Iconic Surf Magazine Covers: A Gallery (1962-2015)
Culture

Iconic Surf Magazine Covers: A Gallery (1962-2015)

1 November 2021

A hand-picked gallery of classic Surfer, Tracks and Surfer's Journal covers spanning five decades, curated by surf historians, photographers and collectors.

Written by Bradley HookFounder of Surfd · lifelong surfer, surf-travel writer and photographer1 November 2021
In this article

In this article, you'll learn

  • Why printed surf magazines like Surfer have declined
  • Who curated this gallery of iconic covers alongside the author
  • What decades and titles the cover gallery spans, from 1962 to 2015
  • How readers can suggest covers to add to the collection

The Unfortunate Decline of Surf Magazines

For decades, printed surf magazines were the primary media platform for surfing. The modern digital era is undoubtedly a fantastic time for surfing. High quality written and image based online content make for excellent viewing. It is sad, however, to have witnessed the decline of printed surf magazines. Most notably the closure of Surfer magazine in print form.

Over the years I begged, borrowed (there is such a thing as permanent loan isn't there?), inherited and purchased a pretty extensive collection of vintage surf magazines. My cache includes publications from each decade spanning the 1960's to recent times.

Countless hours were enjoyed reading mesmerising tales of surf exploration, surfboard design, and the riding of perfect waves. Although I fondly recall the articles I read, it is more often than not the images that stick in my mind.

Hundreds of classic surf photos are logged in my memory banks. But it's the cover shots that I cherish most fondly.

I thought I would dig through my collection and present a gallery of truly iconic surf magazine covers. I asked a few of my good friends for their input. They took time out of their busy schedules, listing the covers that had the most impact on them over the years.

Simon Tucker: Ex Professional Surfer in the 1980s and 90s, Simon is an avid collector of vintage surfboards and paraphernalia.

Rick Dabrow: Surf Historian extraordinaire, Rick is one of the finest story tellers out there.

Paul Gill: Legendary European surf photographer and surf explorer.

Cai Waggett: Curator of "The Cruel and Curious" and Editor of Foiling Magazine.

Reader Contributions

As I mentioned, these covers are selected by myself and the people mentioned above. We only had access to surf magazines from my personal collection. If you guys can think of covers that you think should be included in this gallery please let me know in the comments. Tell me which magazine cover, and what it means to you. I will update the page regularly. Let's work together and build the most comprehensive gallery of iconic surf magazine covers.

  • VictorianCollections large

    Surfer: Volume 3 Number 3 1962

  • Issue 5 no 4 e1634123731607

    Surfer: Volume 5 Number 4 1964

  • Tracks MP February 1972 e1634123722652

    Tracks: February 1972

  • Mexico Gill e1634123626503

    Surfer: Volume 14 Number 5 1973

  • Santosha Edit e1634123669258

    Surfer: Volume 15 Number 1 1974

  • Pipe e1634123658863

    Surfer: Volume 16 Number 2 1975

  • Tracks First Colour December 1976 e1634123701663

    Tracks: December 1976

  • Board shot June 1978 e1634123499220

    Surfer: Volume 19 Number 2 1978

  • Mex Pipeline Gill e1634123614319

    Surfer: Volume 19 Number 5 1978

  • Jan 1979 e1634123536418

    Surfer: Volume 20 Number 1 1979

  • Nias Gill copy e1634123649716

    Surfer: Volume 20 Number 3 1979

  • Lopez May 1979

    Surfer: Volume 20 Number 5 1979

  • SURFER Magazine July 1979 Vol 20 No 7

    Surfer: Volume 20 Number 7 1979

  • MR April e1634123637973

    Surfing: April 1980

  • March 1980 e1634123606602

    Surfer: Volume 21 Number 3 1980

  • Tent Si Tucker e1634123692353

    Surfer: Volume 21 Number 11 1980

  • March 79 or 80 e1634123590761

    Surfer: Volume 22 Number 3 1981

  • Ladies 22 no 7 july

    Surfer: Volume 22 Number 7 1981

  • Boat Trip Tim e1634123510898

    Surfer: Volume 25 Number 5 1984

  • 2.jpg

    Surfer: Volume 33 Number 2 1992

  • 11.jpg

    Surfer: Volume 33 Number 11

  • Jay Moriaty May 1995

    Surfer: Volume 36 Number 5 1995

  • Surfers Journal Volume 13 number 5 e1634123679792

    Surfers Journal: Volume 13 Number 5

  • Surfers Journal Voliume 14 number 3 e1634123469385

    Surfers Journal: Volume 14 Number 3

  • 1.jpg

    Surfer: Vol 38 Number 1 1997

  • Laird e1634123566581

    Surfer: Volume 42 Number 2

  • 6.jpg

    Surfer: Volume 42 Number 2

  • Burkhard volume 55 issue 4 2014 e1634123522530

    Surfer: Volume 55 Issue 4 2014

  • 09 15 Transworld Surf e1634123487604

    Transworld Surf: September 2015

  • Tracks Issue 540 e1634123711853

    Tracks: September 2015

Frequently asked questions

What surf magazines are included in this gallery?
The gallery features covers from Surfer, Tracks, Surfer's Journal and Transworld Surf, spanning 1962 to 2015.
Who chose the covers in this collection?
The covers were selected from the author's personal magazine collection with input from vintage surfboard collector Simon Tucker, surf historian Rick Dabrow, photographer Paul Gill and curator Cai Waggett.
Why did printed surf magazines decline?
The shift to digital media hit print surf titles hard, most notably leading to the closure of Surfer magazine's print edition.
Can I suggest a cover to add to the gallery?
Yes, the author invites readers to suggest magazine covers and what they mean to them, with the page updated regularly.