Burleigh Heads, located on Queensland’s Gold Coast, a picturesque coastal suburb renowned for its stunning beaches, lush national park, and vibrant cafe culture. Let’s not forget its world-class surf breaks. Don’t expect to get it to yourself, Burleigh can get very crowded, but you might get the wave of a lifetime so join the queue, be patient and dig in.
The new issue is incoming and it is pretty jammed with stories to get you stoked!!
This issue features the best of British and Irish surfing in our annual The 2024 dryrobe x Carve photo of the year comp! We also meet Yorkshire photographer and ultimate van lifer Lara Waves, Mark Vaughan catches up with Britain’s rising star Lukas Skinner, William Finnegan on the gritty reality of Hawaii through the lens of Olaf Heine. We have a foray into the amazing life of photographer Al Mackinnon, the Croyde crew score in the Banyaks and spur of the moment decision results in a trip of a lifetime in the Mentawais.
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Lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, on the island of Tahiti, lies a village that’s home to one of the world’s most beautiful waves – Teahupo’o. Facing mystical mountains covered in a wild and luxuriant jungle, the perfect wave of Teahupo’o wraps around the reef to create a powerful tube that attracts the best surfers on the planet.
Photographer Tim Mckenna has been documenting this paradise for over 25 years. From Laird Hamilton’s Millennium Wave to WSL competitions, the locals pushing the limits, and the upcoming Olympic Games, he has been a privileged witness to Teahupo’o.
Alongside all the big names in surfing, he has seen the emergence of a generation of local kids who have come to tame this mythical wave. Among them are Tahurai Henry and Gilbert Teave.
Aware of how lucky they are to have grown up in this paradise, they dedicate all their energy and heart to preserving the place and passing on their culture to future generations. They are the guardians of the temple, the heirs of the village. They are the children of Teahupo’o.
Para surfers from across the world met at The Wave in Bristol to compete in the 2024 MuscleFood English Para Surfing Open on 4-5 July. The event saw athletes from around the world competing, coming from as far as Israel and Mongolia. This was the 8th English Para Surfing Open and the 4th time it has been hosted at The Wave.
We were blown away to have over 60 volunteers and staff come together, all contributing towards the successful running of the contest. With a big focus on the development of the sport, the two days were packed with training for volunteers and running a roadshow stop for new surfers.
The contest featured 6 ISA Divisions and 4 Open divisions for surfers without classifications. At Surfing England, we have high aspirations for Team England Para and are excited about the talent within it. We aim to continue developing both current and new athletes. While Para Surfing did not make it into the 2028 LA Paralympics, the contest was a success in advancing the competitive development of our para-athletes. The athletes showed how they can light up the world stage.
The contest kicked off on Thursday with strong gusting winds, but this did not deter our surfers from throwing down some huge scores on day one. The lake was firmly alive with a display of exceptional surfing, and array of manoeuvrers on the waves. The seasoned Team England para athletes put on a real show, showcasing to the Open and Roadshow surfers the phenomenal standards to make squad.
The event welcomed many surfers to the lake for the first time. Nerves were electric as the contest was on the advanced setting, but some of these athletes clearly are naturals and got to grips rapid. Standout competitor, James Price, surfing in the OPEN Prone division, scored a massive single wave score of 8.23!
The rain cleared in time for the contest to begin at 10am Friday morning. We witnessed some world-class scores being awarded throughout the day. Some standout performances include Team England Para team member Melissa Reid, scoring a 9.17 ride in her Friday heat in the ISA Visual Impairment division. Surfer Zoe Smith scored a massive 9-point ride in her ISA Stand 2 division. Mark Hagger, in the ISA Prone Division, was cheered on by the crowd as he was awarded another excellent score of 8.5.
Although the athletes are competing and of course want the winning titles, you can see how tightly knit this surfing community is. It was incredible to see some of our more experienced athletes getting into the water to coach other athletes. It was a true reflection of the bond these surfers have with one another, and not something you often witness in other professional sports.
Contest Commentator Sam Bleakley rounded up the contest perfectly “The performances have been through the roof. So many excellent range scores. So much fantastic wave riding. Big standouts have been the likes of Melissa Reid, Zoe Smith and Stephen Downes from Newquay, who blew us away with his control, his commitment and his style. But the bigger picture has been the Para surfing community with the way everyone has worked together to not only offer that positive force of surfing as therapy but also that platform for the athletic side of Para surfing. That is why we have so many medallists here in the UK community. We look forward to moving ahead with our amazing adaptive community.”
ISA PRONE 1 WOMEN’S – 1. Suzanne Edwards
ISA PRONE 1 MEN’S – 1. Harlum Lewis
ISA PRONE 2 MEN’S – 1. Mark Hagger 2. Afonso Faria
ISA PRONE 2 WOMEN’S – 1. Hannah Dines 2. Natasha Davies
ISA STAND 2 WOMEN’S – 1. Zoe Smith
ISA STAND 2 MEN’S – 1. Pegleg Bennett
ISA STAND 3 WOMEN’S – 1. Charlotte Banfield
ISA VISUALLY IMPAIRED 2 WOMEN’S – 1. Melissa Reid
ISA VI 2 MEN’S – 1. Alexander Shub 2. David Lewis 3. Matthew Thorne
OPEN STAND MEN – 1. Louis Sutton
OPEN VI MEN – 1. Finn Jones
OPEN KNEEL MEN’S – 1. Stephen Downes 2. Jimmy Simpson
OPEN KNEEL WOMEN’S – 1. Rheya Sarre
PEN PRONE MEN’S – 1. James Price 2. Cliff Lee 3. Mark Bowra
Father and son, Michael and Mason Ho go for a surf at a place where uncle Mike’s been taking Mason surfing since he was a kid. Ala Moana is also a spot where uncle Mike also surfed as a kid. Ala Moana is roots.
Surfers: Michael, Mason Ho and friends.
After a banging main event earlier this year in epic conditions, Volcom is back with its contest series for the youth, combining a PanEuropean digital qualifier (July 1st – August 31st 2024), and a main event with a 4000€ prize purse this Winter in Sagres in February (location and date TBC).
The series are open to European surfers (women & men) 16 years old and under when qualifiers resume (born after August 31st 2007).
Qualifier registration form and competition info: https://vol.cm/surfhappening24-25
The qualifying process, making it easy for surfers to enter, will once again showcase top action from this summer, and will decide the main event competitors.
QUALIFIER
How to Enter:
Requirements:
Competitors must be born after August 31st 2007.
A parent or guardian must sign up online for competitors, accepting the rules and conditions.
Judging:
All entries will be judged after the submission deadline in September 2024.
The top 20 women and top 20 men will qualify for the main event, plus an alternate list.
