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

"I'm not interested in formulae when it comes to surfing and art." Ryan Lovelace talks to Chris Preston about trusting your eyes, hands, and feet, and adding another leaf to the weird-hull-alternative-vibe-tree. Photos: Morgan Maasen, Brandon DiPierri & Ryan Lovelace

Rob Lion of Royal Surfboards and Paul Smith of Glide Surfboards in Cork, Ireland meet with Zephaniah Carrigg, purveyor of functional and beautiful surf craft, on a recent visit to the island. Photos: Danny O'Callaghan

Four compadres take a New Zealand road-trip in search of lefts in a volcano's shadow… All aboard the good ship Peterson Threebeard with Dano, Purcho, Mud and Johnny.

They're trained to defend their country and protect our freedom and liberty, but when active service is over, many soldiers find themselves struggling with personal and mental problems that the army just doesn't want to know about. Could surfing provide some answers? Words & photos: Russ Pierre

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.

How the wetsuit became the surfer’s second skin

June 14, 2013 | Words By:

When Bob Meistrell started surfing in Northern California during the early 1950s, 20 minutes was about all he could stand in the frigid coastal waters. Despite the constant rush of adrenaline, after three or four good waves, the Body Glove co-founder was hightailing it back to a dry towel in the warmth of his car. With water temperatures near Santa Cruz hovering in the mid-50s, the surf was cold enough for a swimmer to catch hypothermia in an hour.

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