Tracks Issue 599

The loud ‘thwack!’ of fibreglass on flesh was the first thing that alarmed me. The pain came a split second later, followed by the final shock of seeing my ring finger bent sideways like something from a horror movie. The one-paw paddle in was the worst of it; my progress achingly slow as I tried to avoid bumping the crooked digit hanging from my hand, while being battered by waves. On the beach people stared aghast at the disfigurement. I probably should have put the dislocated finger back in myself there and then, but a past hand injury made me wary of doing more permanent damage. Maybe I lacked courage too. The lifeguard and local doctor wanted no part of it, both refusing to take on the handwrestling task. An…

Tracks Magazine and its staff acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate our business, the Arakwal people of the Bundjalung Nation & the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We also extend our respect to all the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across all of Country. Tracks celebrates the rich history of the world’s oldest living culture and their continuing connection to land, water and community.…

John Respondek, Ted Grambeau, Alex Workman, Jamie Brisick, Melissa Connell, Ben Mondy, Alan van Gysen, Kirk Owers, Al Mackinnon, Jason Childs, Tom Pearsall, Nathan Oldfield, Dom Mosqueira, Joli, Swilly, Andrew Shield, Peter Boskovic, Greg Ewing, Phil Jarratt, Karen Hudson, Anthony Pancia, Kate Allman, Trevor Moran, Bill Morris, Tom De Souza, Mark McInnis, Pete Geall, Ryan Craig, Federico Vanno, Dave Sparkes, Brad Sterling, Be Ryder, Tim Swallow, Ryan Miller, Cait Miers, Nick Green, Brett Burcher, Mike Ito, Stephen Cooney, Hilton Alves, Steve Wilkings, Jeff Divine, Rambo Estrada, Kirvan Baldassari, Marcus Paladino, Isis Flack, Paul Holmes, Brad Sterling, Josh Kirkman, Wilem Banks, Tom Carroll, Tony Edwards, Lauren L. Hill, Peter Crawford, Paul Holmes, Blake Thornton, Monty Webber, Spencer Hornby, Duncan Macfarlane, Daniel Russo, Dean Wilmot, Anthony Fox, Christa Funk, Isis Flack, Josh…

01 LIGHTBOX SURFER: EDEN HASSON PHOTO: BOSKO Sometimes backdrops make the moment. Swaying coconut palms, sheer limestone cliffs or gritty streetscapes regularly play a role in the surf photog’s quest for juxtaposition. In this case it’s the jetty at Catherine Hill Bay that delivers the necessary contrast, whilst carrying the echoes of the town’s industrial past. The 240-metre long pier served as a coal loader to ships for over a century, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. In 1917 the resident miners went on strike in support of rail workers. When the NSW government employed strike-breaking labour, the miners responded by derailing a train and dynamiting the pier in protest. These days the jetty is still a setting for explosive demonstrations, albeit of the surfing kind. Pictured here is Eden…

BEHIND THE COVER: KEANU MILLER BY SAM VENN “The morning was super heavy! A few of us went down at first light when the swell was maxing and at its peak. A few mad men – Ben Sawyer, Cholo and Brendo – were out there at the time but gave us the report that it was almost unmanageable. The swell dropped out super quick and we got out there by mid-morning. The green/brown water was off the back of some real heavy rain and a massive winter system that hung around for weeks. The mid-morning continued to pump with local guys like Keanu (Miller) always putting themselves in the perfect position. He’s one super stylish dude who knows the wave so well. Most waves that day he took off on…

It’s 1993 and 21-year-old, Col Bernasconi, is competing on the Australian A.C.C circuit alongside the likes of Richie Lovett, Jake Paterson and Neil Purchase Jnr. To fund his travels and freewheeling lifestyle, Col does the odd modelling gig. Fortunately, on this occasion, his regular sponsors Mambo were happy to give him a leave pass to be in a campaign for Lee Jeans. The initial plan was to shoot Col wearing jeans in the surf, which saw him paddling out in six-eight ft waves at Little Avalon in heavy denim. “It didn’t quite come off,” chuckles Col over the phone. “I didn’t have a belt on and they were kind of bell-bottomy so I was sort of swimming in them… but I guess Kelly nailed that one at Teahupo’o years later…