Mother Nature at her wildest
There’s something about monstrous waves that draws you in and has you transfixed, mesmerised by the power of the ocean. The intrigue is only heightened when you see surfers dispense with any sense of self-regard in an attempt to ride such beasts. This edition, we hope to awe you with the fascinating stories behind big wave surfers.
Photo by Nick Nairn-Smith
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Since 2010, Smorgasboarder has been your free grassroots surfing magazine.
Reader stories
Insights
July 2025
Don’t look down
From standing on the edge of a balcony, eight stories high, to surfing the biggest waves on the planet, this is the story of how Nazaré saved the life of Joonhee 'Juni' Cho
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Insights
July 2025
Student of the ocean
Everything Marti Paradisis has achieved in his surfing career has come from passion, dedication, and an honest obsession for chasing highs that only surfing can provide.
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Insights
July 2025
Beyond adrenaline
Andrew ‘Cotty’ Cotton is one of the world’s most respected big wave surfers, and to him, the lifestyle is about so much more than just chasing gigantic swells.
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Photographers
April 2025
Into the flow
Laid back, unassuming, grounded… we could have gone with a myriad of different headlines for this story on surf photographer Riley O’Dea.
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Insights
April 2025
Made for this
Callum Robson realised his true calling one fateful day on a construction site, covered in sawdust and frothing for a surf in his home town of Evans Head.
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Insights
April 2025
Living legend
Ben has worked in classy restaurants around the world, starred on multiple television series, surfed in some insane places, met the Queen (twice), written tonnes of books...
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Insights
January 2025
All the best people are
Jerome Sahyoun from Morocco who likes to BASE jump into waves. Yeah, you read that right.
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Art Locals
January 2025
Skull and crossbones
If you have ever had the pleasure of dropping into Blackflag Brewing Co after a cheeky surf in Coolum or Mooloolaba, chances are you’ve seen the sick work of Tammen Willmott.
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Insights
January 2025
Surf by day, jam by night
One of Australia’s most successful blues musicians, he got to where he is today by relentlessly chasing his goals and the things that make him happy.
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