The new issue of PLB – so what’s in it?

Mick the Mighty Proof Reader usually brings us his take on what’s in it each issue but he’s swanning around Italy at the moment, so sometime PLB writer Navin R. Johnson has put his hand up with his view of the newie.

Subscriber copies should have landed all over Oz by now, US and rest-of-the-world mags will be in mailboxes soon. Mags will be on-sale nationally in Australian newsagents from Tuesday, and in NZ dairies from next week.

So over to Navin for his rundown on the 99thissue of PLB!

>> THE FEATURES:

WHISKEY BARRELS – ROAD TRIPPIN’ NORTHERN SCOTLAND

Scootland’s north coast . . . zero degrees Celsius at midday! Fair enough to savour a dram prior to hitting the briny you’d think, and that’s the tactic for local water photographer/filmmaker Mike Guest and British surfer James Parry on this jaunt to the bays beyond the Highlands. A major talent and a much-loved man in Scottish surf circles and beyond, Mike knows pretty much every local and their line-ups, and is chuffed to share them with PLB readers. James brings the words to round out Mike’s well-moody photos. Aye!

SHOT WITH AFFECTION – IMAGES BY JEFF CARTER

Photojournalist Jeff Carter (1928 - 2010) was a prolific photographer of Australia’s working class and its battlers. He also had a fascination with surfing, surfers and the counterculture of the ’60s, and while he took some great action shots his focus was mostly on the lifestyle, the line-ups, and the characters in the car park.

If you follow our website, weekly NewsWire and social media, you’ll have seen regular posts by PLB’s Honorary Archive Detective Ian Lording. A lifetime surfer and surf history nutter, Ian’s been an admirer of Carter’s work since stumbling across him while banished to detention in the school library back in 1969. Who’d have thought 50 years later he’d be sourcing the photos and writing the intro for a 10-page Carter portfolio! (Images graciously supplied by the Sandra Byron Gallery for the Jeff Carter Archive.)

THE NEW BEAT

“There was a beat emulating from the white vans touring the coasts full of single-fins, bearded men and beautiful girls,” writes Tom Wegener in our Noosa Fest coverage, referring to how there’s been “something happening” worldwide of late with the new-found leap in popularity of longboarding, not to mention a jump in performance levels, most notably among younger female surfers.

It’s quite the thoughtful essay Tommy has cooked up here, and all the more compelling given he’s been such an influential longboarder himself across many decades. Over 12 pages, it’s rounded out with a thought-provoking sidebar from (our fave) writer Lucy Small and some mad comp and free-surf photos from a varied crew of photographers.

THE MAN FOR THE JOB

This year the WSL announced its new four-event World Longboard Series, along with the appointment of Californian Devon Howard as its Director. Longboarding has never had a Tour Director, and as a former top ten competitor, star of surf movies, surf journalist, magazine editor, and brand developer, Devon is uniquely qualified to be the first. To find out what gives, PLB’s editor JB caught up with Devon over a couple of coffees and hit him with the probing questions.

WELCOME TO NYC

One of those four longboard tour spots is New York City, and knowing very little about surfing the Big Apple, we chased down lifetime longboarder Cornelius “Neal” Campbell from Long Beach, who just happens to be the local wild card into the NY leg. Neal brings us the view from his home beach, topped off with some amazing photos, including a couple of line-up shots he took himself and a few others he’s starring in. 

>> DEPARTMENTS

LENS FLAIR

A surf trip up the Australian east coast this issue, Victoria, NSW, Queensland . . . photos to scramble a surfer’s brain.

PAGE THREE GIRL

It’s in the genes perhaps! 12-year-old Indie Hoffman’s great aunt Joyce Hoffman was great indeed, while great grandfather Walter is widely regarded as the grand patriarch of Californian surfing . . . and Indie rips already, of course.

THE BUZZ

All the fake news you can trust, this issue including a tribute to master-glasser Peter “Mo” Moschogianis, the Curly MalJam, a rookie’s view of South Avalon, the Wild Things Surf Club, the Rabbitohs greatest longboarding fan (not Russel Crowe), and much other “stuff” – simply the favourite part of the mag for many discriminating readers.

GREY GURU

The GG keeps getting invited to hip longboarding festivals in far-flung places (marvellous how self-belief and bluster can beguile the young and impressionable) and this issue the wise one heads to the Mexi Log Fest to prop up the bar with Corky Carroll and Jimmy Gamboa, and dominate the point of course.

CUTTING EDGE

It’s down towards the back but don’t miss Camo’s review of Martin Cilia’s “Shadowman” album along with his interview with the great guitar slinger, brilliant stuff. It goes to some unexpected places, and even includes a couple of photos of the marvellous Hank Marvin, we’re thinking a first for a surf mag ever. Turn it up!