Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Can't find the right forum, then post your general surf-related remarks here!

Moderators: jimmy, collnarra, PeepeelaPew, Butts, beach_defender, Shari, Forum Moderators

User avatar
Grooter
Duke Status
Posts: 11244
Joined: Mon May 08, 2006 12:37 pm
Location: Titan Uranus

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by Grooter » Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:47 pm

iggy wrote:as soon as mags like Track and ASL can start publishing articles with a writing style other than something that comes across as being targeted to some bong-addled deadshit forklift driver living at tugun or bilinga stuck in the early 90's then i might think about parting with my money for them...
if you actually read those mags from cover to cover for an extended period your IQ would drop by at least 10 points a year...
Yep my thoughts exactly.
some cnut wrote:There are only two real problems that we face in life, knowing what we want but being unable to know how to get it and/or not knowing what we want
It's possible to hate the filthy world and still love it with an abstract pitying love

User avatar
Lucky Al
Duke Status
Posts: 11815
Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 7:53 am
Location: The Sad Tropics

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by Lucky Al » Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:51 pm

i read surfing world because it's the one my local library gets. i quite like it, but it's so big and glossy i worry that the publishers might not be paying their bills and could go bankrupt at any time. i hope it's paying for itself. there's some great stuff in it.

User avatar
Trev
Huey's Right Hand
Posts: 30934
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 3:11 pm
Location: Any Point Break

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by Trev » Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:16 pm

LONGINUS wrote:
pridmore wrote:I would but I am not normal.
weirdo :D

Broadsheet newspaper tracks was great for lighting fires on the beach and for making man traps - dig a big hole and place a paper sheet over it, save miss tracks page for later in the sand dunes...sprinkle lightly with sand, hide and giggle like a maniac when someone falls into hole and dislocates ankle..rinse and repeat...was it just me that used to do that? :lol:
Ahhaaa!
Adam, you'll be hearing from my solicitor......... 8)
unless I get a t-shirt, too :lol:
Beanpole
You aren’t the room Yuke You are just a wonky cafe table with a missing rubber pad on the end of one leg.

Skipper
I still don't buy the "official" narrative about 9/11. Oh sure, it happened, fcuk yeah. But who and why and how I'm, not convinced it was what we've been told.

User avatar
DV8
regular
Posts: 312
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:05 pm
Location: anywhere for the early
Contact:

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by DV8 » Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:17 pm

willhs84 wrote:
DV8 wrote:Surfing World the only one I bother with any more . Others have the add quota higher than the content quota ..........but seems to get the ED's and hangers on spots on the commentary panel at WCT EVENTS so they can vomit large amounts of useless dribble and screw the whole LIVE feed experience.

Water Magazine is usually good read also .............read it online through surfline .
Are you kidding me... Surfing World's ED does more WCT commentating than anyone else in the Aussie magazine world...
Probably didn't convey that as I wanted Willhs84. The "but" should have been "BUT"
and it was directed at Surfing World.... is good ............BUT dribble dribble dribble at surfing events .

User avatar
Trev
Huey's Right Hand
Posts: 30934
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 3:11 pm
Location: Any Point Break

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by Trev » Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:21 pm

I read whatever is at my local library.
I can honestly say I read them regularly (at the library) but have no idea which titles they are................. :roll:
Except Pacific Longboarder. I know that one. 8)
Beanpole
You aren’t the room Yuke You are just a wonky cafe table with a missing rubber pad on the end of one leg.

Skipper
I still don't buy the "official" narrative about 9/11. Oh sure, it happened, fcuk yeah. But who and why and how I'm, not convinced it was what we've been told.

User avatar
steve shearer
BUTTONMEISTER
Posts: 44825
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:20 pm

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by steve shearer » Thu Apr 30, 2009 4:40 pm

Nick Carroll wrote:I think Stab is KILLING IT.
At one point in the nineties I had Derek Rielly in a headlock...it was at the book launch for Tim Bakers biography of Rabbit.
At the Rainbow Bay surf club.....everyone was hammered on free piss and Tommy Peterson was heckling so loudly that speeches were rendered inaudible....finally they gave up and just accepted the situation.
I had Rielly in a headlock due to some perceived slight on my character....I took him over to Tommy Peterson and held out a beer bottle to cheers him with.
Tommy took his beer bottle and with a furious left hook smashed it into mine....splintering the top of the bottle off and leaving me holding rielly's head brandishing a lethally sharp broken beer bottle.....
Would I have down the surfing world a favour if I had brutally murdered the swine ....as Tommy Peterson was urging?
There is actually a photo of this moment....with Rielly sporting a shit-eating grin.
Stab indeed.
I want Nightclub Dwight dead in his grave I want the nice-nice up in blazes

brendo
barnacle
Posts: 1225
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2006 10:32 am

