Surfing, Skateboarding, Music, Photography, Travel, Culture and general antics of the youth on the run.

Dear Surfing, Anyone out there? What I’d do to watch a surf vid that mattered right now

what youth chippa wilson surfing

I’m still awake, watching music videos, trying to recreate the nostalgia that late night MTV2 once provided. Right now it’s Radiohead’s “Karma Police” music vid on YouTube.

This is what you’ll get when you mess with us.

I’ve had enough wine and a long enough day not to care anymore. I’ve just finished a perusal of the Internet’s modern surf landscape and I must say it is desolate. A barren wasteland of odds and ends and poorly executed web clips. And yes, it is the “the offseason” for the surfer “athlete,” — and maybe I should just chill and recharge and wait for the new surf season to kick off. Interview a skater or something, I know, I know. But I can’t get that excited for this WSL rookie class, the waves have been good at home and I wanna be hyped! But not even a peep from Joe G is on the horizon at the moment. Help!

There’s kind of some stories. Dane’s in an airport in Lisbon without a passport, there was another shark attack in Reunion (not good news at all) and Owen Wright surfed a heat (good news), but other than those headlines there’s just a surplus of subpar, rushed out videos. Nothing with any moxie! No sick shit! Straws are being grasped at. And hell yes, maybe we are to blame too, the landscape of the surf entertainment culture is in a strange place, and sure, by the end of this we’ll have to go ahead and pick up the slack and vow to fix it, but until then, let’s’ take a look at the latest online offering:

Surfing Magazine: Gone. Although still serving the same banner ads as Surfer Magazine…worth the CPM?

Surfer Magazine: Voiceless. Literally an SUV ad with pictures of waves. Now a quarterly magazine I think, with more pictures of waves. Bible of the Sport, very Old Testament.

Stab Magazine: PSA’s and product reviews, couple cool vids. Have more shark stories written than Peter Benchley.

Beachgrit: So fun! But it is such a slow time of year!

Surfline: Great surf check cameras…

Kook Slams: I literally just wiped tears out of my eyes because their captions are so good. Finally, someone has the good enough sense to use an internet platform properly. God love you Kook Slams. We’re hiring.

Surfing Magazine’s Facebook page: Just turned into Surfer Mag Films Facebook and POOF! All is well! I think…:/ (and yes we clicked that link that says this page is offensive).

Other than that, you’re either a surf brand, caught between a rock and e-commerce hard place. Or us! But fear not. We’re here.

We’ll make something worthy of throwing a party for you. Let’s start with a new short film starring Craig, Chippa, Yago, Lee Wilson, Eric Geiselman and Dillon Perillo called Hello, Sea. Let’s put it out a week from today. After that we’ll give you said party, a new magazine and once we wake up from that, we’ll give you what you really want: A new full-length movie announcement. And we’ll promise that it’s only the beginning. Fuck this boredom. We’re here. —Travis

Evan Geiselman in France photographed by Quinn Matthews What Youth

Dear Youth I thought Evan Geiselman was a ghost

This morning I was sitting here editing pages for What Youth Issue 9 (deadlines and shit) when photo rookie Quinn Matthews quit chasing French girls long enough to send us a batch of images from France. I flicked through and who should I see but Evan Geiselman! I immediately picked up the phone and dialed…

Craig Anderson photographed by Nate Lawrence What Youth

Dear Youth Guy in the sky

Where is the wave? I’ve cut off the bottom of the wave! “Guy in the sky” is what I was told not to do when I was younger. “Always have the wave in the photo.” “Show where he came from and where he’s going.” Blah. Blah. Blah. A long time ago I decided not to…

Kai Neville in Italy

Dear Youth Scenes from Europe with Kai

Overcast and gloom as we hit the tarmac. It feels good to be out of Indonesia. The contrast is evident immediately. I feel young here. War torn, art coated, romance-stained Europe. From Hemingway to Jean Luc, find your feet, sink your teeth and hack away. I could make a film here. Anywhere but LA, fuck,…

