That’s all it takes. Focussed on the right subject at the right time, a gentle squeeze of the trigger can capture an image that might set your world alight. In just a split second. It could be a line-up. It could be a non-surfing shot with an enticing wave in the background. Whether it’s an image on Google Earth or a shot in a mag, 1/1000th of a second has changed peoples’ lives. Sent them off searching, created careers and fulfilled ambitions. In this issue we celebrate the best work by British and Irish surf photographers. They’re a hardy bunch, capturing our unique, sometimes less-than-perfect waves. What is a perfect wave, anyway? In some places, it might just be one that actually turns up (hello summer 2024). We’re proud to display some of the best surf photos in this issue, one of which will be rewarded handsomely with gear and a trip.

Al Mackinnon is one of, if not the best, UK surf travel journalist. What he knows could fill a book, but he won’t divulge all in public as he’s sworn to secrecy. Imagine empty perfect waves, some warm, some cold, some far away, some very close to home. It’s hard to achieve a balance in chasing stories and reflecting our cultural wanderlust without giving the game away. But Al does it really well, and the resulting products of his life and travels are well worth an interview and portfolio. We also interview Lara Waves from Leeds who inspired by photographers like Al, gave up everything to live in a van and try and make her living from surf photography.

We’re stoked to say she is winning and you can read her story in Shoot First. Lukas Skinner’s shot on the cover epitomises a moment in time with the young gun who is flying high right now; a two times under 16 World Champion with numerous other accolades already to his name. We tasked Mark Vaughan, lover of stats, live heats and servant of Welsh surfing to (try) and catch up with Lukas about everything that’s going on as he chases a dream. Surfers have dreamt of big barrels at HT’s since the early rumours and photos first began to surface when it was called Lance’s Right in the 1990s. But the shots underplay how heavy and fickle the wave actually is at size. In June a motley crew of Cornish surfers and an Irishman saw a perfect chart and headed off on a last-minute swell chase. What they arrived to was one of the best, and heaviest, swells witnessed there.

There’s more, lots more inside, but you get the gist! Hopefully one of the gems in these pages will resonate with you and send you off on adventures to chase your own dreams. Or maybe it will just inspire you to take a moment to sit back, pause, and ponder how lucky you are to have found surfing. Enjoy!

Steve

Ride the wave

Surfing. You just never know where it’s going to take you. From getting out of your comfort zone to pushing your physical and mental limits – whether that’s the next beach down the coast, journeying through foreign lands, or stepping up into bigger waves. After our first waves, we are all driven down paths of discovery and experiences; and in many ways led to a rich education in life. 

In this issue we cover those surfing experiences from every angle. From the varied first surfing experiences of some of Europe’s best-known surfers, to legendary Scottish road trips. Al Mackinnon examines how surfing has, and hasn’t, really changed over the last 60 years, on the east coast of Australia, with the aid of surfing journo John Witzig. We also chat to Laura Crane about her mission to take on 60-foot waves, go on trips to Nicaragua and Ecuador, and travel to Kent to meet the Joss Bay crew – one of the UK’s oldest and most unlikely surfing communities. 

They’re all very different stories, yet at their heart, all driven by a common dream. As Kelly Slater recalls, following his first successful surf sessions as a kid: “I remember saying to myself, ‘I think I’m a surfer’. I felt I was kind of part of this tribe… It was who I was.”

Steve
Editor

30 years… so, where do we start?

I’m sat outside Plymouth Uni café in the sun chatting. You got a grant to go back then. I could surf loads, lifeguard for extra cash, and have time to travel. Someone asked me what my dream job was. I said, “working for a surfing magazine”. I’d never actually thought of it before, as there weren’t any to work for. Then they asked: “Why?” My response: “To inspire surfers to travel the world, give British and Irish surfers the coverage to get sponsors that would enable them to live their dreams like overseas pros, and tell the stories from home about local surfers doing remarkable things. The stuff you didn’t see in Australian or American surfing magazines. And to fight the water companies dumping sewage in the sea…”

Issue one of Carve was published in spring 1994 by Chris Power. Its aim? To get people stoked and to represent British and Irish surfing, like the US and Oz mags did overseas. I wrote about a trip to Portugal. Next year I joined full-time on issue four, as Assistant Editor and Ad Manager. Been here ever since.

So now it’s 30 years later. In that time Carve, its editors, storytellers and photographers, have all sought to stand by its original aims – documenting amazing travel stories, trying to get surfers to incredible places, and represent them. In 1994, British and Irish surfers were still seen as anomalies. “Do you drink tea and surf in the river?” Was a standard response. No one got why we loved surfing where we did. Waiting for breaks in weather systems, the raw brutal coastlines we inhabit, dark waters, endless storms, huge tides, no palm trees – it was all too confusing for those on tropical shores. Now coldwater surfing is a thing and coldwater swimming renowned worldwide as a major health kick. They still may not want to live here, but people get it.

