The World Surf League’s 2025 Championship Tour
is still months away from getting underway, though as Thanksgiving
approaches in the United States, surf fans are starting to feel the
first rushes of thrill. Our heroes and heroines have spent the
offseason going on surf trips, possibly searching for missing
spines and in the case of Brazil’s Italo Ferreira, undergoing a
remarkable transformation.
The gold medal winning goofy foot has always been exceedingly
handsome but new snaps, posted to social media, put him in a whole
new Boy Band-adjacent category.
Pure gorgeous.
Ferreira, who we last saw roaring from fifth place to second on
World Surf League Finals Day at Lower Trestles, must certainly have
other tour beauties on notice. It won’t be good enough to simply
have a Jack Robinson-esque jaw line or rugged Ryan Callinan-ish
appeal.
No.
In order to turn heads, the package must approach tip-top male
super model.
Now that the challenge has been laid, do you think any tour
surfer will attempt his own glow up or do you think they will
collectively cede the ground to really, really, really,
ridiculously good looking Ferreira?
Joe Turpel should, at the very least, try.
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Kai Mckenzie ain't hobbled by his missing rear stilt,
regarded as crucial by most surfers.
See Kai Mckenzie’s triumphant return to
stand-up surfing after losing leg to Great White shark
By Derek Rielly
“We back bitches!”
Yeah, you know the story by now, but here’s a little
recap if you’re coming in late.
Bonny Hills shredder Kai Mckenzie, part of that sexy Rage gang
of underground surfers who don’t fit the mould of, say, a Hurley or
Billabong surfer, was hit by a ten-foot Great White while surfing a
break wall in Port Macquarie, back in July.
His leg was miraculously washed ashore shortly after the attack
where it was packed on ice, chucked on the car ferry that takes you
back across the Hastings River and rushed, complete with cop escort
to Port Macquarie Base Hozzy in the hope it could be
reattached.
Spoiler alert: It couldn’t.
But Kai Mckenzie ain’t weeping in bed and lamenting his
misfortune.
And, earlier today, on a late spring day so perfect it feels
blessed by the gods, Kai rode his first waves, stand up, minus what
most of us would regard as the crucial rear stilt.
He writes simply,
“We back bitches.”
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Altman (right) and Musk go "toe" to "toe."
A.I. war feared after ChatGPT loses Ashton
Goggans from “Top 20 surf journalists (ranked)” list!
By Chas Smith
Sam George, on the other hand, quietly elated.
One week ago, fans of Anthony Bourdain-styled
surf travel series rose up as one in jubilation as their boy Ashton
Goggans cracked the extremely prestigious “surf journalists of the
century” list (according to Elon Musk’s artificial
intelligence tool Grok). Goggans, beloved host of Red Bull’s No
Destination, was joined by Sean Doherty, Matt Warshaw, Derek Rielly
and Steve Pezeman. A murders’ row of talent, looks and style.
Well, in a turn no one saw coming, Sam Altman’s ChatGPT just
released its distinguished “Top 20 Surf Journalists (Ranked by
Quality” list with Goggans somehow, in some way, disappeared.
1. Nick Carroll: Legendary journalist with deep technical
knowledge and decades of experience. His writing combines
storytelling and surf expertise.
2. Sean Doherty: Revered for his insightful and heartfelt
profiles, as well as his environmental advocacy in surf
journalism.
3. Matt Warshaw: Author of The History of Surfing and founder of
the Encyclopedia of Surfing. A definitive voice on surf history and
culture.
4. Steve Pezman: Founding editor of The Surfer’s Journal, known
for elevating surf journalism to a more artful and reflective
medium.
5. Sam George: Former Surfer Magazine editor and filmmaker with
a talent for blending passion and knowledge in his work.
6. Chas Smith: Controversial and witty, he’s a polarizing but
undeniably influential figure in surf media, particularly through
BeachGrit.
7. Derek Rielly: Co-founder of Stab and BeachGrit, known for his
sharp humor and distinctive voice in surf culture critique.
8. Ben Mondy: A prolific writer for Surfline and other outlets,
balancing humor and analysis in his work.
9. Brad Melekian: Known for deep, introspective surf writing
that delves into the philosophy and psychology of surfers.
10. Jamie Brisick: Former pro surfer turned writer, bringing a
poetic lens to surf storytelling.
11. David Rensin: Co-writer of All for a Few Perfect Waves,
capturing Miki Dora’s enigmatic life with literary finesse.
12. Chris Mauro: Longtime editor of Surfer Magazine, known for
his polished and authoritative writing style.
