Just some of my favourite videos from 2023, dig in. @hooklinensinkr
Surfers : Alana Blanchard, Jack Freestone, Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Mitch Parkinson, Jade Morgan, Micah Margison, Dingo Morrison, Sheldon Simkus, Max Kearney, Voltair Sora, Luke Griffin, Kanaiya Webb, Dimity Stoyle ,Matthew Pierce, Dylan Moffat,Tosh Tudor, Cooper Davies, Zane Assink, Blake Neka, Tully Wylie, Connor Lyson
Kelly Slater is back on Oahu and everyone is stoked to have him here. After his hip surgery, surf aficionados were all curious as to how the GOAT would handle the recovery. Well, after watching this video, you would probably never guess that he recently underwent a heavy medical procedure. Today he displayed some knife like carves, typical Slater-esque aggression, and superb wave selection. I don't think it's a stretch to say... Kelly Slater is back!
Barbados, world-class waves and vibrant Caribbean culture, what’s not to love. Get your spoon, dig into Soup Bowl with Josh Burke as he showcases the aqua playgrounds of this jewel in the West Indies.
Words and photos @lisabartelmus / Allegra Diamond
The bulldozers arrive an hour after sunrise to the surf paradise of Imsouane and continue their work of tearing down the small houses on the cliff by the sea. Since Thursday morning the 18th January 2024, residents of the small Moroccan town have been watching their neighborhood demolished piece by piece. The longtime fishing village turned popular surf destination sits on the coast between Agadir and Essauoira. On the 17th of January, local law enforcement went door to door in the old town of Tasblast warning residents they had 24-hours to pack up their lives and leave before their houses would be demolished. The Tasblast neighborhood started in the 1980´s as a community of fishermen's houses just steps from Cathedral beach, one of the the two main surfing destinations in Imsouane.
Although most of the homes and businesses have been here for decades, many are built on unlicensed land and are deemed illegal. Some are registered at the municipality and maritime association although not on titled land. Younes Fizazi owns one of the oldest houses in Tasblast. We spoke to him on the roof of his house where a dozen other people, locals and transplants alike, organized a sit-in as an attempt to save the historic house from the machinery weaving a path of destruction down the hill. They had been sitting there since before sunset, sharing cookies, tea and coffee. “When I came here in the mid 90s there was no tourism in Imsouane. We rented for 5 dirham a night [roughly 50 cents today] or we camped. There was one shop. Fish was given to us for free by the fishermen. I used to be alone in the bay, can you imagine? I was surfing for 10 days by myself wishing someone would join me! I was young and scared about what was in the sea with me. The surf tourism in Imsouane, we created it.”, Younes told us while sipping coffee shared by one of the protesters and smoking his cigarette.
These houses once graced the cover of travel pamphlets promoting Imsouane.
Being the only surfer in the bay is something unimaginable these days.The surf tourism in Imsouane is now booming with an estimated 100,000 surfers visiting the town every year in hopes of catching the wave of a lifetime. The famous right hand point break in the main bay creates a beautiful wave that longboarders can ride for hundreds of meters. Shortboarders and beginners appreciate the surf in Imsouane as well. The surfing culture brought business – surf hostels, board rentals, restaurants and cafés and many small shops run by the locals. All this is now changing drastically.
Locals can only speculate as to the reason for the sudden demolition, as no official papers or statements were made by authorities. But most residents are sure that the demolition is to make room for a large project building high end hotels and restaurants to capitalize on the surf tourism people like Younes help create. Some also think it has to do with the 2030 Fifa world cup set to take place in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. This is not the first incident of this kind in Morocco. In December 2023, the fishing town of Tifnit was also demolished and covered with earth to make room for development.
Local authorities supervise the demolition and keep civilians out of the work zone.
32 year old Issa Ouchen owned a vegetarian restaurant in Imsouane until Sunday. “They came knocking in the morning. They said 24-hours, you have only 24-hours to leave. They don’t care about what I’m doing with my stuff. The next day they came back and tore it down. The day after they tore down my business. What I built up in 7 years, they destroyed in 48 hours”. Issa and his six employees have been left with no income since his restaurant was razed. “It’s not about the house, it’s about the memories. My father owned this house in 1980. So it’s about 44 years and I have lived over there for about 14 years.”
For Issa the future is a big question mark. He lost his home, his business and his independence. “ I deleted the idea of working for other people from my head”, he tells us. “I don't like working for others, I want to work together with my team”.
Younes is devastated about the events but at least he can still see a future. As a photographer and videographer and owner of another piece of land he still has resources. But he is deeply worried for all the families in his neighborhood that lost everything. “Me, I’m someone who still has a job but for all these people…where are they now? What's gonna be their futures tomorrow?” wondered Younes. Despite being unsure of the future of his home he says he can take comfort in one thing.
“At least we still have the ocean!” he said, “If they take down my house, I´ll be in the ocean. I´m gonna get barrelled while they do it!”
*At the time of writing Younes’ house is one of the few buildings still standing. He has no idea whether that will remain true when the demolition recommences at 8am.
