SHOCKER
North Shore “Average,” Surf Magazines Left Spinning

“Whereas the annual North Shore winter report is typically awash in near-mythical accounts of flawless waves and intrepid surfers, the winter of 2006/2007 proved to be…decent. No worries—where the remarkable may have been limited in the water, the sideshows did not disappoint. So welcome to our Hawaii coverage, mired in lowlights from a sub-par year on the North Shore, which—face it—in the end, is still the best place to be ”

THE DIRT
Going Under the Surface of the New Top 44

“‘Now that the average surf fan can compete for serious prizes in SURFER Magazine’s Fantasy Surfer competition, our annual Top 44 review has taken on added significance. In case you didn’t know, the surf world is a pretty incestuous place, so the average fantasysurfer.com player needs help competing against the surfing pros and industry heavies at their own game. This year, we’re doing our best to help you know as much as we do about the new crop of WCT talent. The following unflinching assessment of this year’s field is backed up with some stats and inside information that we’re privy to in our lofty positions (wink). Here’s hoping you put it to good use with your friends.”

The SURFER Interview: Jamie Sterling
by
Jake Howard

“Relatively small in stature, with a cropped thatch of dirty-blond hair and a quiet, unassuming demeanor—if you saw Jamie Sterling in an airport, a place where he spends a good deal of his time these days, you’d probably walk right past him. You see, with his own, understated style, there are no outward signs that scream “surfer”—no oversized shades, tilted trucker hat, or entourage of photographers buzzing about. And that’s perfectly fine with the 25-year-old Hawaiian. He garners his respect not from trophies on the mantel or oversized checks on the wall, but from his unflinching bravery in waves that 99.9% of the surfers in the world want no part of. Ask any waterman in the world, from Chile to Hawaii to South Africa to West Oz, and you’ll find that, without question—and whether you know it or not—Sterling is one of the premier members of big-wave riding’s 21st-century vanguard.”