13. Al Hunt: World Surf League statistician and historian,
providing invaluable context to competitive surfing.
14. Lewis Samuels: Creator of the PostSurf blog, renowned for
his unfiltered critiques of surfers and the surf industry.
15. Tim Baker: Author of several surf biographies, including
Occy and Bustin’ Down the Door.
16. Marcus Sanders: A senior editor at Surfline, skilled in
blending daily surf news with long-form storytelling.
17. Warwick Wright: A South African journalist with a raw, edgy
style that brings unique energy to surf reporting.
18. Zach Weisberg: Founder of The Inertia, focused on surf,
outdoor, and environmental issues with a modern perspective.
19. Phil Jarratt: A veteran journalist with extensive
contributions to surf history and travel writing.
20. Andy Martin: Author of Stealing the Wave, delivering
gripping narratives about rivalries in surf culture.
Notes: This ranking is based on versatility, historical impact,
and writing style. The exact order is open to debate, as
preferences will vary depending on whether you value traditional
journalism, humor, or in-depth cultural analysis.
Thoughts?
David Lee and I briefly discussed during today’s bi-weekly chat
but spent most of the time on whether or not grocery store
customers should bag their own or not?
Thoughts on that?
Listen here.
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Santa Monica resident (pictured) frustrated by the
attention.
“Disgust and consternation” percolate after
Santa Monica named North America’s best beach
By Chas Smith
"It's a yucky place..."
North America, stretching from Panama all the
way up to Kaffeklubben Island, is as diverse a continent as any of
the seven. Snow-capped mountains, rolling deserts and tens of
thousands of miles of coastline. The weight placed upon the
shoulders of the World Travel Awards’ judges this year, sitting in
front of postcards from Waikiki, Cape Cod and Myrtle Beach and
needing to pick a winner, extremely great.
Surfers, generally migratory, have long appreciated the World Travel
Rewards “stablished in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and
celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism
and hospitality industries.”
Very helpful for surfers planning that next shred-cation, or at
least very helpful until this year when Santa Monica was named
North America’s Leading Beach Destination.
The Los Angeles-adjacent homeless camp, featuring sewage-y
water, consistent 2-foot closeouts and the stink of progressive
policy gone wrong, beat out Vancouver Island, Maui and last year’s
winner Miami Beach to take home the hardware.
Clearwater Beach, in Florida, was also beaten out.
I once went to Clearwater Beach during a tour of Florida for Surfing
Magazine. The town is basically owned by Scientology
and I tried to go have lunch in the Flag Service building but was
blocked by guards then chased by twenty-year-olds wearing khaki
pants and light blue polo shirts back to my car. It was a weird
scene but the khaki/light blue was the part I found the strangest,
for some reason. It lacked… le style.
Back to Santa Monica, though. Are you a fan or disgusted and
consternated by its selection?
More as the story develops.
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Mick Fanning sells investment property at 5 Farrell
Drive Tugun.
Shock as surf champ Mick Fanning’s beach
shack fails to hit $4 million despite pre-auction frenzy
By Derek Rielly
Lucky buyer gets bargain of the year!
Real estate pundits, including this one, have been left with
faces smeared with egg after the surf-and-skate beach shack of Mick
Fanning failed to hit four million dollars overnight
despite a pre-auction
frenzy.
Realtor Emisha Canning wasn’t quite as bullish as your pals here
at BeachGrit and said the pre-auction fever had resulted in a
“multiple offer situation” with the joint being sold for an
undisclosed price, although it was under four mill.
“The interest in this property had been really high and had
ramped up in those final days before the auction, but there were a
number of buyers who had conditional interest and the decision was
made to give all buyers the opportunity to put their best foot
forward,” Canning said, using a realtor dialect unfamiliar to
most.
Fanning, a three-time world champ and survivor of a Great White
encounter, bought the house near Coolangatta airport
and four hundred yards from the Gold Coast’s fifth best point three
years ago for what seemed at the time to be a wildly insane three
million dollars.
Three mill for a house a fifteen-minute walk from the beach, and
you gotta cross the highway, and with big silver birds flying over
it, the whine of their big CFM turbo-fan engines filling the
air?
The house at
5 Farrell Drive, Tugun, backs onto the famous bird sanctuary
there, covers 12,00 square feet of dirt, has a pool and a sauna and
was notable for the half-pipe in the living room.
Fanning threw a few buckets of white paint over the natural wood
stain and waited until the Capital Gains Tax exemption period had
been covered before selling.
It sure looks better on the real estate pages than Google Earth.
See below.
