News from Around the Globe

The Dawn Patrol surf report from South Africa

The Groundswell Society's Third Annual Surfing Arts, Science and Issues Conference

Mal De Mer - 15th Mal Muster - 15, 16 & 17 August 2003 (North Coast of NSW, Australia)

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SLIDE - The New Surfing Magazine

The Dawn Patrol surf report from South Africa - Part 1 (from Roger)

The swell keeps on coming.

A busy autumn, with consistent swell. This year we seem to have been getting a lot of our swell from the south and south east. Maybe something to do with El Nino. Good news at some of our breaks, but not the best for some of our points.

Winter has arrived with swell that carries on coming for days on end. Fanned by off shores, these waves have been keeping us very busy. We have had our first Texan! And our first Frenchman!

As promised to our guests, Supertubes in J-Bay is dished up in large doses when the swell hits! A couple of weeks ago we caught Supers cooking, but...

A case in point is last week's visit to Supers by the Dawn Patrol crew. Our lucky visitor from the US east coast tasted 6-8ft walls running down the point for two days. We spotted the swell from 5000km away and paddled out on Monday last before dawn to catch Supertubes GOING OFF IT'S FACE.

Six sessions were wrapped up with a special last one. The sets became more consistent, and some had ten waves. Not being one's to stay in one place for very long, we departed on Tuesday as the onshore came up, and the swell started dying. Back home the next day, the south westerly swell was still coming and we surfed a local point fanned by the south wester we had followed up the coast.

We are truly privileged to be able to share our fortune at being resident in East London with our guests. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to share waves with stoked visitors who are raving about their good fortune at having linked up with us.

Winter surf here is great, but what is not commonly known is that we have waves ALL YEAR ROUND. If you are thinking of joining the Dawn Patrol crew, don't think that you need to come in winter. Some of our best sessions are surfed in summer, never mind in autumn and spring.

East London beach break (photo courtesy of Roger - at Dawn Patrol) www.dawnpatrol.co.za

Part 2 (from Louis)

From my side as I sit and write this, 2 weeks after J Bay, my feet are almost healed from the beating I took on both days at SUPER SUPERTUBES. The only day that I was able to wear shoes was to church last Sunday and that almost killed me. So guys have a good laugh because you know I would as you imagine me groveling into an exposed rock as a 4ft of white water slams me over the exposed rock at Impossibles for the entire 6-8 wave set. This happened on both days and I broke my 8 mm leash and dinged my board badly that is not back from being repaired at this time. So those of you who have been over know it was a hell of a mission.

The funny thing however is that when we arrived back in East London my next door neighbour saw me hobble from the car and asked where I had been and why I was so broken, so I told him. Then he enviously asked if I had enjoyed myself and I could quite honestly say that I enjoyed every second, even the rocks hold special significance because without them there would not be that special place where the waves are almost a spiritual experience.

For those of you who have been over on a surf trip with us we talk and think about you with fond memories and we miss having you in the line up. To those of you who we haven't yet met we can't wait to show you our incredibly wave rich stretch of coastline. Where we laugh at the crazy world around us as we search for perfect waves.

Louis BBBBF (BROKEN BALLS BUM BOARD & FEET my new nick name )

Seavale Point near East London (photo courtesy of Roger - at Dawn Patrol) www.dawnpatrol.co.za

Index

The Groundswell Society's Third Annual Surfing Arts, Science and Issues Conference

Request for Presenters

The 3rd Surfing Arts, Science and Issues Conference, November 8, 2003 at the Double Tree Hotel in Dana Point, California.

Surfing is all about freedom and waves don't cost a dime. But is surfing really free?

The theme for SASIC 3 is The Price of Surfing. When you consider the costs of saving the waves vs. our society's consumerism, the price of building reefs vs. escaping the crowds, what it takes to be a success in the surf industry, etc. it becomes clear that surfing's freedom isn't free. So what are the hidden costs of our surfing lifestyle, and not just in dollars and cents? What are we giving back in exchange for all that surfing has done for us? And what investments are we making in surfing's future?

SASIC 3 is for those surfers interested in taking a compelling look at what we trade for the wonders of surfing who is giving their fair share and how they are doing it, and what does it cost the sport when we don't give back.

As Longboard Magazine said, The Groundswell Society's idealism could be surfing's new voice of conscience. SASIC 3 will be your chance to hear that voice and add to it.

We have eighteen time slots to fill, and so far we've identified the following as probable topics:

• Surfing for Sale: big corporations in the lineup
• Retailing: From the mom 'n pop shops to Boardstroms
• The real costs of artificial reefs
• The psychology of anger in surfing
• The 'aloha' tax: how every surfer owes something
• Business and the surfing lifestyle
• Surf schools and sharing the stoke
• Surfing collectibles and memorabilia
• Surfboards from Costco to Surf Tech
• Supporting environmental efforts to protect waves and beaches
• Shop till you drop? Women and surfing's consumerism

And what else? You can e-mail us at info@groundswellsociety.org with your ideas and input. We will require a 50-word synopsis of your proposal by July 15. We'll then go through all the options and put together the program. All presenters are responsible for his/her own travel, lodging, and presentation supplies (we are a non profit organisation with a VERY small budget).

Matt Meyerson
Co-Founder - The Groundswell Society
233 Ashland Ave., Unit F
Santa Monica, CA 90405
http://www.groundswellsociety.org

Index

Mal De Mer - 15th Mal Muster - 15, 16 & 17 August 2003 (North Coast of NSW, Australia)

Last year the Mal De Mer Long riders Club celebrated the 14th Anniversary of our popular Longboard surfing competition "The Mal Muster". The competition was a great success and enjoyed by all the Competitors and their families.

"It's on again" - This year we will be conducting 10 Divisions ranging from Cadets (under 14) to Grand Legends (over 55) including Ladies and the famous Old Mal.

The competition usually attracts (approx.) 170 surfers from Noosa Heads in the North to the far South Coast of NSW. Many of the leading Longboarders attend our Competition, which is based on friendship.

Competition is run over 3 days commencing with "meet the competitors" on the Thursday Night at the Bonny Hills Beach Hotel - the Major Sponsor of the event. Surfing commences 7.00am Friday morning and runs through to 1.00pm Sunday afternoon followed by the Presentation.

Interested in attending or competing? Contact Craig Rumbelow on 0418 894 975 or email Craig at president@maldemer.org.au