had way better pictures during the 90’s and more of them. never liked surfer until surfing went full retard around 2004
The only place I saw this mag in Australia was waiting for my burrito at Las Olas.
life coach
Where did you get that photo Peter King?
“Photo : John Severson ” hah !
Oh… do people still make surf related magazines? I thought that all ended years ago. The 60% ad content of most magazines (along with the pillaging or resources from staff surf trips) is the real killer.
Been a while since you picked up a mag? If they had 60% ad content they wouldn’t die…
picked up a copy of vogue not too long ago. it took 125 pages to get to the toc and all 125 of those pages were ads. that is so money right there. vogue is going to outlast us all, i guess is what i’m saying.
It’s all about being seen to buy Vogue and having Vogue placed where everyone can see you buy Vogue. I’m pretty sure nobody reads it but like you say it will probably outlast every other may.
A bunch of my friends read it on the regular, it seems. I asked around, actually, when I saw that massive stack of ad money. Like, do I know people who read this? I do! I roll through it once in a while for the photo work, which is sometimes amazing and sometimes like, wut. You had how much money to burn and you produced this? Anyway.
Joel Tudor seethes at the cruelty of this turn of events. Kudos to that quote from Jimmy Wilson, but not to his ridiculous pseudonym.
Attention print media expert: The New Yorker is a weekly.
Shit! I even subscribe! But I am also the father of a 3 year old so I have 10 free mins every 30 days to flip through one. It’s a monthly to me!
To be even more precise, 47 times a year, five of those as two-weekly issues.
What kinds of spoils does the victor bathe in Chas? And I’ve always wondered what the hell an “Editor at large” does. It sounds really cool and important.
Spoils? more like another 6months at least, gainfully employed
Gainfully? Bahahahaha…
it means the authorities can’t lay hands on the editor, he’s gone fully rogue at that point
It normally means the sub does all the work but they need the mag tied to a name in the industry so they get someone write a welcome note and the odd article and call them an editor at large without having to pay a full-time member if staff.
Surf mags still have subs?
The current surf kill list (updated):
1. Hayden Shapes
2. Stab
3. Wardo’s career4. Surfer5. The Inertia
6. WSL
I pray nightly The Inertia doesn’t die. It’s the only place on the web that list’s me not only as a “Surfer” but also a “Writer”. Heady stuff…
Wishing you all the best in reaching that next plateau of being listed as “journalist”.
Are you not a writer here too?
Derek called me a Author once in a email… it’s framed and has its own room now.
I cringe to hard re-viewing anything I’ve written for the Grit. best to stick to laying sewerpipe.
you killed Timmy.
where is he?
I’ve told you already Timmy deleted his account and swore he wouldn’t return. (Due to my negativity and harassment)
He’s gone, gone to internet hell.
just finished pex water lines for a an 8 bathroom duplex… i miszs copper.. when i soldered elbows and T’s i felt like i was earning my pay….. you using pex Neg??? or keepin it real with solder and flux?????
tweakers don’t rip pex lines out of abandoned homes
I’ve only just started using Pex on my Central heating systems, still use abit of copper here and there… it’s the only product you can stand back and have a sense of pride in what you’ve done. Mostly use Poly here on domestic housing.
Sometimes I read The Inertia to get suitably agitated before visiting BeachGrit. I think of it as a symbiotic thing.
at least the inertia did a story on the blue algae that is going to destroy some of the best reefs in Florida and end fisherman and shapers careers, btw it’s at reef road and Sebastian now (flesh eating bacteria). Ijs. So I’ll give selling these a shot.