Stab

[channels]

I've been living O/S for a little while thus the only mags that I tend to see are either ASL or Tracks. The older I get the more I tend to think they cater for the under 25 market and I don't tend to get them very often anymore, pretty much only when I'm at an airport and about to jump on a plane. I have said before that I really enjoyed Deep magazine mainly because the quality of the writing and it was aimed at surfers who weren't swayed into buying boardies or wetsuits because Andy Irons or Kelly Slater were wearing them.

After looking at the ASL forums about the whole Sarge story and seeing the whole match between Tim Baker, NC and the author of the Sarge article, I saw some links to articles in Stab magazine. The last time I saw a Stab was 6 or 7 years ago and it seemed to be more of an adevrtising catalogue than a surf mag. But after reading these articles (see links below) it appears to be some of the more interesting surf writing happening at the moment. Better than the stock standard "Pro's go to perfect location and tear it up" stories that seem to proliferate Tracks and ASL.


http://www.stabmag.com/individuals/king-of-queens.php

http://www.stabmag.com/individuals/an-a ... -table.php

http://stabmag.com/features/clipper.php

http://www.stabmag.com/features/ice-storm.php

[southyboys]

Agreed Stab is a great read with in-depth articles
which arent as cliche as your average 'waves' stories
I also enjoy the style guide.

[Lucky Al]

i agree there some pretty good articles in stab and the odd flash of brilliance but have always steered clear of the style guide because it's a style guide and must be crap for that reason but i could be wrong it's alright is it?

[AlbyAl]

I totally disagree

STAB SUCKS


Why?

Over-glossy, sleek, product-placed, hipper than thou
Grab bag of fluro-pseudo-pink-punk poncey hand-waving
Hand wringing, helicopter photo, money hungry, cash wielding
Fake-bleached-hair wanky self-spruiking city-smog hugging,
Magazeen for teens squeezing ugly boardie slopping poop!

And that's just the cover.

[AlbyAl]

And grab a brain LuckyAl - get critical, get demanding with your surfing publications.

And remember those ancient words of wisdom: "Ask not why you read a surf mag, but why doesn't your surf mag read you."
Barney Whistlecomb (1964)

[Lucky Al]

i suggest you take out a subscription to kurungabaa then mr know-it-al

[Lucky Al]

and MORE IMPORTANTLY that you contribute!

[Chong]

I find Stab frustrating at times with its biased,contrary, hypocritical editorial and its sometimes "light on" approach to publishing. (maybe a sign the editors are getting good waves).

However they are the only surf mag asking hard questions and not spinning the usual line of "we're all cool young fit princes of the sea", "we all surf", "everythings great", "we love surf companies unconditionally" etc etc ad nauseam.

Fark they are the first mag that I know of to actually acknowledge that "gasp" gay people might actually surf! I like the fact that they make quite brave journalistic decisions which at times must verge on being commercial suicide.

Yes the magazine is flawed, It is buffeted by the fickle winds of fashion like a plastic bag in a stiff southerly and does peddle blatant man love for AI & TB. But beneath its flaw's it does consistently publish, funny challenging writing about surfing which is why I buy it.

[brownbann]

I read the new issue online and this story was fantastic

http://www.stabmag.com/features/candy.php

have never read the like in a surfy mag

[Lucky Al]

helicopter surf photography is quite obscene isn't it

[channels]

Hey clay, southyboys & brownbann: how about you fuck off & buy some advertising space like everybody else

[If you're not paid representatives of Stab magazine, then my apologies. Actually no, fuck off anyway. Stab is a piece of shit]

Bugger! I forgot having an opinion was allowed on these forums. Must listen to smnmntl and behave like a robot. Clown!

[channels]

And here I was thinking that after searching previous posts by brownbann he probably works for the mags and you might be right smnmntl. Best let you get back to reading Waves and buying your new Fanning thongs and matching boardie and tshirt combo.

[brownbann]

I don't work for any mag. I own a news stand and became interested in Stab a while back. This was my first time back to realsurf in quite some time and this conversation happened to be on the top on the list, so I thought I'd add my two cents.

[AlbyAl]

I read the new issue online and this story was fantastic

http://www.stabmag.com/features/candy.php

have never read the like in a surfy mag

I have - years ago Tracks and Surfing World had some great adventure reads, and they didn't add the dumb-arse pontificating about how rad their destinations were.

Why did some nong call the thing STAB? Yeah, I just love the hint of violence: stabbing waves, stabbing homies, stabbing the accelerator pedal, stabbing me steak, stabbing the girlfriend with the pork-sword .... etc

STAB? Surfing? Gimme a break.

[Merry Prankster]

I like it
- The editors assume more so than other mags that you a reasonably intelligent person.
- The photos are generally better and have more appeal (to me anyway)
- Sure some of the stuff is quite gimmicky but who here wouldn't go for a surf behind that boat given the opportunity?
http://www.stabmag.com/features/wave-maker.php
(me and some mates are actually pondering giving Brutus a call when the surfs bad in Spring)
- They aren't scared to confront issues, maybe its because unlike the others some multinational publishing company doesn't own them.
- Some of the fashion stuff ain't exactly my cup of tea but you don't have to read it.

Smnmntl - most people on here understand your general dis-taste for our flipper wearing friends (I share it) and I find your comments amusing. But why the hate for a mag that has an opinion and isn't scared to push a few boundries?

[AlbyAl]

helicopter surf photography is quite obscene isn't it

Yes indeed. That issue I bought with Taj from a helicopter - they called it the 'Angle of God'. And what interested me, was that more of the issue was the fact of taking photographs from the helicopter than the surfing!
I seem to remember another issue had similar helicopter photos of a gold surfboard ridden by ... um ... Shane Dorian - that's right ... sprayed the board gold (yeah, gold, of course!). Then they discussed how much per hour the photo shoot was costing. In fact, that's probably me main gripe: STAB focuses too much on the money, the cost, the earnings, the loot, the consumer-driven side of surfing.

Yeah, I spend money on boards and wetties, but I don't want mags that focus on the $$. That's surfing AT A REMOVE. I can read any number of mags that trawl through consumer culture from every angle imaginable. Does surfing need to go that way?

[grazza]

My favourite Stab article was the one where they showed you how to make a wallet out of duct tape.

[brownbann]

Smnmntl - most people on here understand your general dis-taste for our flipper wearing friends (I share it) and I find your comments amusing. But why the hate for a mag that has an opinion and isn't scared to push a few boundries?

That's what I thought the first time I laid eyes on it. Youse who complain about the $$ pushing aspects can feel free, but how many magazines have run features on Sarge, Branno and methamphetamine addicted surfers? Also throw radical political content right next to displays of amazingly ridiculous capitalism? The new feature on Zane and the bottle? Well written boundary pushing stuff.

Before I get drug though the mud (again) for being some sort of Stab employee, I think there is not much to talk about re. surfing these days. It is what it is. Stab, like it or hate it, puts something bold out there which is actually worth discussing.