The Archivist: This Thing of Ours

Culture studies of the beachside kind.

Light / Dark

Since TSJ’s launch some three decades ago, our mode has been to reflect the underpinnings of the surfing life. Style over fashion, more or less. Taken holistically, a single surf can be viewed as a symphony: A quick-but-informed beachside lineup study. A rock dance to deeper water. Shuttling out to the lineup. Drawing vectors to the peak. Timing a takeoff. The ride. An artful finish. 

In the same way, surfing culture is marked with elements beyond the ride itself. Design, art, conversation, music, craft. All manifestations of “this thing of ours.” The aquifer recharges steadily with each epoch, each generation. Surfing remains an impossibly vital life path. Here’s a six-episode sample hinting at the hundreds of stories in our backlist—and a hint at where we’re going.