Words by Yentl T. / Photo by Alexei Obolensky.
Or we say we are sorry but we are not really. Firstly let me explain. Making a magazine is not hard, but challenging. But we love a challenge and this one has been slightly longer than we expected.
After releasing our Volume 1 in June 2017, we aimed at October to release Volume 2. And in all honesty we could have done it… We had 4 months ahead of us and had seen plenty of things already. The Quiksilver pro was heading to our backyard, and what better than its cluster of parties and the whole industry in town to accompany the release of our new baby? It sounded like the perfect plan!
But we didn’t. The reason we didn’t is because it didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel complete. And I think there’s nothing worse than doing things half-way.
Like flying to the other side of the world and ending up eating a cheese burger at McDonalds’ instead of the local food, because it’s « weird ». Turning left to the well known spot instead of taking the chance to drive further on the dirt road, and maybe discovering something new and uncrowded. Saying « YES » when you really think « NO »… Or smoking e-cigarettes, drinking alcohol free cocktails and wearing reef booties.
And by saying so… we’re not stating that the magazine we just sent to the printer is perfect… far from it.
By the time we receive these boxes full of binded paper in about two weeks, I know there’s a dozen of things that we would have changed. But that’s a thing we’ve learnt along the way… you got to know where to stop sometime.
And I’m surprised we actually got this far. Most of it is due to the magic powers of Doliprane 1000 and our amazing graphic designer. But at least, we feel like we got to a point where a variety of voices we thrive to represent via Wasted Talent were documented.
We chased our tails in the French winter with the Metal Neck boys, and then got to discuss the current state of Surfing and its future with no one else than Christian Fletcher. We talked music and the pressure of living up to your heritage with Lee Ann Curren. We re-discovered the Basque Country skating with tourists like Evan Mock, or new locals like Phil Zwijsen. But we also engaged with our readers and discovered some of them – some of YOU – are incredibly talented: We met Frances Berry via emails, and after finding out how much of a unique artist she is, it made us even more exited to meet more of you in the future. If you ever need, us – you know where we are.
The whole point is that looking back at it, it would have felt incomplete to release this magazine without all these unique personalities featured.
And that alone is worth it for us. It’s worth the wait. And the stress. And the questions of the people concerned if we were ever going to release another magazine.
Anyway. We are here. The file is in our printer’s hands now, and we are already busy cooking something to make up about being late.
But mostly to celebrate « Print », and the fact it is dead, but we’re still in love with it.