It’s hard to pick out special moments over 30 years. There have been so many. Competitively, Russ Winter’s WCT charge and comeback, Spencer Hargreaves’ sunset barrel. Guts, Bleakers, Bearman and Skindog proving British longboarders are amongst the best in the world. Richie Fitz, Gabe, Cotty and Al Meenie kicking off Irish big wave surfing. Then Mikey Smith, Fergal Lowey and the rest of the crew pushing limits of surfing and creativity. And of late the charge of ISA world number two junior Lukas Skinner, and the younger UK crew determined to make a mark at a global level.

Then there’s the opening up of remote British slabs, some still barely surfed, proving we have world-class waves on our doorstep. Surfers Against Sewage, formed when environmentalists were seen as the great unwashed, legitimising the fight to save the oceans. The onward rise of home-based surf creatives, particularly the Irish, who are amongst the best in the world right now. The launch of SurfGirl to showcase women’s surfing in 2002, and the ongoing fight in a still largely misogynistic world. And too many funny times to even try to put down here.
But, most of all, we just like running shots and words from you and seeing what a journey it can send you on. Particularly now we are running shots of the third generation of surfers. Some lives have been saved, some incredible surfing has gone down, adventures have been had.

It’s been a lifetime of the collective trying to show the world your realities, values, skills and community. It has been a privilege. I think Mickey Smith’s words best sum up the experiences of all creatives involved along the way of the last three decades:

“If I only scrape a living, at least it’s living worth scraping. If there is no future in it, at least the present is worth remembering.”

30 years. Always for the love.

Steve 
Editor

Well, what an autumn that was.

I don’t think we’ve seen so much swell around so much of our coastline for quite some time. The highlight for many was Storm Cierán that, apart from battering the Channel Islands, seemed to produce all-time swells across the UK – from the South West to North Wales, to Bournemouth and the south coast, to Cromer and the North East, and even Scotland! What we love about putting together a print mag is being able to collate epic shots from the UK surf photo community and record these epic times for posterity. So, that’s what we’ve done, with a huge gallery celebrating our communal stoke.

Speaking of stoke and the hold it has over us, also in this issue, Tristan Bransby tells us his story of aqua addiction, which started when his dad – also an aqua addict – took him surfing at the age of just three. What’s interesting about this is that, not only is it a common thread that all of us will recognise, but it also reflects the changing demographic of surfing. For it wasn’t long ago that surfing dads were rare, but now Tris – at 42 – is out charging with his Pa. Not only is this commonplace these days, I think it enriches our culture. A while back rippers over 30 were rare, but now we have the full range from under 10’s through to surfers that can hold their own in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and even 70’s. Quite funny when you’re hanging down the beach and the topic of conversation can go from TikTok virals to hip ops in the blink of a cataract.

The autumn swell and the rich diversity of the surfing generations isn’t all we celebrate in this packed issue. We also catch up with Tom Lowe, who’s eventful 2023 has ended with an Eddie invite. A surfer born and bred in the UK, who has honed his skills in his homeland and Ireland, invited to the world’s most prestigious contest. What a a massive achievement.

Plus two of our favourite photographers – Chris Burkard and Luke Gartside – take us on the road. Luke reporting back from a European road trip through three wave-lashed regions, and Chris sharing his most valuable lessons learnt from a life of exploration in coldwater destinations. It’s not just about the places you go and the waves you ride, it’s the people you meet on the search , that makes surfing life so special.

Hope you enjoy!

Steve
Editor

Perception is an interesting thing.

The basic concept of seeing, hearing and sensory awareness that we all hold in common, yet which we all interpret differently. And so this issue is filled with differing view points of surfing. The first and most obvious is our 2023 Carve photo comp. Isn’t it weird that you can give five people the same camera and point them in the same direction of a beach or wave, yet they will all take a different photograph? The result and interpretation goes far beyond simply pushing a button. Photos almost reflect the soul of the photographer. You can see the diverse perspectives from page 86 (and from which we will be picking a winner). For a different outlook on British and Irish surfing, we also catch up with two people who have been travelling to the UK to get their surf fix. For years surfers have fled the UK in search of quality waves. But conversely, for a decade now, Wilem Banks has regularly left sunny California to chase British slabs – incredible waves that most of the surfing world will try to tell you we don’t posses here on our doorstep. Similarly, French photographer Arthur Picard visited Ireland and Scotland in search of heavy water. Not only does he shoot heavy waves, he also bodysurfs them. In fact, two of his favourite bodysurfing breaks are Pipe and Nazaré. On the back of a brand new audio and e-book, Jamie Brisick examines our obsession with surf travel since the release of The Endless Summer. And far from the dreams and influence of the Endless Summer, we also feature the grey juice of Lowestoft, an East Anglian surfing hub with a long, rich history of surf culture. All different experiences. All different perceptions of what surfing is. And yet, at their core, all the same. It’s what I call the ‘coffin lid surfboard’ principle. In years gone by, pre surfboard as we know it, people in Cornwall rode the whitewater on coffin lids, chasing the buzz of riding waves. At the same time the kids in remote Africa were riding wooden planks, fishermen’s kids in Peru where riding reed kayaks, and all across the globe people were grabbing flotsam and jetsam and using it to ride waves. Different crafts, different waves, different styles, different views – but ultimately the same buzz.

Pretty cool…

Steve
Editor