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by brendo » Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:57 pm

steve shearer wrote:
Nick Carroll wrote:I think Stab is KILLING IT.
At one point in the nineties I had Derek Rielly in a headlock...it was at the book launch for Tim Bakers biography of Rabbit.
At the Rainbow Bay surf club.....everyone was hammered on free piss and Tommy Peterson was heckling so loudly that speeches were rendered inaudible....finally they gave up and just accepted the situation.
I had Rielly in a headlock due to some perceived slight on my character....I took him over to Tommy Peterson and held out a beer bottle to cheers him with.
Tommy took his beer bottle and with a furious left hook smashed it into mine....splintering the top of the bottle off and leaving me holding rielly's head brandishing a lethally sharp broken beer bottle.....
Would I have down the surfing world a favour if I had brutally murdered the swine ....as Tommy Peterson was urging?
There is actually a photo of this moment....with Rielly sporting a shit-eating grin.
Stab indeed.

photos or it didnt happen.....

jose
Grommet
Posts: 55
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:00 pm
Location: south coast, bp

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by jose » Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:48 pm

For those old/er nostalagic realsurfers who prefer the 'news paper' style surf mag you might be interested in this. i recently purchased a new south coast (NSW) mag, its called southern soul and it was only the second issue. lots of interesting articles about more grass rootsie kinda topics not the latest trips to the mentawis. anyway thought people might be interested to here about it and also if anyone knows anymore about it then please share.....

User avatar
monkey
regular
Posts: 210
Joined: Wed Jun 02, 2004 12:47 pm

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by monkey » Thu Apr 30, 2009 8:47 pm

About a year ago I was sick and going through reading material like nothing. Subsequently I read every type of surfing mag. IMO:
TRacks and Surfing Life - very similar, regular features are ok, odd good story, lots of fillers (e.g profiles of surfers who are like clones)
Surfing World - old school quality stories, historical stuff
STAB - shithouse self indulgence, wanky TSUBI tools
Surfing/Surfer - seppo stuff and a bit wanky but some interesting travel stuff
TRansworld - bloody pricey, some photos and surfers you wont see in other mags

I miss newspaper tracks and Line up mags - used to get excited going into the newsagent

puurri
Owl status
Posts: 4832
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2005 11:56 am
Location: Coogee Heights (estate agent speak)

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by puurri » Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:10 pm

smnmntl wrote:I get by with the New York Review of Books and Shaved Backdoor Teens
naturellement. (and Pree Teen Lingerie Monthly no doubt)

dingdongdead
Grommet
Posts: 58
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2004 4:37 pm
Location: Shellharbour
Contact:

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by dingdongdead » Fri May 01, 2009 12:16 pm

Don't buy any as often these days. Frustrated by the advertising to actual content ratio (even worse in US mags)

And like somebody mentioned within in this thread, Chopes/Ours etc.. enough already.

The only chopes/ours spread I want to see is two surfers jousting with chains racing for the channel. Now thats entertainment
Release a jousting DVD with it.

Any marketing positions on offer at Tracks?
craig wrote:i saw a guy wearing a funny shirt the other day. it had on it:
QUIK RIP A BONG - ONLY A SHAREHOLDER KNOWS THE FEELING

User avatar
dUg
barnacle
Posts: 1858
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:22 am
Location: sitting in my car waiting for someone else to paddle out first

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by dUg » Fri May 01, 2009 7:59 pm

Colour advertising is the fuel that feeds the fire ( and editorial staff ) of print media mags, and there's plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that's been in decline for some time. I don't see how surf mags could be immune.

I dunno about "killing it", but the ones slow to get with the online program and re-badge themselves must be feeling the pinch right about now.

User avatar
LONGINUS
barnacle
Posts: 1233
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:27 pm
Location: http://www.surfingatlas.com/spot/3016
Contact:

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by LONGINUS » Sat May 02, 2009 11:06 am

dUg wrote:Colour advertising is the fuel that feeds the fire ( and editorial staff ) of print media mags, and there's plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that's been in decline for some time. I don't see how surf mags could be immune.

I dunno about "killing it", but the ones slow to get with the online program and re-badge themselves must be feeling the pinch right about now.
dunno Dug, problem with the interent is that we are all used to it being free. Its like when you go to a porn site, you go as far as you can on the sample spreads and video trailers, then when it takes you to a subscriber page you leave and find another one.

