Matt Rohrer shares some of the highlights of his conversations with Bay Area surfer Jimmy Holt, focal point of one of the few surfing photos to ever appear in National Geographic Magazine. Selected photos: Jim Shaw

Sean Mattison has a reputation as a designer, a coach, and a businessman. His competitive experience, retail background and knowledge acquired from testing hundreds of surfboards made him one of the most versatile surfers in California. Words: Rui Ribeiro.

Two of the most influential people on the surf-inspired art scene, Jeff Raglus and Gerry Wedd have been making their mark on everything from surfboards to teapots since the 1970s. Thirty years later, they're still as productive as ever... Words: Tommy Leitch Photos: Jamie Bott

Following the demise of Clark Foam, 'eco' boards and alternatives to petro-chemical products have been the focus of developments in surfboard technology. Words: Mark Sankey Photos: Alexa Poppe

This isn't a shameless plug. This is an encounter with a British company doing something special with surfboards. While the industry is focused on the multi-buck movers and shakers parading their eco-wares, let's not forget our homegrown talent. Words: Howard Swanwick Photos: John Morgan and Jamie Bott

Big-wave riding is an awe-inspiring experience, but what happens when things go wrong? In an exclusive extract from his new book, Al Mennie explains what it's like to survive the mother of all wipeouts.