It's go time.
BeachGrit is a fantastic place. You are here and you are what makes it fantastic. Oh, that reads so cloying but is true. Derek Rielly, legend in the game, created something, I jumped aboard and we’ve been doing our damndest to simply provide laughs without filter for years now.
Something to talk about.
Something for us.
Sharks instead of advertorial even though you hate sharks and would prefer advertorial.
We’ve all know, for years, that print is dead. Magazines don’t work. Technology, humanity, has moved on and tastes have changed and etc. etc. etc. but the death of Surfer really and truly hurts.
I remember the first Surfer I ever owned. I was down in Carlsbad, from Oregon, visiting my favorite cousins and favorite uncle, Uncle Dave, who was better than Indiana Jones.
It was my birthday and they took me to Carlsbad Pipelines surf shop. I could pick any normal priced item I wanted (no surfboards, wetsuits etc.). I picked a Surfer magazine.
Uncle Dave tried to pivot me to some surf book, seeing that a magazine is a lousy birthday present, but I held firm.
That’s what I wanted and I treated it like a rare illuminated manuscript, dusting its cover, making sure none of its pages showed wear.
Surfer magazine was something. An idea and feeling more than semi-permanent nothing.
I went on to write for Derek Rielly at Stab, Chris Cœtê at Transworld, became Editor-of-Living-Large at Surfing for Travis Ferrē where we spat down the hall at Surfer but, damn it, Surfer was the “Bible of the Sport.
It was what mattered.
And now it doesn’t.
Fuck.
But oh.
Is it time for BeachGrit to start printing magazines simply to keep thumb in eye?
Fuck the VAL.
More as the story develops.
At least you have BeachGrit checked off the list. Now you can set your sights on bigger fish to fry. Just kidding, I know you have written for Red Bull and all that. I liked your recent piece on Sharron Webber. She is a very giving person. She really helped out a friend of mine that used to work for her at the shop, and then went down the wrong path and had some serious problems before he passed almost 2 years ago. And Sharron continued to help him when most people had written him off, and he didn’t even work there anymore. He had a drug problem that was ruining his life, yet Sharron always was like an angel to him, and tried to help him, until it was too late and he was gone. And when I read your piece about Sharron, it brought back a lot of memories of Darall and his time at Tire Warehouse, and how Sharron was the only person who never stopped trying to help a fellow human. And to be honest, I had given up on him helping himself. But Sharron never did.
Believe it or not, I deliver an issue of Surfers Journal to a person on my postal round.
I actually give it the respect it deserves and don’t fold it.
Thank you for your service Robert.
You are one of the good ones.
I don’t like to throw the word hero around but…
I don’t think we’ll need arms
I’ll leave my wallet at home then.
Bring it AI!!
And it’ll never go away until AI is in charge
Bet.
Not Andy the other one
worse than reading Playboy, we would wait for the Sears catalogue and skim to the lingerie section.
when Victoria’s Secret finally came on, it was so seductive and easily replaced Sears. They toned it down a lot, but VS started very suggestively and better than Playboy.
all fell apart upon the discovery of Penthouse….
Who hasn’t left a pair of wet booties in their Lambo for a couple of days?
Not profitable enough to keep running, too expensive to realistically sell. Something is very wrong with the way these private equity fucktards operate.
love that slogan….
Fuck. This is kinda sad. It was the Bible of the Sport. I remember reading about Jose Angel passing, That 1971 Cover with Gerry Lopez at Pipeline (expression session) The Unridden Realm by Mark Foo, Keep Paddling, Eddie by Drew Kampion when Eddie Aikau died, Bustin’ Down the Door, Cold Sweat: Northern California’s Mavericks Emerges from the Mist (no written thing ever changed my life more than that). Shit. I’m kind of in shock. Fucking dinosaur I guess.
Well then try to fucken back yourself without calling me names.
Not without mentioning your hobbit stature.
By the same token, perhaps you should try to “back” yourself without using profanity.
Hey mate , instead of sticking with your little privillaged universe you miss judged your popularity and relevance to the non clubby give a fuck about pro surfing or the rag trade side of the surfing industry and poked your toes into the turbulent world of the general surfing public , its your bad if you cant handle it piss of back to your speddo wearing clubby mates , because we are all cunts.
Evolutionary journology Jen.
Yes – BG print mag!
I know it’s unfashionable, but I’d be all over that.
The ultimate zag when everyone else is zigging.
Do printing plants (if they still exist) do a print run of 27?
I’m speaking directly to you and everyone else on here. Not a one of you is much of a deal as a surfer, none of you thought up the sport, yet you all carry on like you’re the fucking bee’s knees compared to anybody who dared take it on after you did. Wake the fuck up to yourselves.
I feel like we should be actual friends
Dunno Nick. I think mostly people here just take the piss and/or sound off. Not much different to any localised spot.
Uh, Mr Carroll?
I think I’m a kook, sir.
Ok Boomer !
Geez Nick, we’ve programmed to hassle “kooks from over the hill” (beginners) since day one. No?
lol yes P you are very right there. But at some point you gotta try to break the programming. Like what good is it to anyone.
Should I get off your lawn sir?
Nick, it’s really simple. People of a certain age showed resiliency and moxie learning to surf, it wasn’t fucking easy. Complex social rules were to be identified, then followed or you suffered very real physical harm which revealed your resiliency and moxie.
We had to climb a ladder.
Now, thanks to the “industry” tools selling a dream, we have to deal with people who expect an escalator to our experience as the ladder holds no charm. Self regulation is out the window because lawyers are now wading in our social pool. Any code of conduct has been wiped clean because the “bible” forgot to post the rules of engagement or address it at all. Child care posing as surf lessons are just the latest best friend parenting collateral damage and it gets worse each and every day.
It’s like graduating college and being proud of an accomplishment before the Uni decides to just hand everyone advanced degrees in CHAOS.
Just like allowing the general public to comment on a “surf journalists” story that he never had to confront because his message had always been one way.
I second that
thanks for the surf report…. we have to rely on each other because Surflie is selling their revenue dream, not our reality.
Pretty sure you just described my entire generation.
As an aspiring lawyer who spent the occasional summer as a surf camp counselor, this hits far too close to home.
Got a soft spot for Surfer since they bought one of my short stories eon’s ago but you can either be a dog eat dog libertarian nihilist or take the magazine’s advice.
I had an Uncle Dave too … taught me all my miscreant ways … but I obviously wasn’t that good a student as I’ve outlived him 10+ years already
Nothing says “shred” more than blue jeans, leather belt(with rad buckle), and SUP!
Yeah no, the whole idea of paying too read a advestment is totally 80’s .
As far as culture goes it’s cringeworthy.
A circle jerk of editors pushing their mates and brothers in a P.R blaze does not a surf culture make.
Cunts are all going have get a job now and watch how quick best buddies pro surfers don’t answer there cell calls now they don’t need them?
they dont really answer the phone as it is, man
I’m starting Soft. a lifestyle mag for Vals.
every time I picked up one of those Seppo surf rags I couldn’t find the articles in between all that advertising.
Because you’re Australian and dumb as dirt?
I only got hold of one a couple of times. Impressed by the thickness at first, and then annoyed by how many of the pages were adverts. And how difficult it was to tell the adverts apart from the actual content.