Just when everyone thought the outcome of the World Championship was a foregone conclusion, Parko tweaked his ankle and the Atlantic went into snooze mode for the first two European events. Suddenly the doors were flung open for the top title contenders to stage a fightback, and Mick Fanning led the way. Ben Mondy went behind the scenes to find out what was really going on in Hossegor, and he also scooped an exclusive interview with Mick.
The Great North Run
In the good ol' days it used to be a real thrill to read the charts right and score perfect waves at some far off break. If you were lucky, you sometimes bumped into a couple of old mates you hadn’t seen for years as a bonus. These days not only do you know how good the waves will be, you also know how many vanloads of Newquay boys are going up...at least five days in advance! Still, it didn’t put Nate ‘Paris’ Phillips and Mark ‘Britney’ Vaughan from blasting up to Scotland, with photog Will ‘I need my sleep’ Bailey in tow.
The Great CARVE Shapers' Poll
Who are the best shapers in Britain and Ireland? It’s an intriguing question. So we thought we’d try to find out. We polled every shaper we could think of in both countries, and asked you lot out there in readerland as well. We got a massive response, literally thousands of votes and opinions. And here are the results.
Peeking behind the Iron Curtain
Earlier this year Canadian photog Yazzy Ouhilal and a crack team of cold-water explorers set off to search for surf along the Arctic coasts of Norway and northwest Russia. Travelling by boat, by plane, by car, on foot and on snowmobiles, they scoured the wilderness coast of northern Norway, finding a few gems here and there. But when they crossed the border into Russia they found that getting around wasn’t nearly so simple.
Pure escapism
Winter is slithering towards us like a big badass anaconda – cold, wet, and very, very long. Sure, some people like the winter, just as some people like snakes. But if you’d rather be wearing a pair of boardshorts than a 5/3 with boots and gloves, then you might want to start thinking about a little winter getaway...
The CARVE Christmas Gift Guide
Crikey, it’s the Chrimbotastic CARVE Christmas Gift Guide! Yeah, try saying that after a few pints. Anyway, if you want some cool pressies this Chrimbo, here’s how to do it. 1. Check out our Christmas Gift Guide. 2. Grab a marker pen and put a couple of huge ticks next to some of the things you like. 3. Leave the mag (open at that page) where your nearest and dearest will see it. 4. Fingers crossed they’ll get the hint, and you’ll get the gear. Result!
