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 

Creation curation dear youth what youth surfing

Dear Youth Creation > Curation

“It’s easy to attack and destroy an act of creation. It’s a lot more difficult to perform one.” ―Chuck Palahniuk

Adolescents Surfing Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth The adolescents are coming

Tomorrow we’ll be unveiling a new series we’ve been working on called The Adolescents. The idea behind the series is to illuminate and introduce you to some of the younger surfers we’ve been watching and getting psyched on. Kai Neville has been grooming and documenting the elite in surfing through his filmmaking for a while…

Dani Loureiro CS Louis Dear Youth What Youth Surfing Traveling

Dear Youth: The Wishkah Bridge A pilgrimage to find Nirvana by C.S. Louis

There are probably several fanatical accounts citing the significance of the Wishkah bridge on the Internet. And hopefully this will inspire you to check them out over a can of beer alongside some righteous tunes. I am not capable of delivering as thorough a report because I have not yet done such research, and arrived…

Nate Lawrence Surfing Dear Youth What Youth Indonesia

Dear Youth We back at it

“Well, I’m out of here on Saturday,” Nate Lawrence just told me. Another round of trips are leaving and waves of new projects are hitting the road. 2013 was incredible. And if you want you can see for yourself here, but we can’t stay idle for long. Kai and Nate have plane tickets, rental cars…

Panther Vision Ozzie Wright Jamie Heinrich Volcom Surfing Music What Youth Dear Youth

Dear Youth: Prepare for Panther Vision

I’d say that’s all we can do. Attempt to prepare you. Although there’s not really any way to do that. But this is your warning shot for our new monthly series of celluloid called Panther Vision presented by Volcom. The series was created exclusively for What Youth by Jamie Heinrich — who’s a creative freaking…

Kai Neville Copenhagen Project Arto Saari Dear Youth surfing Skating What Youth

Dear Youth The Copenhagen project today at noon

This is a photo snapped by Blake Myers of Kai Neville shooting film of Arto Saari, who is shooting a photo of Kai, while a tourist takes a photo of all of them. Rad. The Copenhagen Project will begin streaming right here today at 12:00 noon PST.  Tonight we’ll be premiering the film, releasing What…

Caffeine Nicotine Travel Surfing What Youth Dear Youth

Dear Youth From the terminal

These artifacts detail a long-winded sitting. With an interesting man. Who had a lot to say. The setting was perfect. The lighting signifies that it was conducted in a place where the mind runs more freely, spurred on by caffeine and nicotine. The latter not something we condone, but something we realize is a necessary…

West Australia Creed McTaggart Jay Davies Taj Burrow Dear Youth Surfing What Youth

Dear Youth: Taj Burrow, Creed McTaggart and Jay Davies farewell session in the West

We made our beds at Taj’s house this morning. Packed up and toasted the forever legendary one himself for his hospitality, gracious pours of red and for sharing his home break this week. Taj, Creed, and Jay spent most of the morning trading pits in the cerulean blue that you’ll only find in the western…

Jeremy Asher Lynch Remind me to forget Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth Be present

“A creator needs only one enthusiast to justify him.” The surrealist sexual painter/photographer Man Ray said this. And we think it’s important to remember today especially. As we all drown in our own inboxes, gasping for validation and appreciation amongst the swarms of hornets online and in social media, it’s nice to remember that a…

Jeremy Lynch Alex Knost Surfing Advice Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth More friendly advice for a lot of young men (and women and iPhone users)

“We spend our time searching for security and hate it when we get it.” John Steinbeck wrote that line in his essay “Paradox and Dream”. I’m sure you’ve read it.  Anyway, we like that line. It relates to our lives in the water. In America. On the Internet. In this industry. We’re all searching, battling…

Pinnytown Surfing Road-trip Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth: Take us back to Pinnytown

Last month we went to Copenhagen, Denmark to film The Copenhagen Project. The boys at Monster put us up at The Tivoli hotel (which is pretty much like the Disneyland Hotel) and let Arto Saari be our guide. We spent 8 days traveling like a wolf pack on bikes to all the known and unknown spots…

Noa Deane Surfing This is Us France Dear Youth What Youth

Dear Youth: Noa Deane in the French flats

This day got away from us a bit. It was the last smidge of swell during our trip to France and we had to milk it for everything we could. Only problem was that we dipped into the wine a bit early. 16 hours of daylight leaves one a bit discombobulated with regards to things…

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