What happens if you combine a carpenter with a surfer? Well, you get a master craftsmen of wooden surfboards - presumably one with a big long beard.

The Eco Challenge is going down on the Gold Coast this weekend and it's gonna be splinters and good vibes a'plenty.

"One of the most significant changes in the line up in recent years has been the increasing numbers of young children." Swellnet contributor, blindboy, explores the often-overlooked issues surrounding kids in the surf.

One day after the Quiksilver and Roxy Pros finished and the Snapper lineup has returned to a modicum of normality. A jumped up easterly trade swell pulses down the bank as Matt Coleman films.

Dr Dave Jenkins, founder of SurfAid, fronts the crowd at the recent TEDxManly. Jenkins' talk is titled 'Do something that matters'.

No-one can say pro surfing is not without its theatre, and the last day of the Quiksilver Pro provided plenty. Braithy was on hand as New World surfers stormed Australia's sacrosanct surfing stage.