At the sit-in the protesters support each other in their grief and loss.
Steph posted on Insta
“ I am planning to take this tour season off as a refresh for myself physically, mentally, and to enjoy following swells and free surfing in new places. I have some projects and trips I want to do, which haven’t been possible while traveling for the tour season. I am still passionate and dedicated to competing, and I have goals and dreams that I am still chasing - I’m excited for something fresh this year and I look forward to returning to competition in 2025.”
WSL announced the departure and guaranteed Steph a 2025 wild card
"While we will miss Steph's presence on the CT this season, we wholeheartedly support her decision to take this time for herself," said Jessi Miley-Dyer, WSL Chief of Sport.
"Steph's influence on surfing and sport has been profound, inspiring countless people around the world. We eagerly await her return in 2025, where she will be welcomed back with the season wildcard, ready to continue her incredible legacy."
"Under the WSL Rule Book, Gilmore's spot continues down the 2023 CT rankings, and it is not allocated to the first replacement as this is a pre-season withdrawal. The next qualifier on the CT is Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), who is tied with Brisa Hennessy (CRC) and wins the tiebreak due to heat wins (4 to 3). Fitzgibbons as Gilmore's replacement via the CT opens up a spot via the Challenger Series. Luana Silva (BRA), as the next ranked surfer on the Challenger Series, then qualifies for the CT in Fitzgibbons' absence on the Challenger Series' rankings. Silva will start her 2024 season at Pipeline, marking her return to the CT.
"With Silva previously holding the WSL Replacement position and now gaining full-time entry on the CT, Sophie McCulloch(AUS) has been allocated the WSL Replacement spot by the WSL Tours and Competition team. Following Carissa Moore's withdrawal from the 2024 CT season after the Pipe Pro, McCulloch will compete in Moore's place as the first replacement."
Enigmatic big wave surfer Tom Lowe has followed his own path from the heart of Penwith to surfing’s highest level through grit and determination - with a little help from his friends. Cutting his teeth in Ireland and pioneering unknown waves with a small group of surfers, Tom found meaning in pushing himself to the limit, and sometimes beyond. In 2023, Tom hit the reef hard at Teahupo’o and sustained critical injuries. “After surgery, lung treatment and a blood transfusion due to internal bleeding, a broken scapula, and many broken ribs, I truly do feel lucky to have made it,” he said.
Friday 26th January at Riverside Studios, London Surf / Film Festival presents a very special screening of remastered cult classic, ‘Free Ride’ Dir. Bill Delaney, accompanied by ‘Let Me Live’ - an award winning portrait of Tom Lowe, Dir. Keith Malloy.
Featuring the likes of Fergal Smith and renowned, multi-faceted creative Mickey Smith, this film is as much an exploration of community and kinship as it is about Tom. Ahead of the screening, we spoke to Mickey about Tom, his drive and his draw.
You talk about Tom having a special quality, a fire in him. As a photographer and a fellow waterman, what does that look like in the line up and what made you train your lens on him?
For me Tom has a natural cosmic way he can override instincts and open himself up to different dimensions of being human. In the sea that becomes like an innate ability to feel senses and fibres screaming no, weak with fear, and still override all that and be able to give it 110%. I feel like it’s a pretty rare skill. I’ve seen a lot of water folk who are pretty comfortable floating around in the heavy salt over the years who can’t do what Tom can.
It’s hard to explain how or why, but there’s moments amongst scary waves where things switch to another level, the sea gets primal. Situations where it’s far less than perfect, things are hectic and escalating, walls closing in type panic where there’s a uncontrollable fear that your life is at risk. Most of us tap out at that point. There’s not many who can deal with all that without survival instincts preventing us doing what Tom is able to open himself up to experiencing. To turn and go. It’s some kind of natural language for him maybe. He’s a wizard.
What do you think sparked that fire?
I just think it’s a part of Tom’s heart, right down deep. I have so much respect for what he’s achieved against all odds. Tom’s an incredible human, born to push himself in whatever way and thankfully it’s worked out that surfing is the way. He’s stoked when things are wild at sea, he’s happy, comfortable, at peace. He can handle that other level of adrenaline and all that goes with it. It takes its toll on him in many other ways for sure but out there in the salt he’s at home and he’s free.
Ireland, during your time there, and Penwith too seem to have sparked a special brand of creativity and a different type of surfer. What do you think it is about that time and place that is so special?
I don’t know really, energy is fickle but you can’t ignore how it affects our lives. It wasn’t easy or all roses but both Penwith growing up and Co. Clare when I lived there, these areas created a wild momentum through unique windows of time. Where the natural world & human interaction connected hearts through our weird little outcast sub cultures. Small scenes with good and pretty freethinking hearts around, all pushing each other to look for something beyond the every day for a while? Or just a little luck and enough spark to give it a crack maybe.
Tickets for LS/FF Presents include a free beer from the good folk at Sharps while Yeti and Foundation Roasters are sending up some goodies to stave off the winter chill. This is what dark January evenings were made for… gathering together with a crew of like-minded individuals for the finest cinematic surf session to salute the season ahead. See you there!
