by The Editors on November 20, 2024
Yes, occasionally it takes an outside view to show us how really great some of our own people are. Take Scott Hulet for example. We all know he is an amazing editor, writer, and all around proper surf journalist. Duh? And sure, he has a book out that collects some of his best writing about South of the border. But seeing it reviewed in an online literary journal makes it so much more meaningful. Doesn’t it?
Take for instance Florida man Dan Reiter’s review of Hulet’s Flow Violento on the literary site The Millions. Reiter says:
Over the past 25 years, the brightest and most consistent star in its constellation has been Scott Hulet. Equal parts T.S. Eliot, Hunter S. Thompson, and Jon Krakauer, Hulet stirs in wit, jazz-improvisational style, and a gift for aphorism (“Shoals are generally discovered by their victims”; “There’s something comforting about seeing a pirate at rest”) that has become manna to the waterman faithful. As both contributor and editor of the Journal, he has done perhaps more than anyone on the planet to elevate the corpus of surf writing.
Boom. How’s that? Pretty good company. Make you want to read it now? How about if Reiter calls Hulet the “patron saint of surf lit”? How about now? If you do, click here and space villain Jeff Bezos will send one directly to your door. And even if you don’t, at least click the link to read the rest of the review because boy, oh boy, does Dan Reiter love him some Hulet writing.
Ah, after all that we should probably point out that Reiter writes for The Surfer’s Journal (and Surfer and ESM at least once) so maybe. . . so maybe someone will write a glowing review of his book On A Rising Swell when it comes out in April 2025. Who knows?
[Link: The Millions]
by The Editors on December 11, 2023
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[Link: The Snowboarder’s Journal]
by The Editors on November 29, 2023
Congrats and happy birthday to those stalwart Aussies hipsters who keep the action culture print dream alive with their parties, promotions, and pop-cultural sensibilities printed on actual paper and distributed the old fashioned way–by truck.
Twenty years is a long time to be at the wheel swerving this way that that to avoid the potholes most other print publications have fallen into on their profit driven roads to ruin. To celebrate the staff in Sydney threw a monster party and apparently it was rather large.
It was huge. We’re still hungover. Was it a dream? Thank you to all of our friends, staff, contributors, and fine people who work so closely with us now and throughout the last twenty to make Monster Children what it is that came out to celebrate. After all this time, it is you who keeps us in the game.
If you’re in NYC stop by Saturdays NYC on Crosby Street tonight (Wednesday, November 29, 2023) for the stateside version of the birthday party. Free everything will be provided apparently. For photo proof of all the Sydney festivities, please click the link.
[Link: Monster Children]
by The Editors on November 28, 2023
The Arena Group, the company who ended up with Surfer, Snowboarder, TransWorld Skateboarding, Powder and Bike magazine titles after the last round of brand swapping has been accused of using “fake AI writers” to write fake AI generated stories at their flagship title Sports Illustrated, according to a story on Futurism. They’re running zombie titles, why not hire a hoard zombie writers?
“There’s a lot,” they told us of the fake authors. “I was like, what are they? This is ridiculous. This person does not exist.” . . . “At the bottom [of the page] there would be a photo of a person and some fake description of them like, ‘oh, John lives in Houston, Texas. He loves yard games and hanging out with his dog, Sam.’ Stuff like that,” they continued. “It’s just crazy.”
Futurism says that as soon as they asked Arena about it, the stories and writers were gone from the site. None of this is surprising to anyone who has been following along. Arena did eventually claim that the content was provided by a third party who uses real writers to write real stories but sometimes under pseudonyms. But we don’t believe them.
Just so you know, although he may look like an AI generated handsome man, Blair Alley actually exists. . . but Justin Leveille? We’re not so sure about that guy.
[Link: Futurism]
by The Editors on January 27, 2023
A certain privately owned entertainment company specializing in event and online streamed content production (mostly surfing sport) has just announced a deal with Apple Computers that will see their event participants wear Apple Watches while out in the water.
