Table of contents for Issue 594 in Tracks

Sydney photographer, Dean Wilmot, fell hard and young for Hawaii. In the 80s his Mum worked for Pan – Am and United Airlines, which meant she could treat her son to long weekends in The Islands. “I have those real fond memories even before photography started, surfing in Hawaii and the environment and the smell of it…” recalls Dean over the phone. “I remember surfing Haleiwa when I was 15 and it was beautiful… and really good Honolua Bay. I was just being a grommet just surfing and just loving it.” At high school, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Wilmot developed a keen interest in photography and the regular Hawaiian sojourns gave him ample opportunity to cultivate his style. While other teenagers were back in Oz tossing popcorn at the local…

“You can’t be what you can’t see” is a phrase applied to many pursuits and professions. “I’ve always been a believer in it”, says Rory Togo, former Open World Indigenous surf title holder and committee member for Surfing Australia’s First Nations High-Performance Camps. “If you haven’t grown up with a great role model or even somebody of your own background having followed or paved the way for you, it’s hard to be a trailblazer.” Togo is currently blazing a trail alongside a committee of Indigenous surfers and leaders to run the new First Nations Youth High-Performance Program through Surfing Australia. The inaugural program kicked off for the first time in 2023 as 16 surfers were selected to compete, receive coaching and ongoing mentorship from Indigenous surf legends like Soli Bailey…

It’s all about timing and decision making this surfing game. Even before you enter the water you’ve got decisions to make: what board, which fins, where to go, what to tell your boss when you return sun-fried and barrel-lit three hours late. Timing must be spot on. You’ve got to sync with tides, offshores, banks, swell directions, moon phases and absent crowds. On the wave itself, timing and decision-making are everything. Get them wrong and you might as well take up knitting. Aspiring pros seem to absorb all this stuff instinctively. But while they fine-tune their wave riding skills they’ve got many other career-altering decisions to make – often on the fly. Boomerang Beach junior, Oscar Salt, is accustomed to the ups and downs of a surf career pursuit. He’s…

Legends, Heroes, Gods or Monsters? The Bad-Boys of Australian Surfing and Why they Self-Destruct. This issue: Shane Herring, Nicky Wood & Chris Davidson Australian surfers love an out-of-control rebel. Particularly if they surf exceedingly well. We admire their free spirited, devil-may-care approach to life; both in the water and on the land. They do things in their own way, on their own time, and by their own rules, and are often motivated by a raging fire that burns deep within their damaged psyche. Initially, they’re driven to prove themselves, but ultimately, they’re driven to destroy themselves. It’s not pretty, but we can’t look away. It’s a rare and fascinating flame that draws them in. Predictably, there’s a never-ending supply of sycophantic acolytes who willingly keep that fire well stoked. I…

During the 70s, the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia was a melting pot for surfboard experimentation, development and execution. The heavyweights of the industry gravitated to Brookvale, which had a rightful claim to being the epicentre of ‘Shortboard Revolution’ in the 60s. As the euphoria around the ‘Fantastic Plastic Machines’ (7’6” wide bodied V-bottoms) subsided, there was a hunger among a younger generation to go further. Shorter, narrower, lower volume craft with different rail and bottom configurations came into focus. The younger Australians were now exerting their performance-focused prowess in Hawaii, the home of surfing. Sure, there was some conflict but the underlying love of surfing and the mutual desire to evolve the design of what was under their feet in the water prevailed. Fortunately, I grew up surfing North…

A solitary palm tree at the edge of the reef rises above the sea level as the ocean laps up against the camera’s lens port. Perhaps you will seek a profound metaphor in John Barton’s image – the singular palm that defiantly resists the elements to rise proudly skyward might serve as an inspiration for your own life, or perhaps, as the title suggests, the image will bring a welcome sense of solitude and harmony to an otherwise hectic life. Or maybe it’s just a good way to get a tree in the loungeroom. Whichever way you choose to view the frame it will certainly look good on the wall. This shot is available for purchase in the Tracks Print Store, where you will find an eclectic mix of the…

ON THE COVER: GRIFFIN COLAPINTO BY RYAN MILLER This day was after a few massive perfect days out at Teahupoo. All the guys had gotten their fill the days previous and then again this morning. It had gotten a little bit wonky and most crew had gone in. Griffin was in a bad rhythm earlier in the day and hadn’t gotten a good wave so he stayed out. When I say stayed out I mean he parked it there and never left. I swam for at least six hours this session, no water, no food, just all adrenaline. Waves were still pumping and not that many crew on it. Griff finally started to get into a rhythm later in the session and was bagging great waves back to back to…

It’s a Tuesday morning in Sydney when Laura Enever floats through the front door of the Tracks office; spring-heeled in platform sneakers, a whip of blonde hair trailing a genuine smile. As Laura slips into easy banter about her day, it’s hard to imagine the effervescent figure skipping down the hallway is the same person who earlier this year hauled herself over the ledge on a genuine 25-footer at a Hawaiian Outer Reef. Laura is catching up for our Tracks podcast but has the fleeting air of one in a constant state of motion. Tonight she’s heading to Sydney’s Enmore Theatre for a film premiere. A girl’s night out in a part of town that heaves with urban energy. Tomorrow she will be on a plane to Tahiti for commentary…

EACH PACK INCLUDES: 1 X FILIPE TOLEDO SIGNATURE SERIES SOFTECH BOARD - $569.95 From everyday conditions to perfect peelers, the Toledo Signature lets you easily transfer your hardboard skills to a softboard without feeling a loss in performance. The shortboard shape will suit kids learning to turn and experienced surfers wanting a small wave alternative. 1 X FILIPE TOLEDO SIGNATURE FILIPE TOLEDO TRI FIN SET - $189.95 The Filipe Toledo Tri Fin deliver exceptional drive and control off the bottom without hampering the speed off the top and release through the lip. The FT Tri Fin set excels in a wide range of conditions, particularly good in critical overhead waves. 1 X CAROLINE MARKS SIGNATURE TRACTION PAD - $69.95 Caroline Marks’ signature 3-piece pad. Designed to feel secure when powering…