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

RIP Chester Bennington The Linkin Park frontman apparently had a bigger impact on all of us than we thought

Editor’s note: This a weird one. Linkin Park might not be a band you’d anticipate seeing us report on after learning about lead singer Chester Bennington taking his own life today. But Linkin Park is interesting.  They are probably the first band that somehow has had a weird impact on every single person and age demographic in What Youth. Maybe because it’s secretly all our guilty pleasures from adolescents. Which leads me to Ben Kwock, who penned this immediately after we got the news. Ben is usually the man behind all the headless chickens that make up our team on a daily basis. He is our rock, our sturdy chair leg, our designated driver. And today we saw a new side of him: The emotional side. Enjoy. And RIP Chester. My favorite song was “A Place For My Head” because it was in a Chris Ward video once. The one he made while on Rusty for that hot minute. —Travis 

Pain. One of the first words I can think of describing Linkin Park and Chester Bennington’s lyrics. When Hybrid Theory landed there was so much new going on. Blink was coming onto the scene. Rap was slowly about to change with Eminem. And Pop music was king. And that created every sub-genre imaginable.

Linkin Park became the most legit of these hybrids. Their album Hybrid Theory represented exactly that, a mixed concept. With hip hop influences and edgy beats from Mike Shinoda balanced nicely with Chester’s more familiar heavy metal and hardcore influences. It created a sound never heard before. And it worked.

The angst and chaos that we all experience in life was where Chester thrived. He had such a natural ability expressing his emotion to us. Songs like “In the End”, “Faint”, and “Numb” share the pain we’ve all felt. He captured it perfectly. Because apparently he had felt it, and a childhood full of torment, drugs, alcohol and sexual abuse buried him.

And unfortunately today, at the age of 41, Chester Bennington took his own life. Yet another artist struggling to live. We were so thankful to have an outlet like Linkin Park to share in our frustration, rage, sadness, and ultimately happiness. Chester was the heartbeat and he will be dearly missed. —Ben Kwock


creed mctaggart surfing what youth cluster

The What Youth Caption Contest Photo captions are dead. Let’s reinvent them.

Photo captions suck because they’re easy to write instead of great to read.

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Miki Dora on Surf Competitions Sage advice from “Da Cat”

Editor’s Note: Just a little magic for your day. Miki Dora, from Surfers: The Movie: “The competitive part of it all is a whole different ball game, a whole different camp. What I’m involved with, I don’t even think about it. I don’t wanna think about. It destroys for me the whole purpose of riding waves….

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This is Yago Dora We couldn’t love him more, and you will too

We met Yago Dora on this trip. The ever-smiling “Yogs.” Without much formality, we Instagram-directed him an invitation to come on the trip because we love his surfing and we’d heard he’s just a great dude to be around (he is). He changed a few plans and tickets and just like that he was in….

Gallery California Quinn Matthews first submission from a swell happy coastline

Editor’s Note: California is a magical place. Especially if you’re a photographer…right? Well it’s trickier than you think. Even with trains of NW swell stacking up in the Pacific. To get gold it takes a lot of homework and a good amount of luck to get the classic imagery you’re after — or maybe you should…

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North in a big white van Yago Dora, Brendon Gibbens, Andrew Doheny and Dillon Perillo road trip to SF in This is Us: North

It was Wednesday morning when we picked up the big white van in Orange County. Planes took off from the nearby airport and the hustle of 8 a.m. was well underway. Donuts and smoothies were being consumed. People driving with eyes glued to their phones as we ticked the box on the rental agreement for…

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Why this is so great Sending our love to Adriano de Souza’s WSL World Title

Yesterday I watched one of my favorite surfers (Mason Ho) surf against Adriano de Souza in a heat that would decide the WSL World Title — and I found myself rooting for Adriano. I posted my feelings about it on Instagram at one point and was immediately berated for the opinion, which is fine, but…

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Once the Testosterone Settles A little behind-the-scenes glimpse at Beau Foster’s new movie Shitkicker to ease the tension

There is a lot of testosterone in the air right now. People are SHOUTING. Good and bad. Tears are flowing and emotions are really raging. So let’s take a deep breath and remember how fun surfing is. Which is what Beau Foster’s new film “Shitkicker” is. And yes, we are very proud of Adriano DeSouza…

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Deadline Done Issue 13 is currently being covered in ink for you

Every deadline has a personality. Traits that distinguish it from the last one faced, and this issue was no different. A temptress of the late night, our next book is lubricated with midnight oil, covered in many moon’s light, but in our experience, that’s where the good shit comes from. After a few weeks on…

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On Yesterday Evan Geiselman, Billy Kemper, Andre Botha, Jaws, John John Florence, Greg Long…damn dudes.

Yesterday was a beautiful day in California. It was calm. Sunny. The waves were 3-foot. Football was on and mama was cooking chicken all across the land. But if you were a surf fan — like an online surf-watching Instagram-hound type of surf fan — yesterday was fucking stressful and emotional. The morning was high-octane. Greg Long…

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Do Surf Magazines still matter? Our own Nate Lawrence on then and now

Do surf magazines still matter? I’ve been asking myself this question for the last few months. It’s probably my growing older and wondering if kids these days think the same as I did. When I first had a dream to get a photo published, magazines were everything. Everything I would work for and spend money and…

We Are All Bruce Irons Our case for the feel good hit of the winter

[UPDATE: November 23, 2015]: Kieren Perrow and the WSL have officially awarded Bruce Irons the Wildcard for The Billabong Pipeline Masters. Bruce had this to say: “I’m so honored to be given the opportunity to compete in the Pipe Masters in memory of my brother,” Irons said. “I reached out to Kieren (Perrow) a couple of…

Spilling Condiments on your shirt Unfiltered moments from the road with Droid

This is a little bit ridiculous, but I’m writing from a log on the beach surrounded by sand dollars while tethered to Internet from my futuristic iPhone. I’m watching Andrew Doheny, Dillon Perillo and Yago Dora rip a reform somewhere near the center of California. It aint perfect but it’s pretty damn fun and the…

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