The specially-developed app on Apple Watch syncs with the scoring system in real time. This provides athletes in competition with the information they need including scores, wave priority, and time in the heat directly to their wrist. Apple Watch is uniquely suited for this task due to its large bright screen, durable design, and cellular connectivity.
Surfers will have their choice of the Apple Watch 8 or Apple Watch Ultra while surfing their heat. Not the worst move this entertainment company has made in the past.
by The Editors on November 3, 2022
If we’re going to get advice regarding charging out into the backcountry and riding the big walls, we’d probably put Jeremy Jones at the top of our ask list. And now, thanks to his new book The Art of Shralpinism, we won’t need to waste any of Mr. Jones’ time with our dumb questions, because he’s put it all down on paper.
Here’s how the book is described:
Shralpinism is a compendium of lessons hard won: quick tips, sound advice, and impactful stories. Learn which aspects of avalanche training are most crucial to absorb, ways to anticipate slope behavior or recognize clean lines, how to cut a cornice or develop safety protocols, how to build a fitness routine, the art of the turn, and keys to developing terrain and skills progression. Jones discusses the importance of mentors, the necessity and intensity of practice, the nature of risk, and the shape of failure.
Looks like a pretty good overview of some of the things we all need to know. The 288-page book is currently available on Amazon.com for $29. For all the official details, please follow the jump.
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by The Editors on February 14, 2022
It’s newsies time. Obviously, this list is overloaded with Olympic content since that’s what snowboarding is up to right now. And Shaun White is the biggest news from Chinaland. Shaun, and the terrible judging. But, oddly, few outlets wrote about that. Censorship? Probably not, but you know the journalists who are visiting China and hope to stay and/or return to the country don’t want to upset the PRC media watchers. Click the link for the list. And get going. This is enough to make it look like you’re working for the rest of the afternoon!
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by The Editors on February 9, 2022
Selema Masekela tells the story behind the Afrosurf book project and work on the afrocentric surf brand Mami Wata with Danny Agnew at Inside Hook.
It’s interesting to have a passion for a thing like surfing or snowboarding that affects you, and it’s your place to express yourself and to find peace, and also have to constantly be dealing with people looking at you strangely or wanting to comment that you’re even there in the room. Or dealing with the micro and less micro aggressions towards you even being there in the first place. And then nothing to back up your presence in any of the storytelling around the thing that you love the most. So I always dreamt of being able to build a brand that story told it from another perspective.
It’s a great look into the interface between action sports, culture, and following your heart. Click the link for the rest of the interview.
[Link: Inside Hook]
by The Editors on December 10, 2021
Purchase a subscription to the world’s finest independent snowboarding print publication and get even more savings in The Snowboarder’s Journal online store.
Includes a subscription and a 20% discount for The Snowboarder’s Journal All Day & All Night tee. Purchasing a subscription entitles you to discounted membership pricing in our online store.
Order by December 17, 2021 to insure holiday delivery.
[Link: The Snowboarder’s Journal]
by The Editors on July 2, 2021
What do you do if you’re a creative agency with a bunch of snowboard sport clients and there’s nowhere to place the amazing print pieces you’re creating?
Well, if you’re Jeff Baker and Mike Basher of Axis Media you reanimate your old brand with a little help from the former publishers at Storm Mountain Media.
“I’m excited to connect Axis Media and SNOWBOARD and resume the title’s previous success,” says Baker. “Being able to work with an independent brand, and assemble a team of some of the best media talents in our space, is an incredible opportunity…” Baker elaborates. “The media landscape has gone through some tough changes these past years, but with that comes the opportunity to get back to our roots and allow independent media to bring back the excitement that’s been lost through all of the corporate acquisitions and closures.”
We still love print, and snowboarding, and Draplin, and their whole crew so we’re stoked. You should be, too. For all the details, please follow the jump.
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