Surfing Life – Spring 2026

Summary

Lystra Rose's spring 2026 edition of Surfing Life, Issue 380, explores "Eternal Gromhood" — the pursuit of youthful energy through surfing — with Lorraine Bryant on the cover shot by Andrew Shield and a feature on luxury surf charters in the Mentawai, Telos and Banyak Islands. The AU $19.85 issue spans 113 pages across the magazine's six-section format.

Rose's editorial opens with a meditation on why time slows down for the young mind and how surfing replicates that state, citing Kafka, psychologist Dr Steve Taylor and Indigenous totemic philosophy. Features include "The Shoulder's Shadow" — a solo G-Land mission arguing pre-season planning outperforms strike-missions — Reef Heazlewood on balancing fatherhood with Challenger Series contention, and Keely Andrew's transition from CT surfer to surf-school co-owner. Gail Austen — five-time Australian champion, OAM recipient and surf-retail pioneer — gets the Culture feature. Wave-pool technology drives "Tour Without Tides," asking whether a wave-pool world tour is inevitable. "The Overtrained Generation" warns that junior athletes need a new playbook to reduce injuries. Jason Stevenson returns for "Repairing the Ride," a guide to fixing dings on the road.

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Content Guide

▸ Travel / Surfers

p.22 · The Shoulder's Shadow
Cookie scores solo sessions in G-Land and argues that pre-season planning — advance booking, fitness, tide knowledge — delivers more quality waves than a last-minute strike mission. A travel strategy piece for the organised surfer.

p.42 · Reef Heazlewood
New father, Challenger Series contender. Heazlewood on paddling through the ups and downs of a career that now has different stakes.

p.52 · Keely Andrew
From CT competitor to surf-school co-owner. Andrew on how coaching changed her relationship with the ocean and why teaching makes her a better surfer.

▸ Culture / Waves

p.64 · Let the Good Times Roll
Gail Austen — five-time Australian champion, OAM recipient, Hall of Famer — on pioneering surf retail and championing underdogs. One of the sport's most important figures finally gets the profile she deserves.

p.76 · Tour Without Tides
Wave pools are multiplying globally. Is a wave-pool world tour inevitable? The arguments for and against controlled-venue competition, with input from surfers who have tried both.

▸ Technique / Boards

p.88 · The Overtrained Generation
Expert advice on why junior athletes need a new training playbook. Injury data, recovery protocols and why more hours in the water does not equal more progress.

p.100 · Repairing the Ride
Jason Stevenson on fixing dings mid-trip. Which repairs hold, which fail, and why a ding kit is the most important item in your board bag.

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Editor's Take

Rose's second issue proves the winter edition was not a one-off — the "Eternal Gromhood" theme is cohesive without being precious, and the six-section architecture gives each feature room to breathe without editorial whiplash. The Gail Austen profile is the best read in the issue, chronicling a career that deserves more recognition. The wave-pool feature is admirably even-handed — no Luddite nostalgia, no tech-worship. But the luxury surf charter content on the cover and in the travel feature carries the same advertorial weight as the winter issue's PNG Surfaris piece. The technique section is stronger this time: "The Overtrained Generation" has actual data behind its warning. Best for: the surfer who plans their trips around the calendar, not the forecast.

Strengths
• Gail Austen profile is long overdue
• Wave-pool article is balanced and fair
• Overtrained Generation piece has real data

Weaknesses
• Luxury charter cover feature reads as advertorial
• Theme can feel stretched in places

Verdict: Recommended — Rose's editorial vision solidifies; the magazine is becoming more than a surf-travel brochure.