Its a pretty tricky concept coming up with enough features on a website to encourage a lot of people to pay for it. I do like the online magazine concept that ASL is trialing. Solves the storage issue for one thing. I'm waiting for kindle to hit our shores though before I subscribe to it - that way I can read my e-mags on the dunny just like I do with the real ones :D
salty wrote:Surfing Atlas WTF? ...I have to pay a sign-up fee in order to expose to the masses, pictures of and directions to my favorite breaks! http://www.surfingatlas.com

User avatar
dUg
barnacle
Posts: 1858
Joined: Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:22 am
Location: sitting in my car waiting for someone else to paddle out first

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by dUg » Mon May 04, 2009 10:07 am

LONGINUS wrote: dunno Dug, problem with the interent is that we are all used to it being free.
Absolutely... and having had a subscription based web venture all but suck the life out of me back in 2001, I know better than most how reluctant the punters are to open their wallets.

I think the mags are mad if they adopt that model, despite the fact that online advertising has grown up a bit and they could do both ( works for Foxtel :roll: ). I do think though they may have to weild the axe to entire departments to make the new model pay ( the new model being cash for comments, in place advertising, brand affiliation, kickbacks, promos etc. etc. ). :shock:

It's the demand for currency and timeliness... the"now" factor that will shape the mags of the future. By the time most mags hit the streets the news is hopelessly outdated, so all you have left are articles - describing contrived " surf adventures" most readers already heard about and read about two months earlier. I've noticed mags playing this delicate balancing act where they try and give little tidbits on their websites in the hope you'll buy it to read more... but there's that old, nagging question... "how much do you give away for nuthin' "? The porn industry seems to have figured it out, but that market is several orders of magnitude bigger.

When you have mags posting the "March Issue" in early January, packed with results and news from the Hawaiian Season, except you already saw all the pics and videos the day the Pipe final ran and have sinced moved on to the Quikky Pro at Snapper, you seriously have to ask yourself.... :?

zingomar
regular
Posts: 126
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2004 11:24 pm
Location: point breaks

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by zingomar » Mon May 04, 2009 12:22 pm

As a grommet in the 70s there was no surf on TV, no Videos, no mass media coverage. Surf Mags were like a light in the darkness. I bought them all and read then 20 times. Any surf content was devoured. The quality varied back then too but we were desperate.

Today, the net, videos Youtube etc gives you so much content for free that I don't know how magazines survive.

They don't help themselves by having such limited content.


Mostly I can read the 2 - 3 decent articles standing in the newsagents - not enough depth to need to buy them.

User avatar
Davros
Snowy McAllister
Posts: 8578
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:46 pm

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by Davros » Mon May 04, 2009 2:23 pm

Tracks still a great dunny read for mind.
Last edited by Davros on Mon Sep 13, 2010 3:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
LONGINUS
barnacle
Posts: 1233
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:27 pm
Location: http://www.surfingatlas.com/spot/3016
Contact:

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by LONGINUS » Mon May 04, 2009 7:38 pm

Maybe a deeper online tie in with the mag itself is the answer. Each mag has a scratchy with a code on it. Log on to the respective mag site, enter your code and you could access unique areas and features?

The way I look at it, the big aussie surf mags are in an enviable position - great readership (even if it is in newsagencies) maintains brand awareness. They have enough revenue and funds to make cracking web sites with content that is tough to compete with and the strong brand awareness services their ads with clicks very well.

I think it would be fun to run a newspaper (surf magazine) - Citizen Kane - RKO Pictures, 1941
salty wrote:Surfing Atlas WTF? ...I have to pay a sign-up fee in order to expose to the masses, pictures of and directions to my favorite breaks! http://www.surfingatlas.com

User avatar
Trev
Huey's Right Hand
Posts: 30934
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 3:11 pm
Location: Any Point Break

Re: Surf Mags - Who's killing it, who's not??

Post by Trev » Mon May 04, 2009 8:54 pm

LONGINUS wrote:Maybe a deeper online tie in with the mag itself is the answer. Each mag has a scratchy with a code on it. Log on to the respective mag site, enter your code and you could access unique areas and features?
I reckon this is a great idea.
Then the old sneak thief in me came to the fore.
You'd have to package the mag in plastic or they'd all be scratched on the newsagents' shelves. :twisted:
Beanpole
You aren’t the room Yuke You are just a wonky cafe table with a missing rubber pad on the end of one leg.

Skipper
I still don't buy the "official" narrative about 9/11. Oh sure, it happened, fcuk yeah. But who and why and how I'm, not convinced it was what we've been told.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 57 guests