The Soul Factor

“Is there any soul left in surfing?” It’s been a common question in the surfing world from the very beginning. The very word “soul” has a different effect on every surfer. For some it inspires the feeling of everything that is right with our pursuit. It expresses the connection between surfer, surfboard and the wave. It describes our bond with nature, the tie to the natural rhythms of our blue planet, and helps us to rationalize the far reaching effects of even gravitational pull and the movement of open ocean tides. For others it’s a derogatory expression that has been hammered into us by overzealous capitalists, hell bent on getting us to purchase products that we really don’t need. The avalanche of surf media moguls and Hollywood producers, who flaunt the word “soul” on a regular basis, certainly hasn’t helped either. It’s been repeated and purged from the lips of “wannabees” so often, that perhaps the over-saturation of its use is more to blame than anything else. Read more

The Grass Stain (Or, A Plea, of Sorts)

The board building process is so time consuming, it allows one to reflect upon the impact of the closure of Clark Foam, Pop-outs and the re-emergence of the backyard shaper. By Andrew Heyman.