Over a week and probably 1,000 miles have passed since my last rambling, time which has seen Spain, my first published piece in the Guardian and my birthday come and go. After Zarautz we swung by San Sebastian to find it was (pretty much) closed for winter; then we hoofed it across the top of Spain, speeding by Mundaka, Rodiles and other world-class waves as the drizzle descended, taking the swell with it.
It’s a momentous day today: we threw caution to the wind and had our first non-van dining experience and ordered Steak Frites in Eauze town square as we broke the journey toward Oleron in the western Pyrenees.
It was a glorious dawn: the sun rising from behind the Pyrenees, a sky so blue sapphires hid themselves in shame, the air hot and clean and heady with alpine aromas. (Photo by Iona Calvert.)
Underneath the Golden Gate Bridge
A nostalgic glance back at San Francisco surfer Jimmy Holt
Mentawai Dreaming
Mark Sankey and Alexa Poppe uncover the isolation and challenges of the Mentawai Islands, and consider the challenge of balancing tourism and sustainability.
The life of Jai
Jai Lee's personal struggles and addiction to noseriding have twisted his creativity
El Mar, Mi Alma
A visual love song to the surf blessed land of Chile.
Be Breizh!
Mark Sankey and Alexa Poppe explore the underrated delights that Brittany has to offer.
Taiwan untouched
Neil Armstrong gives us a taste of what to expect.
Pismo Beach. For better or worse
Dan Hamlin and Jeff Pfost contribute a photo essay on Kelly Slater's worst wave.
Tyler Warren Experiments
Tyler Warren pilots a steady course through the hype.
Castles made of sand
Sam Widdows swaps London for Nicaragua, and finds an entirely different tube ride.
Dont Jump Off the Pier
A brief history of surfing in the north-east of England.
Forty Bonzer Years
Malcolm Campbell lists fourty notable things to represent the forty years of the Bonzer.
Mission: possible
Portugal explodes onto the global big wave circuit.