Mitch Coleborn photographed by Kai Neville Cluster Movie Surfboards Quiver

Dear Youth Mitch Coleborn’s Cluster Quiver

Surfboard art can be really bad. And good of course, but most often, bad. Depending who it’s in the hands of. From classic iconic pin lines, solid colors, pro and shaper decals, over-done murals…there hasn’t been too many iconic art works under foam and fiberglass. The lightning bolt, Ozzies crowns, Kalani’s Kellog boards, Todd Chesser’s…

Noa Deane in Indonesia Filming For Cluster by Kai Neville

Dear Youth Noa Deane Filming for Cluster

Noa Deane’s dad is one of the finest competitive surfers Australia has ever known. Wayne Deane’s list of accolades is lengthy, he owns a successful surfboard business and he was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame in 2003. But despite his incredible competitive success, he never forced that onto his son, and we’d…

Dane Reynolds surfing in indonesia on the set of cluster

Dear Youth Strange Desires: Dane Reynolds from the set of Cluster

I feel like I’m coming down with something. Last time I was here I projectile vomited across the room. A powerful spew that didn’t quite make the bowl. Now there are cats crawling around my gado gado. Sweats aside, the waves are good. Plenty of swell and Dane Reynolds is jamming alongside Jay Davies. Back…

Jack Freestone Crack Salina Cruz Mexico Surfing Quinn Matthews Photography Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth Crack, A What Youth original short will premiere Friday, August 15

We asked Dillon Perillo, who traveled to Mexico with Jack Freestone, about the trip that will be playing here on Friday. Seems that it was hot: Dillon Perillo on Mexico: “The air was a scorch and our rations were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with these funny cherry and marshmallow cookies. The beer is almost…

Rizal Tanjung bali what youth

Dear Youth Rizal Tanjung and his son Varun paddling out at Padang

Nate Lawrence: “There’s so much talk of the next generation. Kids are getting sponsored at a younger age every year. They are learning faster than previous generations. Surfing is changing into something that is very thought out and calculated. No more do kids grab any surfboard and paddle out not knowing how many cubic liters…

Bol Adi Putra surfing in bali what youth

Dear Youth Bol Adi Putra, Padang Padang

Bol Adi Putra at Padang Padang There’s no lack of swell in Indo right now. Hasn’t been for months. Wherever you are over here, you’ve been scoring. Mentawais. G-Land. Bali. It’s all been nonstop. But what you haven’t scored is Bali’s most famous wave: Padang Padang. Sure you’ve gotten a few head dips here and…

Magazine deadline Dear youth What Youth

Dear Youth Late nights, early mornings

Slept here last night…well, Scott did, if you call that sleep. And he looks good today! We just battled each demonic hurdle this latest deadline threw at us. Wielding swords of wine bottles and coffee, we are officially finished. We can throw away (and hide) all the Del Taco bags, beer cans, coffee cups and…

Luke Davis Indonesia Boat Trip Nate Lawrence Dear Youth Surfing What Youth

Dear Youth This is what it looks like to score

Taj Burrow claimed best trip to Indo…like ever. Luke Davis (pictured above) parked himself in hundreds of long-term tubes stations (often on his 5′ 5″ x 19 1/4″ Mayhem) and thoroughly proved himself a stubborn barrel pig. Kolohe Andino stood tall and strong — sporting 15 stitches in his chin — while driving through roping…

Taj Burrow Mentawais Dear Youth What Youth Music

Dear Youth Taj Burrow hammering the pedals in the Mentawais

Kolohe Andino has been looking up to Taj Burrow since he was around 7 years old. Taj was his guy as a grom. And seeings how we’re officially calling Taj Burrow The World’s Greatest Professional Surfer of All-Time, it was only fitting that when the opportunity for Kolohe to do a trip to Indo with…

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