July Cover Volume1 Issue 7

Winter had arrived and it was time too step up to the plate with more snow in our background than ever before for this time of the year. Tommo Troy sent me this pic and a few more of him that Riki Reinfield had taken end of the season before. I had seen them on another mates computer and had been asking to use them for some time. Riki agreed and I had the next cover. Using other published magazines for inspiration I used matching coulours for the text which is now standard at Riders Anonymous.

Editors Words- If you haven't done so yet please take time to read this quick story, I thought it was quite funny and it managed to offend most people who frequent each mountain. I am a Maori and can still see the funny side of a racist joke (because it is a joke) but people are so patriotic to their own mountains.

June Cover Volume 1 Issue 6

Nathan May had come to me at work with this idea he had to travel around the North Island in search of skate bowls to ride witha bunch of mates packed intoa small car. It sounded like a great idea and I was stoked when he said he wanted to put an article together for me. I have mates tell me every week they have an idea for a article but I never get anything. So when I saw Nathan next and he said the trip was good and the photos came out sick, I thought I would be making some bullocks up about a trip I wasn't on. But no, Nana came through with the goods andhis photography stepped up to a new level. I rewarded his effort by using one of his images for the cover. Cheers Nathan keep up the good work.

May Cover Volume 1 Issue 5

Another cover donated by James crow, funny it's a shot of him pressing the June battleship. This Cover set the standard for all the covers that followed. We changed the font of the title to Brie Light, which gave the whole magazine a cleaner easier look. Opening the issue you were greated with the new set format of the magazine. The new look was met with hesitation at first but then happy acceptance with a much easier faster way to navigate through the issue. This move took Riders Anonymous to a whole new level of professional imagery. This issue also contained more editorials that delivered info and facts about products and industry talk. Another step closer to being a magazine for the readers.

April Cover Volume 1 Issue 4

The X-Files issue was an exciting issue to put together. I asked Nic Reeves the artist behind Phoam Arts if she would contribute to Riders Anonymous by designing a cover for the April issue, she jumped at the chance to give it a shot. I worked hard with my brother Kori and Web Master James to try and put together a whole new concept. Ideas were flowing left, right and centre.

When you give different people the same breif, it's funny how much of a difference each persons interpretations are. Infact that is what made this issue so special. All of us had our own image of X File, so the final product was an awsome colaberation of 5 imaginitive people. The cover really topped of the issue and when I recieved it I was blown away. Good Job Nic you did Riders Anonymous Proud

March Cover Volume 1 Issue 3

The March issue was full of firsts. It was the first time we had decided to try themeing each issue starting with this 'the dirt issue'. It was also the the first cover not chosen by myself the editor and put in the hands of James Crow the nutty web master. Being James, I knew he would do something quite fresh and new for Riders Anonymous. What he came up with was perfect to the brief I gave him. It would probably never be used ina sports edition magazine but it could make a mag like Vice. The issue also saw the First bike story making us a truly rider orientated magazine. This issue also saw the first contributions from Surfscab and he has now become a regular contributor and we look forward to this summer when I am sure he will voice his opion about surf law.

February Cover Volume 1 Issue 2

Two photos blended into one cover. I was sent the photo of Nick Recordon hitting the Snowpark Battleship one morning and could see it as the cover straight away. Dave Recordon was the photographer and captured not only the action but also a great moody background. While I was in Raglan picking my nephew up for christmas I managed to grab a couple of photos at Manu bay. Morehu paddled out and then I snapped this shot which seem to blend perfectly in with nicks image. Both pictures were going to be used for covers and then only a week before the 2nd issue went live I merged the two photos and as a result the final cover looked sick!

January Cover Volume 1 Issue 1

The first cover of Riders Anonymous featured this photo of Matariki's taken from a look out above Daniels Reef. Matariki took about 15 photos this day and then went for a surf. The waves were a solid size on the sets and the rights had a great drop. It's amazing to think how this wave is known as a right to so many people and left to so many others. This is one of the best A-frame reefs around Auckland and on its day one of the best reefs in the North Island, shame about the crowds in summer though.

This photo was probably the best cover to start a new magazine with, it has everything a surfers wants; size, holowness, and clean blue glassy water.

In search of Captain zero

A surfer’s trip beyond the end of the road
Allan C. Weisbecker
Novel 328 pages

Good surf novels are far and few between as we surfers tend to be doers not describers so it is with eager anticipation I let you in on this book as I feel this is a truly worthy surf novel just how much is fiction I don’t know but how much is humorous and exciting and a little disturbing I do know and its most of it!
Allan manages to disturb the readers mind by subtly pointing to the lonely and self-centred existence of a exploring surfer seeking the holy grail of our culture; uncrowded waves of a perfection hidden away in some picture perfect paradise setting, fortunately Allan isn’t stereotypical in his descriptions or character creations as he slides you into his world and takes you for a ride.
This is not a dark noir style story as in Kem Nunn’s great surf novels, the atmosphere stays bright and swift moving like the Central American landscape it travels through.
I loved this book and am eager to get my hands on his out of print first book ‘Cosmic Banditos’ and I have gone as far as to pre-ordered his next book ‘ Can't You Get Along With Anyone? A Writer's Memoir’
Meanwhile I’m re reading this one.
Rating:4.5/5 .5 off for leaving me wanting more. ;)

The dogs of winter

The Dogs of Winter a novel
Kem Nunn
362 pages


I was put onto this book by a mate; Thanks Curly
Good surf writers are hard to come by.
Read Nat or MR’s books if you doubt me. “Yawn”.
Ken really is a great author building a balanced atmosphere and set of characters,
and maintaining them throughout the story.
He also weaves the language of the average man, surfer and lowlife beautifully!
I was also impressed at how wonderfully he built the character of the driven big wave explorer.
The plot of this story draws in surfers,
dead end photographers and native Americans,
and ominously ‘the man in the grey suit’
into a, sometimes, dark and violent tome that leaves one feeling there’s a bad storm approaching.
It really runs the whole gambit of emotions and I’m stoked to say Kem never sells out.
Over all a great read for the weekend or surf trip.
Rating 8/10