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

How’d this happen? Issue 0019 is somehow a thing coming soon and we really need to surf again

what youth surfing indonesia nate lawrence photography

Every single issue of What Youth comes with it’s own insane personality disorder. It walks and talks and fucks with us like the hot babe at the coffee shop who just can’t be bothered. We’re obsessed, but completely frustrated every minute of the day. The smallest details, the biggest details, the weather outside and the air conditioning inside — they all take their toll on the creation of a print magazine. I can fuck up on the website all day long and make changes. And it’s OK. But print though, that thing is gonna live until it turns to dirt, or is recycled and turned into a coffee cup.

This time it was the moon. And personal and global tragedies, natural disasters, bouts with salmonella, last minute trips to the big apple and significant swell events that made this issue the vixen that it is. Oh, and then there’s something they call “continual partial attention” and addictive feedback loops which also had something to do with the anxious creation of it. We made it while managing to check our phone an average of 2,617 times a day. Literally. It all derailed or bettered the upcoming issue one way or another. Hell, the actual conversation of whether or not to make magazine issues can get in the way of an issue. But we figured out why you need them. So they will continue. But it does seem that the more we think we’re in control of making the things inside of them, the more we realize we’re not, and we have to be willing to make the cluster fuck they become somehow coherent, interesting and inspiring. And I think that’s what makes us all wake up every morning.

And now that this one is getting inked, and I’m flying away again for some time away from it — healing from the personal panic attacks each issue brings on, (I’m going to watch football with my mom in a foreign city, more on that later). But before I completely check out for two days, I’m going to tell you something exciting about this one: we’re going to bring it to you personally. And we’re going to make sure you all get a copy. And yeah, I’m looking to all of you who don’t own a copy (and those of you who do). You’re all getting this one. You’ll see.

Another thing we just realized: We need to get back to surfing. A quick perusal of the surf space after a couple absolute marathon sessions this weekend shows inflatable life jackets, wave pools and really piss poor edits circulating. I watched Lost Atlas to get in the mood. And that was made like 8 years ago. Sounds like we need to get back at it. So we will. Scroll below and check the cutting room floor for Issue 19. And prepare to go surf with us. And go Falcons. —Travis 

what youth dear youth lost surfboards surf films

What’s Really Going Wrong… The not-so-forgotten films that shaped us

I woke up on a mattress, on a lawn. The house from the outside looks like something you’d have seen on the news. Trash thrown about, empty beer cans, mattress (and me) on the lawn, a girl looking for her purse in the garden. This is the …Lost house in San Clemente during the mid ’90s….

what youth bummer what youth recommends

What’s Bummer? The Internet is a cluttered mess, so we made the Bummer Tab

Ok, so out in Internet land, most websites that exist simply take what other people do, and they re-post it under the illusion that you think they made it. It’s the beauty and the curse of the Internet. At What Youth, we always said we wanted to create and we’d make only original stuff. Then…

what youth travis ferre andy irons content

I fucking hate the word “content” Picking my Friday night fight

I think I’ve written many emails ranting about this. But today we go public. I hate that word. Content. That dumb buzz word. That stupid, lethargic, lazy, sellout of a word is about as hot to trot in the surf industry as e-commerce (another yawn). There are entire teams dedicated to branding your entertainment, turning…

what youth top 34 surfing world tour

The What Youth Top 34 This is who’s coming on the very unprofessional What Youth World Tour 2016

So what’s the criteria? Well, it’s a perfectly inexact science that sees the surfers who represent themselves the most authentically through their surfing and living at the top. Their creativity rewarded. Their flaws embraced. Their zest and style counting exponentially. There are no numbers, it’s all feeling. Like music. Or poetry. Subjective. Like surfing should…

what youth dear youth ozzie wright

I just started saying yes to things Great advice from Ozzie Wright

“This year, I just started saying yes. Things I used to hide from or ignore I just started saying yes.” Ozzie Wright told us this as we drove by the Pass in Byron Bay, looking for the ever-elusive parking spot in the tiny lot. We’d surfed all morning, followed it with an afternoon paint and…

what youth surfing

John John won a very big contest today The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Invitational

About two weeks ago the Quiksilver Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational event at Waimea Bay was called to go. Only problem: the swell didn’t show up. Such is nature. But just to be sure, thousands of people flocked from all over the world only to wake up to rather small surf and no Eddie. But today,…

Tokyo to Bangkok to Sydney to Goldy We’re on the run again

We pulled up the driveway at Chippa Wilson’s house today to 3 brand new boards, ready to rip. Not beat up clunkers from deep in his garage. These were quiver staples of his. 3 completes, right there waiting for us. After a travel itinerary that lasted over 29 hours and 3 countries and 5 cities,…

Kanoa Igarashi Translated Tokyo with the newly qualified 18-year-old who’s got all of Asia behind him

Kanoa Igarashi has been talking non stop. Interviews and signings and Quiksilver and us. Then there are the people stopping him on the streets. It’s pretty exhausting to be Kanoa the last few days in Japan. But he sure doesn’t show it. Smiling, engaging and chatting with everyone. Kanoa Igarashi is having his moment. And…

what youth dear youth travis ferre

Japanese Customs Surreal arrival in Japan

We’re here looking for Kanoa Igarashi. Which is funny because he usually lives in Huntington Beach. And our HQ is in neighboring Newport. But Kanoa’s parents are from Japan and he spent a good portion of his life in Japan, actually starred in a reality show about his surfing when he was 11. Needless to…

what youth dion agius panama

Dion Agius threw his phone at a wall And you should too (or maybe just hide it)

I wish more people would do this. We all say it. Threaten it. But Dion Agius just did it. Destroyed his phone, right into a wall —and he isn’t getting a new one. Now remember, as you see below, Dion can still be reached. He’ll probably be more engaged. More productive. Texts and info will come…

what youth travis ferre dane renolds surfing

When the Webcast Doesn’t Go Are we just using them to be lazy?

Yesterday I’d be lying if I wasn’t a little jazzed driving in for work knowing the Eddie was on. That meant no dead moments today. I’d always be able to flip on the webcast and idle there until something spectacular happened, which at Waimea was sure to be the case right? For some the day…

what youth travis ferre

A new Morning, Changing Weather So I guess I’m going to start doing this every day

Yep. Since I can’t quite spread my wings enough on social media and still relay all the rad shit we’re doing AND get my point across, I’m gonna do it here. Every day. Who knows where I’ll be or what I’ll be thinking or writing or doing, but I’m gonna say it and we’re gonna do…

Sign up for letters from What Youth


By enabling this page, you are acknowledging and accepting our privacy terms and conditions.