Carve Surfing Magazine

Carve Magazine Issue 203

Jul 24, 2020

The new issue is out. You can get it delivered to door for by hitting this link here .

Well, hello!
Sorry about the intermission. A pesky pandemic caught up with us, and err… not going to lie, the surf got pretty good too. There have been a few changes here at Carve as Sharpy, our Editor of 10 years decided to vacate the chair in May. It doesn’t seem like five minutes since we met Sharpy in a dark, dingy cellar bar in London and I dragged him back into mag land after spending a fiver on a pint. We’d just like to thank him for all his hard work and we wish him luck in the future. So, here we are after total lockdown, and what a world we live in now. I think it is fair to say a lot of us found new energy in the quiet days of April and May. Certainly in the southwest, which had sunshine and offshore winds for days. Reports from nearly every beach were coming in saying that everyone was loving cycling and walking to the surf: “Just like the old days,” said those that could remember. “The days of our lives” said some groms… Actually, they just grunted, but I knew what they meant. The ‘community’ seemed to be being spreading quicker in the surf community, than COVID was inland. It was rad to see. Also amazing was the way the lifeguards, surfers and surf lifesavers united to save lives, filling the gap left by the RNLI postponement of lifeguards. Which was awesome to behold. So what of the mag? Well, after days of sunshine and offshores and other distractions, it was obvious I couldn’t work from home. So I returned to work and sat in an empty office at the start of June, with an empty flat plan contemplating my 198th issue of Carve. After the buzz of the beach, it was quiet and it was strange… but then that song, ‘A Hero’s Death (Life Ain’t Always Empty) by Fontaines D.C, came drifting down the inter web, so I listened.  Don’t get stuck in the past Say your favourite things at mass Tell your mother that you love her And go out of your way for others Sit beneath a light that suits ya And look forward to a brighter future   And something changed. I thought, “I’m going to have a laugh!” So I called, emailed and messaged some of my favourite people. What I ended up with was a smile on my face and some really positive stories. Ben Avery absolutely scored after getting stuck in the Bali lockdown down. Ben Larg, who lives on a really remote west Scottish island, is chasing and catching his big wave dream. Speaking of dreams, I found out our friends from Exeter who set up Mandiri surf camp in Sumatra, were well and truly living it. And that Alex Botelho has astounded doctors in Portugal by coming back from his Nazaré wipeout. Three everyday lads rented a fishing boat in Alaska and scored. I also managed to get two of my heroes in the mag: Bernie Robinson from Lev, and PJ, plus I had chat with legend photographer Al Mackinnon. And I even took some usable pictures of Luke Dillon. And I laughed a lot… For in a world that is topsy turvy, I could see the light that inherently comes from our own weird pursuit of chasing waves and from our amazing surfing community. And I realised that once you enter our watery world you turn a corner and life will never be empty. Pandemic or not. So here it is, issue 203. Hope you enjoy it! Don’t give up too quick You only get one line, you better make it stick If we give ourselves to every breath Then we’re all in the running for a hero’s death Life ain’t always empty…. Steve Editor